Warrior (Twisted Sister #2) (14 page)

“What the fuck do you mean, mated? God, I don’t understand any of this,” I tell him shocked.

“Please, I need to do this quickly. It’s unsafe for me to be here. Like I just told Alison, there are some things I don’t have a right to tell you.” He looks at me intently, the gaze scorching and not in the hot sexy way. He’s mad. “And the whole PhiIIi thing is one of them. I can only give you the basic outline and hope you can piece it all together.” Jordi wrings his hands together on his lap as he continues, “I didn’t know Alison was going to be with you.” He raises his hand to stop me when I open my mouth. “God woman, just keep your mouth shut and listen for a minute. I knew I needed to take her the minute I smelt the Lyian scent on her skin. But the baby, well fuck! That took me by surprise. When I said I could smell Lyian on her, I also smelt the scent of a Watcher. One of our strongest, if I’m being honest. For that reason, I cannot help her back to my home. I need the father’s permission. We have laws against touching a Watcher’s Lyian. While we can get around a mated one, we cannot break the huge rule of not touching a pregnant one.”

“Okaaay…” I say slowly, trying to digest all the information just thrown at me. “Let’s say that I believe you, and I do agree to come with you. I have no idea what’s going on, but anything to do with Philli, concerns me. Don’t ask me why I feel that way, I just do. But you need to understand that I won’t under any circumstances leave Ally behind,” I tell him sternly.

“Madison, are you out of your goddamn mind,” Alison pipes up, she looks at me like I’ve gone insane. “He’s sitting here spouting so much fairytale bullshit, I don’t know if I’m coming or going. Besides, I wouldn’t know how to contact the fucking father,” Alison snaps getting up and pacing the room. “I really did try to find him.” She sobs quietly, casting her watery eyes down.

“Ally, you need to calm down. It’s going to be okay. I won’t leave without you, I swear. If you don’t want to go, neither do I,” I tell her. Jumping up from the sofa, I pull her small body close to mine smiling softly when I feel the baby move against my side. I spin around with Alison and face Jordi.

“If you can guarantee Ally’s safety, we will help you with what you need.”

“You need to understand something here, that’s not all I need help with. While I love Philli as a brother and would do anything for him, we need you for your healing powers as well. We need you to help many of our hurt, there are woman and children who are relying on me to bring you back.”

Jordi stills, raising his nose in the air, he jumps to his feet growling low in the back of his throat and stares out the window. “Fuck, we have incoming. Listen to me very carefully. No matter what happens, I need you to protect Alison and the babe.”

Alison and I watch dumbfounded, as a gray cloud of smoke engulfs his body. Loud howls and snarls vibrate around the small area. A large black wolf jumps out from the mist. The wolf’s eyes reminding me of Jordi’s golden ones. This confirms that what he said to Alison and it was indeed the truth.

I’m not scared, I should be panicking, but I’m not. Seeing this feels natural, like everything I’ve ever felt before this was the lie and I’m finally learning the truth.

“Ally, get behind me,
now!
” I yell, pushing Alison behind my back.

Jordi lowers his body to the ground and growls, he pads over the broken glass and peers out the window, teeth bared, snarling heavily. The pure anger radiating from him scares me. If a strong wolf like Jordi is this angry, it can only mean real danger is coming. I brace my body for what’s to come. My hands shake at my sides and my chest is heaving with every breath that soars in and out of my mouth.

“Whoa, my man. Stow the fangs,” a smooth voice rumbles from the darkness outside.

An imposing large figure takes a step out from behind one of the trees cast in the darkness, and into the light glowing from the living room’s broken window. I watch transfixed, as a tall man dressed in a black and a red robe steps into the streaming light. The stranger reaches up, lowering the hood off his head, exposing his face.

The man is gorgeous in a rough and ready way. His shoulder length dirty blond hair is pulled back in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. His eyes creep me out, they’re as black as the night sky. He glares over Jordi’s shoulder toward the house, noticing me standing in the broken window frame.

“Little sister, do not try to hide her. I can smell my kin a mile away,” the stranger tells me low and menacingly.

He walks over and pats Jordi on the head, causing him to growl. The stranger laughs at Jordi and strides past him toward the house.

