Chapter 7
Guardian Manor, Immortal Realm
Lucy stared calmly up into the green eyes of her seven-foot-tall father. “I’m staying at the manor with Ophelia.” A brick wall was more movable than the mighty Gregoire, especially when he was worried. It was just her and her parents on the moonlit balcony. They were the last to leave. They’d found a dozen reasons to extend their stay, including helping bring her animals over.
It was beyond time for them to leave. Nothing had come of the cave search, so there was no more Guardian business to keep them at the manor. Everyone had either gone home or to the suites in one of the massive wings there.
“You should stay in your old room at home,” her dad rumbled, still trying to get his way. Her mother just shook her head. She was inches shorter than Lucy and looked like her sister instead of her mother. They even shared the same pale-green eyes. Her mother might be less than half the size of Lucy’s father, but she was the only one who had any control over the great Gregoire. Her mother would step in if needed, but she didn’t. Nearly a decade of experience in wrangling her wildly protective dad had been a challenge for them both. She’d trained harder than anyone else when she was a kid, knowing how difficult he’d be when she sought her independence. The fact that she was powerful and relentless in any and all battle scenarios helped, but that only went so far with him.
Sucking in a deep breath, Lucy looked up into the eyes of the male she loved like crazy. His warmth encompassed her even now. He’d been the most adoring, if insanely protective, father anyone could have ever asked for. “I’ve already agreed with you that it was smarter not to stay in my place alone. Not with a potential threat. I love you, Dad, and I appreciate the offer, but I’m staying here with Ophelia.”
She felt uncomfortable hiding the truth, but she knew him far too well. He was already aware of Rykr’s curse, and he would lose his mind if she said she was going to her mate. If her father caught wind of her plan, he’d ruin any chance of her catching Rykr off guard. Demons clawing at his daughter’s soul was something he’d stop at all costs.
He growled. “Stay safely inside.” She swore she saw a muscle ticking under his short beard and wondered if he was fighting the instinct to carry her away against her will. Her mother had to be using her own bond to keep that from happening, and Lucy owed her for that.
He pulled her in for a warm hug before she could argue or say anything else. Her father always smelled of the forest, and she couldn’t help but sigh against his warm chest. He was so difficult at times, but his hugs were the most calming thing she’d ever known. “I’ll be safe, Dad.”
She felt him kiss the top of her head, and then she was in her mom’s arms. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay so we can talk?” her mother asked for the second time that night.
It had been a long night of everyone wanting to talk to her. “I’m just tired and need the night to process.”
Her mother nodded, accepting that answer, even though she eyed her closely.
The lie was unavoidable. Mated pairs shared telepathic connections, and their strong emotions also slipped through the bond. She couldn’t take the chance that her father would find out what she was doing. She hated sneaking around like a damned teenager instead of just saying what she was going to do, but that wasn’t possible.
The second they left, Lucy released a relieved breath and leaned against the railing.
Five minutes later, she was in the suite she and Ophelia had claimed. The manor had wings of rooms, but most had occupants. Caesar, her three-legged Rottweiler, was hopping from couch to chair in the living room that separated the two bedrooms. More of her pets were roaming the rooms to find their spot. She hadn’t wanted to leave them at her cottage. Drake wouldn’t love it, but she wasn’t sure how long she’d be with Rykr.
She showered in record time and the steam followed her out of the bath.
“Half of your animals are on my bed.” Ophelia sighed as she stood in the open doorway.
Lucy’s lips twitched. “They like you.”
The Demi-Goddess had changed out of her club dress and was in the spelled leather fighting gear they all owned. In Ophelia’s case, the top was a halter so she could easily free her wings.
“I’ve already flown over Rykr’s. As far as I can tell, he’s asleep or at least in bed. There’s a lot of jungle obscuring the view, but I didn’t see any lights.”
“That’s good.”
Lucy’s hands were shaking a little, and she forced them to stop. She’d had hours to make plans. A lot was riding on how she handled everything tonight.
His mother gave her all the secrets to his place, but there were wards and spells everywhere. According to the Goddess, only his parents and grandparents were allowed to know his whereabouts, so he wouldn’t expect Lucy to find him. That didn’t mean this would be easy. She had one chance to get this right. Odds were good that he’d be furious with her, at least until the frenzy took hold.
She’d heard the reports from his meeting. David the demon was not to be trusted, and this search for a medallion was a bad idea. Anything owned or crafted by Artemis would be tainted with true evil and pain. It might just lead Rykr into a trap he’d never be free of.
That wasn’t happening.
Her budding power and their bond had at least a fifty-fifty chance of releasing the demons’ hold on him. If nothing else, they’d be stronger together with the power that came with a soul bond. All she had to do was force the initial contact. And likely do the same through every single step that followed.
Her face flushed when she glanced at the small jar on her bed.
Ophelia had the courtesy to attempt to hide her amusement. “I still can’t believe you stole that, but I have to admit I applaud your forethought.”
Lucy was eternally grateful the healer, Drake’s mate, kept jars of the special cream in her office. A mating bond required a full physical claiming, and well… she was still very much untouched everywhere.
“Yes, you can now add lube theft to my cat burglary charges. Where will my life of crime end?” Her own lips twitched as Ophelia’s laughter filled the room.
A glance at the clock told her she’d have six or seven hours to lead her reluctant, if not flat-out belligerent, male through all the stages. First touch would send them into a frenzy that would lead to the rest. In the blood-bonding they’d see every poignant memory from their lives, and if she got him through that, she only needed to seduce him into the final consummation. That would be the tricky part if she wanted to finish this in a night. If he refused to comply, it wasn’t as if she planned to tie him up and violate him. Hell, she was already taking this over a line.
If all went as planned, their souls would finally connect, and she swore her essence fluttered inside her body at the mere thought.
Her prize at the end of the night would be one of two things. She’d either be the proud recipient of a demon horde clawing at her soul, or she’d have freed the male she loved from Hell.
Ophelia agreed to be there to watch over his home, as was Immortal custom in general, but in this case, it was imperative because of the potential threat. They’d be vulnerable and too distracted until it was finished.
“I can do this,” she said under her breath and then slipped into the closet to don a simple green halter dress she could easily remove. Her hands were shaking as she sent air currents to dry her hair. When she re-entered the room, she picked up the jar from her bed, her fingers flexing around the cool glass. There would be no going back from this.
“Are you okay?” Ophelia asked softly.
She nodded. “You’ll stay in the air at first?” He’d sense Ophelia’s presence if she were to get close to the house, and that would throw everything off.
“Yes. And trust me. After you’re in, I’ll be close enough to sense any threats, but not so close that I see you two going at it.” Ophelia snorted.
“Thanks for that.” Her kind might be known for their exhibitionist tendencies, but having her friend watching her have sex was cringe-worthy at best. She was obviously a tame version of her race. How tame, she wasn’t exactly sure. She’d had some very vivid fantasies over the years.
She forced her nerves to calm and walked to the private balcony with Ophelia.
Ophelia eyed her closely, and Lucy felt her friend internally warring with something. When the Demi-Goddess finally spoke, it was with a seriousness that hung in the air. “Before we go, I have something for you.” The other female pulled a heart-shaped pendant from a long chain at her neck and held it in her palm. “We need to talk about it first.”
Why did that sound so ominous?