Soul Mates: Scent (The Soul Mates Series) (29 page)

I could feel a crazy mix of feelings coming from Anna, part of her wanted to cry and scream at all that had happened to her cabin. Another part of her was heart broken at the loss of her father’s creations. “Sweetheart, they are just things, it can all be replaced.”

“I know, I just…I want to kill them!” Anna said with a black look upon her face.

“Oh there is no doubt, they will be dying this day.”

“It’s as bad up there as it is down here,” Daire said coming back down the stairs.

“We’ll take care of it later, come on, we have more houses to check.”

We flashed over to my grandparents house with the same results and then on to mine. By my calculations we had missed them by perhaps five minutes maximum.

“Where could they have gone?” Anna asked as she picked up a broken picture of Tony and I at Basketball Camp and put it back on my desk.

I looked around my room, I looked for things that Frederick would have noticed, things that were probably important to me, people that were important to me. People like Anna, my parents, my sister, and Tony. “Tony. They’ve gone after Tony.”

Anna’s eyes got wide. “Mon couer, that makes much sense. We have to get to Tony!”

“Max, we don’t know where Tony lives,” Daire said. “Without a direction, I’m afraid we would be flashing into no where.”

I thought about it for half a second. “Everyone hold on to Anna and I. Daire, Cole, add your power to mine. I will get us there.” I prayed hard that we would beat Frederick and his band of goons to Tony’s house.

“I knew you were coming.”

“Tony?” I stared at him. He looked strange, as if he had been in a trance. His eyes were outlined in kohl and he was wearing this crazy looking metal ring that covered his hand and attached at his wrist. In front of him a pack of Tarot cards were laid out in a weird pattern.

“He’s coming after me now isn’t he?”

I didn’t want to lie. Tony was my best friend, I wouldn’t lie to him. “Yes.”

“Well, isn’t that a bitch. Glad you got here first,” he said calmly. “How long?”

“Seconds?”

“Guess it’s a good thing I sent mom and Theresa out of town last night.”

“You knew this was coming?” Daire asked.

“Yeah. Truth is, I’m more than just a Sióga Feiceann. I’m a true psychic. I see a great deal of things, not all of them Fae. I’ve kept it hidden for a very long time from a lot of people and things.”

“I never knew,” I said frowning.

“I never wanted you to know. I didn’t want to be the weird one,” Tony laughed. “Look at us now! Still friends dude?”

“Man, like I would dump my best friend because he was a gypsy!”

“How touching! Nothing like a little reveal to distract from the big bad lion entering the room!” Frederick announced as he slid his knife into James side and ripped him open. James dropped to the floor in a heap, panting heavily.

With in seconds the rest of Frederick’s pack had flashed into the room and it was filled with sword play.

“Tony, get down!” I shouted.

But instead Tony surprised me by back flipping over the couch, grabbing what I had always thought was a pair of decorative swords off of the wall and joining the fight. There was a lot I still didn’t know about my best friend apparently.

One of the tigers swiped at my side with his claws while I was distracted and I growled. Flashing myself across the room I swung the sword once and decapitated him. I immediately focused on Frederick only to be confronted by the other tiger.

“You think you are a match for me, whelp? You are nothing!” he shouted crazily as he came at me with extended claws.

I sliced through the air as if I was cutting butter and his paws went flying. With a spin I took his head and continued on toward Frederick who had Anna trapped in a corner, a knife to her throat.

“Get away from my mate!” I shouted as I slammed my sword handle into his back.

“She isn’t yours yet, whelp!” Frederick said as he spun from her slicing open my arm.

I spun the sword in my hand and swiped at him, opening up his gut. “I say she is!”

Anna, not wanting to be left out of the fight drew her own sword and took a chunk out of Frederick’s leg as she sliced his hamstring open. “I belong to Max! I shall never be yours!”

Frederick shifted then, turning lion with a mighty roar. We all backed away, and Anna and I shifted as well. Rik and James held the Cheetah, who was incapable of shifting with the two of them piercing him with their claws. Daire and Cole were just finishing off the other lion with a quick piercing of the heart.

Frederick roared again as he noticed his cohorts dead on the floor. I’m sure he was hoping to scare us, but it was failing miserably.

Anna and I circled him, our teeth bared
.
Sweetheart,
how
do
I
kill
him?

Go for his jugular mon amour. His head is too big for your jaws, it will have to be a bloody kill. I will go for his heart.

We circled again and then we both leaped at him, attacking. I ripped at his neck, pulling with my teeth, struggling to make the wound deeper as I felt his claws dig into me, but I didn’t let go.

Frederick stopped struggling after about five minutes. I looked up to see Anna had completely ripped his heart out of his chest. It was dangling from between her lips as she sat and waited for me to say something.

I sat back on my hunches and grinned.
You
are
a
vicious
little
thing
aren
’
t
you,
sweetheart?

Anna dropped her prize and proceeded to clean herself up.
I
don
’
t
know
what
you
are
talking
about,
mon
amour.
She laughed that sexy little laugh that she new I loved.
Of
course
now
you
know
what
I
’
m
capable
of
if
you
ever
get
a
wondering
eye
…

I gave a barking laugh and tackled her, licking her face.
As
if
I
would
ever
want
anyone
but
you
my
sweet
Anna
Lissa.

“In case anyone cares, we still have the cheetah to deal with,” Rik stated.

“I thought we were saving him for Thomas.”

“I know, but I want to make sure Max and Anna are okay with that. We didn’t exactly clear it with them.”

I motioned for Anna to follow me into the next room where we both shifted back to our human forms and I flashed us into clean clothes. She rushed into my arms and held me tightly.

I put my hands gently on her cheeks and kissed her softly at first and then with all of the passion in my heart. I sank into her, my fingers diving into her silky soft hair, pulling her closer until we were practically one being.