“Wait, that’s your brother?” Alison whispers behind me.

“No, not just hers, little one. I am your brother as well, now stop hiding. Come out and show me your face,” he replies sternly, his head tilts to the side trying to see past me.

“Controlling much,” Alison sneers, holding onto the back of my shirt.

“You have no idea, little sister. Now, do not make me ask you again. I want to see your face.”

“What the fuck, dude? They’re your kin?” Jordi snaps.

I was so caught up in the stranger, that I didn’t even see Jordi shift back into human form.

“Yeah, man, they are my little sisters. I was just as surprised as you are. I thought I could sense kin close, but it wasn’t until about two hours ago that Lacy got the vision and I was pulled with the urge to come here,” he says, stepping into the living room through the broken window. “Jordi, my sisters need to get out of here and now. What the hell has taken you so long to get them back to safety?” He glowers at Jordi.

“Now, you wait just a goddamn minute mister…” Alison questions, stepping out from behind me.

“Jay, my name is… what the actual fuck?” Jay stammers, his mouth flies open in surprise when he gets a good look at Alison for the first time.

“Your name is Jay What-The-Actual-Fuck.” Alison chuckles in delight. “Well, Mr. What-The-Actual-Fuck, Jordi has been very busy…” She waves her hand in the air, “…you know, saving us and all. So it would be great if you backed off and left my wolf alone.”

Jay narrows his eyes and places his hands on his hips. Jordi sputters, unable to hold back the laughter, and winks at Alison. Jay walks over and slaps Jordi hard up the side of the head and growls.

“Oh, ouch…” Jordi laughs. “Oh, sorry, my man, but that’s a classic.”

“Jordi?” Jay growls, warning clear in his voice.

“Sorry man, but it was funny. And besides, I was going to tell you before you went all, do this and do that. I can shift with Madison, but I can’t touch Alison,” Jordi explains, kicking at the carpet in exasperation.

“Alison, Madison, beautiful,” Jay whispers our names like a prayer on his tongue. Jay lowers his head deep in thought. He snaps his eyes closed and growls. “Hang the fuck on, what do you mean that you can’t… Oh, fuck no. Oh, come the fuck on. Who do I have to kill?”

“Do you really have to swear so much?” Alison comments tilting her head to the side and placing her hands on her hips, glowering at Jay.

“One… two… three,” Jay mumbles keeping his eyes tightly closed. “Fuck it,” he snaps, opening his eyes and scowling at Alison.

Wind picks up in the room blowing everything around, books start flying off the shelving, pictures fly off the walls. The windows start shaking violently in their frames as Jay stands tall, feet slightly parted. His eyes glaze over getting a light red hue to them.

Jordi walks over to Jay calmly, dodging the flying objects and reaches out, he gently places a hand on the back of Jay’s shoulder and squeezes it gently. “Calm down, Brother, it’s going to be okay. Focus Jay, we need to get your kin home. We need to get them,
home,
” Jordi tells him softly but firmly.

The wind slows down in strength until it’s nothing but a breeze leaving the room. Jay’s body relaxes, his shoulders unbunch, and his jaw unclenches. He turns and looks past Jordi, his face stony and expressionless. He draws in a deep breath, sighs, and turns back to Jordi.

“You know who, don’t you?”

Jordi nods once looking him directly in the eye, unflinching from Jay’s menacing glare. “I do, man, but don’t make me tell you. It isn’t my place to say such things.”

“I understand your loyalty wolf, and I do respect it. But mark my words, I
will
find out who the father is and knock his fucking teeth in for knocking her up. She’s only a babe herself. Not to mention, this is
my
baby sister.”

Jordi walks over to me laughing, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that for one minute, Jay. But um, we aren’t finished with show and tell… you might want to see this.”

Jordi takes hold of my shoulders firmly and spins me around fast, pulling the collar of my shirt down on my back, exposing the base of my neck.

“Oh come on, one sister is knocked up and the other is mated to a fucking Dragon,” Jay sneers.

“What… a dragon? You’ve got to be kidding me?” I laugh nervously.

