Tempting Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Book 4) (13 page)

“No change,” Drake said.

Conn nodded. That was good, or he hoped it was. It gave Sirena months to try to find answers.

“What have you found?”

“There are a few more land mines to take care of. They set them up surrounding their search area. Probably in case we showed before they finished retrieving what they were after. All I see is a wood case. It’s nothing I recognize.” Whatever was in that box had to be important for Cynthia to risk going back for it. Drake came around the table and leaned in to look for himself.

“It’s not familiar to me. Have the others check it out.”

Jax sauntered in with three laptops as Conn nodded. “I found the sisters’ house. They weren’t too careful when they went running to rescue Red from the big bad wolf.”

Conn shook his head at his brother’s dumbass grin. He was never letting go of the “little red riding hood” shit. Conn wondered what his serious little mate thought of it; he doubted she found it amusing.

“They have at least one brother that’s local enough to have a room in the house.”

He assumed there were more. Conn lounged back in his chair as Jax dropped the laptops on the big table.

“Take some of Conn’s camera shit and set it up in both homes. What’d you find there?” Drake demanded.

“Big home set in back orchards well outside another small town over the mountain. Laptops were in an office upstairs; all need passwords or for Conn to hack that shit. Three female rooms with personal shit and one male’s. No paperwork, but there was a shredder. Girly movies and food in the fridge, but no human or Mageia scent anywhere.” Were they so cautious to appear human? It definitely seemed so and was probably the reason they’d stayed hidden so long.

“Do we still keep them in Earth?” Conn asked Drake. “The sooner they see Tetartos, the better. It’s the unknown that has to be screwing with them. The brother will come. I can’t imagine any Lykos male not coming after his sisters.” Drake had wanted them in Earth Realm in case they needed them as bait, but Conn would bet the brother or brothers would pop up at one of the sisters’ houses soon enough. They didn’t need them here, and it was better to just pull the Band-Aid and let them see Tetartos wasn’t scary.

“Have the others look at that box, and get the wolves to the manor.”

Conn nodded as Drake headed for the door.

Conn turned his attention to Jax. “Does this look familiar to you?” he said, turning the laptop.

Jax tilted his head and looked at the screen. “No. It must be important for them to come back to get it.”

“Camera equipment is in the cabinet. They’re gonna need some of their stuff. Do you think you could manage a few bags with actual clothes?” Conn cocked a brow at his brother. Jax had been the one to go get some things from Sam’s house after they’d rescued her from their now dead enemy Cyril. The female was Uri’s sister-in-law and the reason Uri’s mate, Alex, had come to him. Alex had needed the Guardians’ help in rescuing Sam, because the female was her brother’s mate. They’d gotten her out, but not before she’d been raped and experimented on. He shook his head. He couldn’t imagine what Erik and Sam had been forced to deal with. The thought of Dacia being raped and used as a fucking lab rat made him want to crush something. His fists clenched.

“I can try,” Jax said with a sly grin that quickly turned serious.

Conn narrowed his eyes at his brother. “What?”

Jax ran his fingers through his short dark hair. “I’ll have to find some damned turtlenecks for the little one. She scares the shit out of me. Anything sexy for that one would be a damned invitation.”

Conn burst out laughing at Jax’s serious concern. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you protecting some newfound virtue?” His brother kept a revolving harem. Not that Conn would have been happy about him adding his mate’s sister to the ranks, but still.

“You haven’t seen the way she looks at me. I see fucking boiled bunnies in my future every time I see those big possessive eyes.” The reference to the psychotically jealous female in an old movie mixed with the real concern on his brother’s face was fucking priceless. Jax was a warrior-class Ailouros, a cat of the tiger variety, the fastest and the strongest of the races, and he was set on edge by a little slip of a she-wolf. He’d never seen Jax avoid a female who was interested.

“I’m not fucking kidding. You’ll see,” Jax grumbled and flipped Conn a double bird as he headed to the metal cabinet where Conn kept the camera equipment. His brother was damned lucky he was sharing guard duty with Bastian; the quiet Kairos was least likely to give him a ration of shit for being scared of a tiny female.

