Jericho Junction (5 page)

“You would strike the man who gifts you with his blood?” Fel asked in astonishment.

“What?”

“It was an accident, and you know it.” Seino snorted. “Stop teasing him.”

Fel grinned and ran a finger over the tip of his ear. “But he’s so much fun. And so much bear, hmm?”

The look the mage shot him made Jericho distinctly uncomfortable, and Seino as well, apparently. His demon took a step in front of Jericho to block his grandfather and glared.

Fel grinned. “Best of luck, Grandson.”

He opened his mouth to speak again but paused. Fel tilted his head, as if listening to something only he could hear. With a frown, he pointed to Seino. “Time is of the essence. Go to the bear’s birthplace, quickly. The sorceress has moved faster than I’d thought. If you’re a moment too late, you’ll lose all.”

Seino swore and grabbed Jericho by the hand. “Think hard, Jericho. Back to the place you were born.”

“How the hell would I know? I was a cub.”

“No, you were Kin. Focus.”

Jericho let his thoughts wander. He had no idea if he’d given Seino what he needed when he found time and space compressing around him. It didn’t make him nearly as dizzy this time. And a good thing, too, because he and Seino stumbled into a major battle.

In the middle of a ring of brawlers, a large cougar spat and swiped at anything within reach. Around him, a horde of what looked like half-dead humans poked and stabbed at the cat. Bodies of other dead felines lay all around. But to his consternation, Jericho couldn’t smell a damn thing. No scent of a human or a sorceress anywhere near. Just dead cats.

“Jericho, don’t let them kill her.” Seino withdrew his blade and advanced on their enemy.

“Her?”

“The feline.”

Before he could ask how Seino could know who the cat was, his amulet burned the hell out of him. It glowed in the centre of his chest. He still wasn’t sure how it didn’t choke him when he shifted, but he didn’t question the magic.

Accepting the challenge being thrown his way, he ripped out of his clothes and shifted at the same time into his bear. As he tore into the ensorcelled humans, he watched Seino glide like a dancer through the carnage. He stepped with the wind, cutting and stabbing with pure grace. Watching him move was almost as pleasurable as fucking him, though Jericho would be damned if he’d admit it to the savage Kin.

When he’d mauled through the humans Seino hadn’t killed, he joined him. Together they approached the wary cat limping away. She retreated facing them, her back to the woods, and she hissed and snarled at them to leave her alone. And then, in a split second, all hell broke loose.

A loud cackle erupted in the greying sky like a shriek of lightning. Thunder rumbled, and the dead humans melted away into the soil, as if they’d never been. A beautiful, petite female appeared out of nowhere and moved around the dead felines, ripping their hearts out by plunging her small fist through each chest cavity. And she cast no scent. This, then, was the sorceress.

The cat screamed and would have rushed her if Jericho hadn’t intercepted the feline. Instead, she bounced off his bulk. He didn’t know why he felt the need to protect the cat, but he instinctively knew if he let her touch the woman, she’d die.

The sorceress had blonde curls and bright blue eyes that sparkled with cheer. She stepped away from a carcass with a heart clutched in her hand. In a disgusting display, she swallowed it whole, her mouth opening incredibly wide as she engulfed the organ the way a snake engulfed small rodents. Then the woman blinked, and the bulge at her throat and cheeks disappeared, along with the blood spatters on her mouth, clothing and hands.

“The cats are tastier than the others, you know. Probably because they function best as familiars.” She spoke as if chatting about the weather.

“You have killed Kin and shifter,” Seino said quietly. “But no more.”

The menace Jericho sensed instilled caution. His amulet heated, and he backed the spitting feline behind him farther away. He didn’t fear Seino, but he’d seen the male fight. He knew better than to allow anyone to get between the Protector and his prey.

Deep inside, Jericho felt the sword shudder with delight, eager to taste the sorceress on its blade.

As if sensing its threat, the woman glared at Seino’s sword, then at him. “Stupid athmae. Don’t you know yet where you belong?”

“Don’t you?” Seino smiled, his fangs sharp and threatening.

Sexy.

Hell, where had that thought come from?

“You aren’t welcome in this plane.” She chanted long and loud, her voice surprisingly sweet. She threw her hands out at him and increased the volume of her song.