God, a dragon that could explain so much. For the last few months I’ve been having the most wonderful dreams of high flying dragons, and caves built deep into the greenest mountain sides I’ve ever seen.

“Fuck this shit. I need to get my sister’s home. You take Madison, I will shift with Alison. I’ll need to travel slowly because of the babe, so have one of the healers waiting on the other side in case she needs a healing blast.”

“Don’t we get a say in this at all?” Alison growls. “I want Jordi to take me.” Alison turns to face Jordi and pleads, “Please Jordi, please take me.”

“No, little sister, the wolf cannot take you. I make the rules and you follow,” Jay growls back.

Jordi walks over to Alison and wraps his arms around her shoulders gently, pulling her into a hug. “Ally, I will be on the other side when you get there, okay? I won’t leave your side unless you ask me to.” He kisses the top of her head and laughs at Jay when he growls. “Holy shit, this is great. You can tell you’re siblings, you’re so alike,” Jordi muses laughing. His face turns serious as he drops his arms from Alison and turns to face Jay. “You can’t travel with another Watcher’s Lyian,” Jordi tells him sternly.

“And you can’t lay hands on her. I say fuck the rules. This is my baby sister, the same blood that runs through my veins, runs through hers. Come to think of it, I’m going to shift right into the center of the council’s meeting hall. So after you shift over Jordi, make sure to turn the alarms off for my entry.”

“Fuck Jay, this is going to be a bloodbath. You want to call him out, to make him expose himself to you. Damn, this is just too good to be true, I’m in.” Jordi turns to face Alison. “Little one, I will meet you on the other side. Trust me.”

“All I can say is he better be a damn good fucking fighter,” Jay says walking over to where Alison and I stand.

Jordi turns to me, placing both hands back on my shoulders, he searches my eyes and tells me, “Close your eyes, Madison. This isn’t going to be pretty, and for that I truly am sorry. Just please tell Philli that I did do everything I could to keep most the pain away.”

The room starts to spin around me, furniture contorts shifting and morphing out of shape. Black mist swirls up around my legs, tightening around my body as it grows. A kaleidoscope of shapes and blurs swirl around me, making me feel ill. Stars burst behind my eyelids and I groan in pain. I reach down with one hand and hold my stomach, and I have to swallow quickly as the bile threatens to come up. I bring my free hand up to my mouth, hoping it will help keep the queasiness away. I realize everything’s dropping away and I can’t see much through the smoke and haze. The room turns as black as the midnight sky. There’s a strange emptiness that surrounds me, and at the last minute, my thoughts turn to Alison.

“Ally,” I call out panicked as the world seems to drop away.

“Seriously Laron, the only smart thing that has come out of your mouth tonight, is asking if it was chili night or not?” McKinley laughs, placing his feet up on the great table laughing.

“Hey, I take that as an insult. I’m all kinds of smart, you know? Besides, have you even eaten the chili the chef makes? It’s the bomb, don’t you know?” Laron laughs throwing the football across the table to Owen.

“I can’t believe we’ve been sitting here for the last two hours talking about fucking chili, and where the fuck is Jordi and Jay?” I growl.

On the second pass of the football, I reach my arm out and catch it before it makes it to Owen. He protests and reaches out to take it from me, but I’m that angry and worked up that I pitch the ball at the wall. It hits with that much forces, it pops on impact.

“Dude, you seriously need to get laid or something,” Laron laughs.

“Can’t we just eat him? One bite, that’s all I need. One small bite and he will disappear,” Dragon asks.

“No Dragon, number one rule, remember? We don’t eat our friends,” I tell him and glare down at the end of the table at McKinley.

“All right, all right. Come on, let’s get back to the matter at hand.” He places his feet on the ground and straightens his back. “So can someone please tell me what we know so far?”

“Romie was saying that the blast wasn’t picked up by any of the Dragon scouts. How is that even possible?” Laron asks suddenly serious and sitting up in his seat.

McKinley looks at him dumbfounded before shaking his head in disbelief.

“What? I told you I was all kinds of smart?” Laron laughs.

“Laron, to be honest with you, I have no idea how they couldn’t sense them on our land, but it’s something we need to work out and fast,” I answer.