After a few moments we pulled apart, panting slightly. I smiled and kissed her forehead. “Goddess I love you Anna. There is nothing in this world that matters to me, but you.”

“I love you, mon amour.” Anna snuggled into my shoulder. “Come, we must give our answer to Rik and James about the cheetah.

“Our first act as Felidae leaders?”

“Oui. And it is not a difficult one. This cheetah tried to take you from me. I spare him no mercy, Max.”

I hesitated, I couldn’t condemn the cheetah outright. I wanted to hear from him first. Then I would decide and I said as much.

“If you believe that is the wisest decision, mon couer, then it will be as you wish. We will question the cheetah before we pass judgment.”

I nodded and Anna and I stepped back into Tony’s destroyed living room. “Tony I am terribly sorry about the state of your house. I will have it repaired. As for this creature… Daire, Cole, escort him to Faerie. I wish Thomas to be there when I confront him. Rik, you and James please go with them and keep him sedated. Anna, I wish for you to speak with your father, have him ask the council to come down for the tribunal on this creature. They will not have final say, but I will listen to their advice.”

“Yes my Prince, it will be as you wish it,” Daire nodded as he and Cole each took one of the shifter’s arms and the five of them flashed out of the room.

Tony’s jaw dropped at my authoritative voice and how all of them just bowed to my wishes.

“Tony, I promise I will send a clean up crew for this mess. I’d tell you to stay at my place, but it’s almost as bad. For now, would you like to come and stay in Faerie?”

“Is that wise?” Anna whispered softly.

“Tony is my best friend, he is no threat to Faerie. If I am Auberon’s acting heir, then I can invite who I wish to stay with us in Faerie.”

“Really dude, I don’t think I should. I mean, Sióga Feiceann and all… I’d rather not let my cover get blown with all of Faerie, ya know?” Tony grinned. “I’ll just stay in a hotel.”

I frowned. “Okay, but the offer stands. If you ever need a place to stay.”

“Thanks dude.”

“Anna, we must go,” I said and held out my hand for her.

“You must take his head, mon amour,” Anna said. “To prove to the council that you have slain him.”

“Very well.” I took out my sword and with a clean cut I sliced off Frederick’s head. I wiped my blade on my pant leg before securing it and picking the head up by the mane. I wrapped my other arm around Anna. “Catch ya later Tones,” I said as we flashed to the entrance of Faerie.

“My Prince! The others are awaiting you in the throne room.”

“Thank you,” I said to the Fae guard at the door.

Anna and I proceeded through the door and made our way down the hall to the throne room. “Anna, go to your father now, get the council here. I don’t want to drag this out.”

“Oui, mon amour,” She said with a kiss to my lips before quickly turning from me and joining her father. I watched her lead him out of the room before I strode to the throne where Auberon awaited and dropped Frederick‘s head before him.

“Max, join me.”

I nodded and slipped my ring off my finger and set it on a silver dish next to the throne, once again assuming my Fae form. I took the throne to his right. “I’ve sent Anna and David to bring the council here.”

Auberon raised an eyebrow. “You wish to hold your first tribunal here?”

I looked him full in the face. “If you will allow it, Auberon. I have power here, something about this place adds to my power. Perhaps it is Gaia. All I know is I have to confront the council and Anna and I have to take control from them. I want to do it in a place I feel the most powerful.”

Auberon grinned. “I knew you had more of me in you than your grandfather. Of course you may hold your tribunal here. I look forward to seeing their reaction.”

“Where are Rik and James holding the cheetah?”

“I believe they are in one of the ante rooms. Would you like to have Daire ask them to come forth?”

“Not yet. One thing at a time. What about Thomas? Has he made a complete recovery?”

“Nearly, he is still limping a bit on his right leg, we are not sure why. Hopefully when he shifts he will recover completely.”

The doors opened then and Anna and David returned leading a group of men, most of them seemed to be in their sixties if you went by human years.
Mon
amour,
they
came
but
they
are
not
happy
about
it.
Anna told me with a look.

I don’t care if they are, for they are about to be extremely discontented, sweetheart and really, there is nothing they can do about it.

“Felidae Council of Elders, welcome to the Faerie Mound. I am Max Fergus, Jaguar and Fae Prince. May I introduce Auberon King of Light and Illusion who has so generously allowed me use of his throne room?”

“And we should listen to you because?” asked an Elder.

“You should listen to Max because he is my emissary and Anna’s true mate,” Diana, goddess of the hunt said stepping out from behind my throne, laying her hand on my shoulder. She was dressed in black leather and spiked heels. She glanced down at me and smiled before she continued down the step to confront the elders.

The elders all dropped to their knees in respect. I bowed my head in her direction and smiled.

“Goddess, it has been a long time since you have graced us with your presence. To what do we owe this honor?”

Diana frowned harshly at the council who were all still on their knees. “You owe my presence to Anna and Max listening to me, following my guidance, unlike you have been! Squandering my gifts, using them inappropriately! Do you think I do not know these things? From now on into eternity the Felidae council is disbanded!”

“But, goddess!” the Elders protested. “Who will lead us?”

“Max and Anna will lead you, as Rex and Regina of the Felidae. They have been blessed by me and by Gaia. As you can see Max defeated your champion Frederick. So you haven’t a leg to stand on.”

“But they are only children!”

I stood, furious that they would speak to the goddess is such a way. “Enough! How dare you whine like children to the goddess of her decisions. She is the goddess, you do not question her and where she lays her blessings! I have defeated Frederick. I am marrying Anna, my mate in less than three weeks. I
am
your king. And as your king I have brought together this tribunal for the cheetah that attempted to kill Anna, and several others, including a rare dragon.”