Prepared for the worst, Jericho readied to leap at her and crush her throat before she could say anything more. Or perhaps swipe a claw down her belly and force a mortal wound.

“Stay back,” Seino ordered.

Power swelled. Seino didn’t move. The cat behind him didn’t so much as twitch. Jericho didn’t give a shit what Seino said. He couldn’t let the Kin die. He readied to attack just as their enemy fell silent.

Nothing happened.

She blinked. She chanted again and this time aimed her fingers at Jericho.

Nothing.

She screeched, and in her alarm, Jericho saw an image overlying the soft woman she represented to the world. A hideous void of nothingness centred over her heart and took place of the sockets where her eyes should be. Seino’s sword begged to fill the nothingness, to sink deep into that evil and soak it up like a sponge.

The blonde shrieked, “I’ll kill you! Maybe not now, but soon. No matter. I don’t need your blood yet, demon. Yours or the bear’s.” The look she gave the cat promised pain. “But the cat will be mine before the next moon wanes.” She pointed to the bodies around them, and they vanished. “Tell the wolf I’ll be seeing him soon. All he knows and loves will be mine, his loss a terrible burden. The same way my world was taken from me.”

She disappeared just as Seino took a step forward.

Jericho shifted back into a man’s form. “Well, that was awkward.”

“But telling. We’ve laid eyes on our enemy, and I’ve witnessed her signature—the power of her person. For one with so much power, she should have been familiar to me. But I don’t know her.”

“She’s a bitch.” A woman’s voice behind him startled Jericho.

He turned to find a bloodied but beautiful female leaning back against a boulder. Her long blonde hair covered her breasts, but he couldn’t help himself from looking at the rest of her.

“I sensed that.” Seino appeared to be doing his share of looking as well.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” the woman snapped. “Great. I’m bleeding to death and you two idiots can’t stop staring.”

Jericho sighed. “Typical. No thanks, no smiles for going above and beyond. Cats,” he said with disdain.

“I apologise.” Seino bowed to the woman, sounding more polite than Jericho had ever heard him. “I would remedy the situation, if it would please you, beauty.”

Jericho narrowed his gaze, wondering what the hell Seino had planned. The hungry spark in Seino’s eye he understood, because he felt it as well for the annoying cat. But the way Seino talked, with such reverence…

“Thanks. I think.” The woman straightened with Seino’s help, comfortable with her nudity. She didn’t seem to mind them staring at her, despite what she’d said. And wonder of wonders, but her body healed itself as they watched. Slowly, but most of the wounds healed all the same.

Seino stared at her leg. “The injury to your thigh. It was caused by magic.”

“Yeah.” She groaned when she put more weight on her left leg. “Bitch attacked me. She knew I’d tell Fenris.”

Jericho opened his mouth to interrupt, but Seino shook his head.

“Allow me. I have some skill with magic.” Seino paused. “If you would hold this for me, as a testament to my goodwill, I will seek that which would heal you.”

She accepted the demon bone sword without hesitation. Jericho knew a moment’s unease, especially when the sword chattered directly into his mind, excited about the feline. Then he saw what Seino had in his hand.

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Dealing with a demon as a lover—a mate—was bad enough. But a cat?

Seino held the amulet in hand, his eyes glowing a bright red. With amusement, excitement, or lust, Jericho couldn’t tell.

“You have a problem, bear?” The feline pointed the sword at him, then frowned. “Is it just me, or is this thing talking?”

“About Fenris—” Jericho tried but Seino spoke over him.

“Take this healing amulet freely given.” Seino placed it over her head.

It settled and snapped tight to her chest. A light breeze blew her hair from a lovely pair of breasts. The rest of her injuries vanished and her eyes grew wide, the light gold colour so clear he felt he looked straight at the sun.

She hissed and pointed at Seino. “Y-you tricked me!”

Seino nodded. “I’m Kin.” As if that not only explained things, but excused them.

Jericho sighed. “Welcome to the club.”

Anya knew better. She had only herself to blame for trusting the handsome Kin. “What is this thing?” She tried to lift the amulet from her neck, but it wouldn’t budge. Heat filtered through her body, and her heart beat erratically before it settled into the same rhythm she heard echoed in the two men facing her. “Oh hell. What did you do to me?”