What could she possibly be doing to have Jax running like a pussy?

“You want me to grab Red’s shit too?” Jax was in a sour mood, but the spark of mischief was still there in the last words.

“Fuck no. You’d just paw her damned underwear.” His eyes narrowed. “And if I smell you on them, I’ll beat your fucking ass. I’m not kidding,” Conn growled. His brother’s grin was back as the bastard left the room.

Conn rolled his neck and started tracing the license plates on the two SUVs Cynthia’s men used. The screen popped up with the word stolen. Both. Cynthia was too damned smart. He wouldn’t be tracking the bastards that way. He leaned back and thought,
What am I missing?

He wanted to see his damned mate.

Bastian, how is she?

She looks tired, and her sisters are surrounding her on the couch.

He needed to get her some energy. Shit, he needed to refuel too, especially after that blast.

He’d check out the sisters’ laptops later. Looking there wasn’t nearly as appealing as prying their secrets from his mate. He grinned to himself and stretched. He needed to get her a bag before meeting her at the manor on Tetartos. The last thing he thought his beast could take was seeing his unclaimed mate being teleported by someone else, but the only way he could do it himself was if she let him touch her. She wasn’t ready for that.

He frowned. He needed to get the hell out of there, set some things up for her, and then have Bastian bring them over. He didn’t like that he hadn’t thought to get her some energy. Fighting her animal and the scare of the explosion had to have taken their toll on her.

Chapter 13

Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

Dacia’s body reformed on soft grass. They were in the middle of a big courtyard to a massive home up in the mountains. The air was crisp and thin. After the urge to vomit passed, she and her sisters tried the link to their brothers and relaxed when their growly voices came through.

She looked around. Bastian hadn’t even touched them. He’d been a foot from them when he said they were going to Tetartos. No warning, no question, just teleported them out.

“What the hell?” Zoe spun around and challenged the big dark male. He looked down at Zoe, and Dacia swore his eyes softened and his lips twitched at her sister’s outrage. Zoe snapped again, “A little more notice would have been nice.” Zoe’s eyes flashed, and Dacia was glad Isa was moving to intervene. Her claws were close to coming out. They may not think the Guardians would harm them, but attacking them wasn’t smart. She knew her sister’s outrage was partially from fear. It was different being at the males’ mercy in their own world, but now they were in a new Realm. Taken from everything they knew and told it was a one-way trip. It was chilling to be so out of control. At least they had each other.

Dacia felt a little dizzy. She needed to refuel. Fighting her beast and having her entire life upended, permanently, left her wary. Not to mention that Conn had yet to make an appearance. She took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. It was midday there, and the sun shone over the massive wings of the home. They were surrounded, with a patio with covered bar area in the center, and the bright white exterior was fitted with several French doors, with a variety of upstairs balconies on all four sides. She could see trees on the other side of the place, reaching high in the sky. It wasn’t a prison or some horrible desolate place, so far. That had to be good, but she didn’t feel good. Her stomach was churning, and she almost tried the link to Conn, to see if he was healed, awake. She shook it off, irritated that she wanted to know as much as her animal.

She turned again at his scent so close, so familiar, but not. Addicting. He stood a few feet from her, dressed in dark jeans and a tee shirt with a different flannel this time, one in dark blue and black. She felt him as much as saw him, and it shot a thrill along with the unease that she’d find him so enthralling. She narrowed her eyes at him. He looked healed, not an inch of his perfect skin seemed charred. “Nice of you to show up,” she snarled, pissed as hell that he was fine when she’d been worried. Correction, her beast had been worried. She hated how strong the relief was, and stronger yet was the need to touch him and see if there was any damage still needing attention.

His lips curved. “I’m sorry I made you worry, princess. I had work before I could come for you. Jax said you were okay and with your sisters.” His amber eyes ate her up from her feet, flashing as he got to his flannel still covering her. Her face heated as much from embarrassment at not taking the shirt off as the anger starting a flash burn.