“You would think that if they were able to get here the first time, they
will
strike again,” McKinley questions rubbing his chin deep in thought.

“I don’t think this was the first time they’ve come to Devilice,” Owen chimes in.

“What makes you say that, Brother?” Rafe calls out, walking into the room. He takes his seat at the right hand of McKinley and waits to be answered.

My concern for Lucy rises, seeing the tired and rundown expression on Rafe’s face.

“Is Lucy and the babe, ok?” I ask.

“She wouldn’t wake up, and we have no idea what’s going on. They’re stable for now. I needed to be here, I need to find out more,” Rafe groans, pulling on his black curls. “It’s hard to see her lying on the bed, knowing that there isn’t a goddamn thing I can do to help either of them.”

I reach across the table and take hold of his hand squeezing it.

“We’re trying everything we can, my Brother,” I tell him. “Now Owen, as Rafe said, what makes you think this isn’t the first time they have entered our lands?” I ask trying to keep the conversation flowing away from the subject of Lucy and the baby.

“Oh, come on, surely I’m not the only one who’s been going through changes.”

“You think the changes are connected to the trespasses?” McKinley asks making his way to the head of the table and sitting down next to Owen.

Owen gasps in surprise but doesn’t comment. All eyes turn to McKinley, but he shrugs it off and continues his train of thought. “Come to think of it, there have been three matings this week. Not that I’m complaining, but what has changed the shift?”

As my eyes follow the line of conversation, I have to close my mouth quickly, when I notice McKinley discreetly reach under the table and take hold of Owen’s hand. He links their fingers together and rests them on his lap.

“I thought it was Lucy and Lacy’s return to Devilice that caused the rift?” Rafe asks smirking, noticing the same thing I did.

“Hmm… interesting, but it would seem that the twins aren’t the cause at all. What else is going on that we need to know about?” I ask the room, hopeful that Owen and McKinley take the chance to speak up about their bonding.

“Fuck me on a cracker, but Macca turn the alarms off and hold on for impact,” Jordi laughs barging into the room dragging Madison one step behind him.

“Mad…” I jump up out of my seat and get ready to run over to her.

“Holy shit, he wasn’t kidding, he really wasn’t.” She runs over, throwing herself into my arms and wraps her legs around my waist.

Both Dragon and I croon when she melts into my arms. I kiss the top of her head and let Dragon come to the surface to speak to his mate. “If he touched you, I will kill him.”

Jordi takes a cautious step back, lining his back up against the wall. He knows the best thing he can do right now, is to not show his weak side. He’s smart enough to know, he needs to keep Dragon and me in his sights. “Ummm… Madison, remember how we had that talk? You need to calm your mate down, tell him I never hurt you,” Jordi tells Madison calmly.

Every council member in the room jumps from the table. They stand between Jordi and me, braced and ready to stop the fight if needed.

Madison loosens her hold from my neck, drops her legs from my waist, and lowers herself to the ground at my feet. Her tiny body next to my large one is almost comical, the sight makes me want to laugh.

“Philli… Jordi didn’t hurt me. He saved me,” she tells me, taking a step toward Jordi.

“Mine,”
I growl. Before I can stop myself, my hand flies out and takes hold of her arm, stopping her mid-step. Dragon growls uncontrollably at her fleeting toward Jordi.

“First off, take your hand off me. Second, I belong to me,” she snaps, slapping her hands on her hips. She glowers up at me with fire licking in her eyes. “I know I’m your mate. Jordi explained it all to me. So store your ego for just a minute.”

“We
will
talk about this…” Dragon growls menacingly.

“And you...” she points to me sneering, “…you need to behave. Give me back my sweet Philli.”

The room erupts in laughter as I stand there shocked to my core, that such a little woman would tell Dragon off.

Jordi holds his stomach, laughing like a hyena and yells, “Bring Sophie in here now, we have incoming and she will need medical assistance.”

“Jordi, please tell me that it won’t hurt her, the way it did me?” Madison turns to Jordi concerned.

“Hurt who?” I ask, walking over and taking hold of my mate’s hand.