“I think you know, Dark Walker.” The Kin seemed pleased with himself. He bowed. “My name is Seino, and I am Protector of the Seventh Kingdom. The bear with me is Jericho, and he—”

“Wait,” the bear interrupted. “Dark Walker? But she’s a cat.”

Jericho looked mean, annoyed, and way too sexy for her peace of mind. Cats weren’t supposed to notice things like brawny arms and big cocks and nice eyes in lesser shifters. So why was she drawn to a bear, of all creatures? The Kin…well, like called to like. She understood that, unfortunately.

Seino answered him. “She’s like you. Did you really think Banathmae only chose the bear form to play with?”

“I don’t even want to know what the hell you’re talking about.” Jericho growled.

To her mortification, she grew wet at the sound of it.

The bear swung his head her way again, his nostrils flaring. “But damn, that’s sweet.”

She couldn’t help noticing his impressive erection. And Seino too looked more than happy to see her. Or was he more than happy to see the bear? The carnal vibes flaring off both of them sparked with each other…and with her.

“Just hold on a minute,” she said when she could focus past their erections.

The intensity of their fixation grew and they moved closer, as if stalking prey.

“Hey. I said wait.”

The sword in her hand jumped away, back into Seino’s large palm. He had the palest skin, blue-black hair, and red eyes. Like hers, his ears were pointed at the ends. Jericho appeared completely normal for a shifter. Except she felt him deep inside, throbbing like the amulet against her breast, like the pulsing need at her clit.

“She’s ours, I take it?” the bear murmured, then licked his lips.

“Yes. Go ahead, Jericho. Take what you need.”

Seino seemed to be in charge, and she didn’t know if she liked that. But before she could question what the hell they were doing in her woods and what issues they had with that bitch, Serena, Jericho lunged.

She tried to struggle out of his hold, but then his lips found hers. In an instant, her need to flee was replaced with a need to fuck.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Seino whispered. One moment he stood behind Jericho, the next he stood behind her.

Anya barely caught her breath before Jericho sucked her nipple into his hot mouth. “Oh. You…wait…”

She wanted to feel him inside her, to take the bear and the Kin and explore this new hunger. An impossible connection had formed, one she would see to its end. Her body wouldn’t allow her to do anything else.

Relaxing into Seino’s arms, she lolled her head on his shoulder, unprepared for him to wrench it to the side and bite her neck. The fangs were there and gone, the lips around her nipple taking her concentration from the brief sting. A hand nudged between her thighs, then something firmer nudged her ass.

A shocking lethargy consumed her, obliterating any thought of resistance—not that she had any. Heat trailed throughout her body. Carnal hunger spread like fingers of carnal want.

“Oh yes. Please. Fuck me,” she begged.

Jericho lifted her into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. He released her breast and kissed her, just as he shoved her down over his fat cock. The intrusion would have hurt, despite her slick pussy, had Seino’s venom not surged through her.

“Tricky demon,” she panted when Jericho gave her a moment.

He fixed his lips to her throat and continued to fuck her, giving her the ride she needed.

“Oh yes. But not demon. Kin. Your kin,” Seino murmured and nudged Jericho’s chin to kiss him over her shoulder.

The bear groaned.

She found the notion of being sandwiched between the two males sexy beyond belief. And then something hard prodded her ass. No stranger to sex of any kind, she still hadn’t anticipated a threesome—not after dealing with Serena.

Then a slippery cock eased past her sphincter. The dual penetration stole every thought until she existed only on feeling.

“So damn good. I feel you through her.” Jericho moaned. “Damn, kitty. You’re so hot. So fucking tight.”

“Yes, she is,” Seino said from behind her. He planted kisses on her neck and shoulders as he pushed the rest of himself inside her. Then he nipped her again, and his venom eased her body into accepting him.

They fucked her in tandem, a rhythm born of mates finding a third, a woman to complete their triangle. As much as she wished she didn’t understand what had happened, Anya recognised the bonding. Hell, she smelt it. A combination of not just their scents, but hers as well. An invigorating perfume that went straight to her head.

“Yes, oh yeah.” Jericho pumped harder, his hands bruising on her hips. He fucked her like he owned her, and she barely knew more than his name.

So unfair, fate. Especially to give her to two men who wore possession and dominance like a second skin.