“You went to work and couldn’t send me a damned message that you weren’t dead!” she growled before she realized how damned proprietary she sounded.

His eyes softened even more, and that only made her angrier. His eyes heated and he growled low. Not angry, she could smell just how hot he was getting.
Being in your head turns me the hell on, and I was already fighting to get my work done.
He said it in her mind, and she understood what he meant. His words flowed, and the intimacy of it hit her almost as hard as his scent.
Seeing you would have had the same effect, and porting would have been the same as touching you.
He growled again, and the vibration was sweet temptation.
My beast wouldn’t have been able to handle watching Bastian port you here. This was the safest time to come to you.

She nearly moaned at his words in her head. So much heat nearly scorched her skin, and the smell of his arousal was even more intense when her energies were so depleted.

Damn, but you make me lose my mind. I want to lay you down and take every inch of that sweet wet cunt. I don’t give a shit that your sisters and Bastian are watching what you do to me. My cock is hard enough to snap and seeing that you’re still wearing my damned shirt makes me fucking hurt.
He ran his fingers through his hair, and she tracked it. She touched the soft flannel feeling awkward at having been caught still wearing it. She felt only slightly mollified that he looked just as miserable as she was. He deserved it for scaring her, but she wasn’t thrilled with their silent audience. She stepped back and took a few breaths and was thankful when the breeze blew some of the scent away. Her sisters and Bastian were watching them and had to know how high their arousal had spiked. Isa’s mouth was opening and closing, and Bastian’s lips were twitching. She turned and snarled at Conn.

He gave her a wicked grin.

She was screwed and he knew it.

His gaze moved to her sisters, and she barely heard the introductions and her sisters’ responses as she tried to breathe through the arousal while fighting her beast. She was too run-down to deal with anything.

She heard him say with a playful grin. “So these are my new sisters who plan to make me a eunuch if I hurt my mate.”

Her sisters eyed him suspiciously, unsure. Isa spoke. “Yes, I will.” A simple statement filled with intent. Her sister would try to geld him, suicidal or not, if she thought he’d harmed any of them.

His grin only widened. “I’d be disappointed to have it any other way.”

His gaze tracked back to her and searched her features. A frown marred his features as he spoke. “You need some energy.” Not a question.

“We all do,” Isa added with a raised brow.

“Bastian will take you,” he said, all teeth. He wouldn’t budge. He wanted time with her, and she didn’t want to wage a war on the lawn. She needed energy, and she had only enough fight left to get her refueled, but that had to happen now.

She loved her sisters but didn’t have time for arguments. Especially one that would only take time she didn’t have to spare and get them nowhere.

She shook her head at her siblings and directed her gaze to the male that heated her blood. “It’s still my choice?”

His eyes flashed with heat, and he gave her a wicked grin. “Yes, Dacia, it’s still your call when I touch you.”

She took a breath and told her sisters, “I’ll be fine.” All three of her sisters looked ready to snarl and argue with her. She put a hand up. “Go see where we’ll be staying. I have no energy to argue with all of you and deal with him.” Exhaustion made her words more sharp than she intended, and Mia’s eyes flashed with a hint of hurt. She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to snap at her sisters; they were all struggling. She softened her features.
I’m sorry, I’ll be fine,
she whispered in her sisters’ link.

“I would never hurt her, and I’d never take what she’s not ready to give. She’ll be close if she needs you, but I’m taking her now.” Conn’s voice was low but firm as he gestured for her to go in the opposite direction as Bastian was leading her sisters. Not one of them trusted him, but they really had no options.

I’ll be fine. I really need energy, though, soon,
she told her sisters through the link.

Tell us and we’ll be there,
Isa said.

Okay.
She mustered a small smile in the direction of her worried siblings.

Chapter 14

Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

She stepped into the cavern and was shocked at the beauty. It was like an opulent underground resort, not the simple caverns she and her siblings used in Earth. Even the family one on their estate in northern Italy wasn’t this gorgeous.