She smiles at the small touch, and I’m relieved that she didn’t push me away. Her touch sends shivers up my arm. For the first time, in a very long time, I feel complete.

“My sister. Wow, that’s weird to say. But yeah, my baby sister,” Madison says looking up at me eyes shining with both fear and wonder. The aftershocks of the travel run over her body making her shiver.

“Calm yourself, ma petite,” I tell her, guiding her small body over to the seat that I had vacated when I jumped up. She looks like she’s ready to fall over as I push on her shoulders, encouraging her to sit down. When I glance up and look around the room, trying not to laugh, everyone looks shocked, mouths are openly gaping at me. “Close your mouths, you’ll let the flies in.” I chuckle.

“You’re showing your soft side, Philli,” Dragon growls.

“We are caring for ours, Dragon. Fuck what they think,” I tell him, not really caring what he’s thinking.

“Jordi, your job was to bring back Madison, not any extras,” McKinley growls, stepping up getting into Jordi’s face.

“You will understand why, when you see her,” Jordi tells him, his voice low and measured.

“What are you talking about?” McKinley asks.

“Just trust me. Fuck!” Jordi walks over to me smiling widely. “I like this one. She will suit even you. Now, please call in, Sophie.”

“I’m going to ignore that first comment. If she needs a healer and is kin to my mate, I can heal her.”

I’m confused why he would even ask for another healer. He knows that I’m the strongest on the Island, and being kin to my mate she’s under my care.

Jordi runs a hand through his hair and pulls the strands hard. “Fuck! I will need you yes, but for a totally different reason. You
won’t
be able to touch her.”

I narrow my eyes and stare. I’m just about to read him when I notice he tilts his head slightly in the direction of McKinley and Owen.

“Something weird is going on here,” Dragon croons in my mind.

“I’ve been saying that all day,” Madison murmurs next to me, reaching around, she puts her hand in the back pocket of my jeans.

I’m snapped out of my caveman moment from her show of ownership when I realize what she’s just said.

“Hang on, you heard that?” I ask wide-eyed.

Jordi covers his mouth covering his laughter. “Dude, did she just hear, Dragon?”

I can’t answer him, I’m too shocked that she can hear him. No one has ever heard my Dragon before. I give a brief nod.

“Okay, someone go get Sophie,” I yell into the room. Madison jumps beside me and I pull her close into my side. “I’m sorry, ma petite.”

“On it, boss,” Laron chirps, nodding once in respect as he turns and runs out of the room.

“Philli, I was wondering if…” McKinley stumbles on his words, raising a hand he gestures, to Madison.

“Ask what you need Brother, but do not touch,” I growl.

“Understood.” McKinley nods, walking over to the table, he takes a seat at the other end of the table. His movements are direct and straight to the point. He’s attempting to make it clear he respects the boundaries I’ve set.

“Good, the old fool will learn. She belongs to us,” Dragon growls.

“Would you stop this,
‘she belongs to me’
bullshit, it is getting sooo old,” Madison comments and reaches out a hand offering it to McKinley. “The name’s Madison, and I’m in control of me. Not him.” She flaps her spare hand in my direction. A low menacing growl bubbles up from deep within my body. Dragon pushes to the surface wanting to be free.

“I told you, she was perfect,” Jordi mumbles. He walks over and pumps fists with Madison making her laugh.

“Shut up, you,” I growl.

“Cut it out the both of you. Madison is Philli’s mate and will be treated with the highest respect. Now, everyone take a seat so we can talk about—”

McKinley is cut off as the sounds of sirens wail in the room. Three long bursts, then three small ones alert us that someone is trying to shift into the council’s meeting place. Jordi howls grabbing hold of his ears.

“Someone turn off that inferno of a racket. It’s just Jay like I told you,” he howls, leaning down low to the table, he does his best to cover his ears.

I telepathically call to the Dragon warriors on patrol and ask them to turn off the alarms. Romie is the first to answer my call.

“A warning would have been nice there boss. We are all surrounding the council room suited up for battle,” he says with a smirk. “And damn boss, she’s a lot more beautiful in your mind than she was on the orb.”

“Go fucking patrol the lands fucker, and get out of my head.” I feel Romie leave my mind chuckling.