Burned In Shadows (Shadow Unit) (2 page)

Chapter 1

“
W
hy have we not gone to her?” Ronin asked in a quiet voice.

Royce knew it was going to be difficult to explain to his beautiful Phoenix how things were meant to go down between them. He’d tried to ignore what he knew to be true. Bells was their mate. Being a true feral, his blood was sacred. When he’d slipped a drop of his blood into her cup a few weeks back as a joke, she’d not reacted. Instead, she continued with her conversation as if nothing had bothered her. That was one of the signs ferals got in order to obtain their mates. The property of the
ir blood would have the same effect on any member of the clan as it did outsiders. Except for their mates. Sanya hadn’t reacted to his blood either, but it was more than that. There was something different about Bells. Something more.

The clans would hold blood tastings once a year. The equivalent to a b
acchanalia, sexual and explicit. A no-holds barred of feasting, tasting and sex. All the clans would come together and sample each other’s blood until they found their one true mate. Royce and his twin Ronin were different as they were of the same womb. They were identical in every way, except their eyes. They shared everything from the umbilical cord that connected them to their mother, to their thoughts and feelings. Twin births weren’t unheard of, but sharing the same umbilical cord? That was something altogether unique. This meant they were destined to share the same woman, whether they wanted to or not.

His mother Ione would not approve, none of the clans viewed outsiders as a blessing. None of that mattered now. They were sentenced to death and had escaped by the hair on their chinny chin
chin, - literally. They still didn’t know whom to thank for that. But he had his suspicions. They would never be welcomed home again. Outcasts of the foulest caliber according to his father. Those were the words the clans would associate with the names Vibanus and Virinus Zaraides of House Atrades. It didn’t matter they were true decedents of Romulus and Remus. It was foretold that when the next set of true feral twins were born, they would unite all the clans under one stronghold. Naturally, his mother and uncle had hoped it was Royce and his brother.
One of these things is not like the other.
But it just wasn’t meant to be. In order for that to happen the Goddess would have to bless them. The true mother of the feral race. She’d saved Romulus and Remus, who’d been abandoned by their vestibule mother Rhea Silva. A woman who’d been raped by the God of war himself, Mars. It was said she’d been cast out for breaking her virginal vows and then buried alive. Her twin boys sentenced to drown in the river Tiber. Instead, they were saved by a she-wolf named Amrita, the immortal Goddess of Nectar.

There were plenty of foretelling’s of the true ferals, as far back as he could remember. But Royce along with his twin, didn’t see it as them.
One of these things just doesn’t belong.
He looked across the table at his brother, so much like him, and downright opposite. He kept his hair shoulder length while Ronin was entirely bald. Mr. Clean bald. The brother reflected the sun. His twin’s eyes were silver, his were amber, sometimes red- gold depending on his mood. Ronin didn’t talk unless there was something relevant to say. Royce talked all the time. Ronin didn’t fuck and didn’t want to. He wanted to come to his woman clean and free of other females. Royce respected the hell out of him for it, but his motto was “Fighting and fucking go hand in hand.” He was always fighting and felt that if he didn’t fuck, then there would be bigger problems that no one would want to deal with. Royce smiled, it was a staunch motto to live by, but there were reasons, highly valid reasons he acted the way he did.

Only now he’d found the one chosen for him and his brother, and the little fire cracker wouldn’t give either one of them the time of day. Ronin tried to force the issue, demanding she come to them and satisfy them both.
Classy.
He’d tried to ease her into the idea they were fated to be together. Her response was a sincere grin and a big fuck you very much but, no.

“I have an answer to your question brother, only I choose not to answer.” Royce said calmly. Ronin and his harshness were fucking up the entire thing. Eating Oliver’s brain hadn’t helped in the romance department either. The team members still steered clear of him as if he would eat them all at any moment.
Stranger things have happened.

“Fuck you! I only said what needed to be said. She’s ours, and I don’t like that she’s not with us. We’re both wound too tight.” Ronin snapped while rubbing the top of his head and letting out a long breath. He was older by three minutes and sometimes it showed. Today was one of the very few times it didn’t.

“No thank you, it doesn’t appeal to me and neither do you,” Royce shot back standing up from his chair and heading down the hall to his room. “I’ll check back with you tomorrow, Bells is with Jesminda and Faith at the moment, teaching her how to handle her new found immortality and all the super powers that come with it.”

His brother flipped him the bird and walked into the kitchen throwing back the faucet lever
and sticking his head under the cool water. He could sympathize; they were both over-heated for her.

Royce walked out into the hall and headed toward his room. He just needed some air, and he’d be okay. Maybe even a change of scenery might do him some good.
Who the fuck are you trying to fool, you’re going nowhere.
As if he asked his conscious to chime in and give a penny for his thoughts. Maybe he would go sit on the park bench down the street from the office building and just sit, and people watch. He used to love that. Listening to their inner-most secrets. It used to get him off, now it just fucking drove him crazy. Another thing to look forward to if Bells didn’t buck up and accept she was theirs. He was fucking tired of the bullshit and the head games. He was the biggest offender when it came to the game, and he knew it.

Last week he’d run into her, and Jes in the cafeteria, both ladies invited him over to sit and share a meal with them. Like the idiot he was, he’d gone and sat down only for
Jes to poke fun at him.

“When are you going to man up and make an honest bird out of my girl?” She’d been in a better mood then, and she seemed to be dealing with the loss of Draven a lot better than most. Melissa even pretended to be heartbroken and had left for good, saying she couldn’t deal with his loss, and knew in the end mate, or not Draven would have chosen her. That hadn’t gone over well. Jes was now immortal. An immortal what, they still didn’t know, but the girl had some serious freaky power going on. When she reached for Melissa and flung her to the other side of the building and through its walls, everyone took twelve steps back and tried to reassess the situation. She was not the female with whom one wanted to fuck with.

“You’re not funny brat.” He’d teased her, taking a bite out of his lunch. It was a long standing joke. At every corner, Bells would hand feed him what she thought he wanted to hear, only to turn it back on him later. She’d stuck to her no fraternizing policy as if her life depended on it. He couldn’t even get close enough to touch her, she wouldn’t let him. He was falling off the pussy wagon big time and all for a little bird that wouldn’t let him and his brother give her what he knew they all needed.

He’d been thinking
a lot about that. The darkness inside of him twisted and turned testing its cage trying to look for holes, cracks or anything that would set it free. Royce realized there were no rules that said he wasn’t able to indulge until she came to them. Something to keep his darkness at bay. She would come to them, and he knew just how to make that happen. He didn’t attend college just to pass time, but to prepare for whatever the new centuries would throw at him. He had to stay ahead of the curve, be part of the now. He’d taken over twelve hundred classes, and he was a master at mind play. Freud had taught him much and then later Einstein. It was advantageous to be immortal, and he would use every arsenal to his advantage.

“Jes, how’s the meetings with Ann coming along?” He’d asked genuinely curious.

“Good, I think I’m making progress.”

The little liar,
he said to no one in particular, but knew Jes caught his thoughts. She hadn’t told anyone about their connection and maybe because on some level it was too intimate to admit they were able to communicate this way.

“Intimacy has nothing to do with it Royce, I’m just polite and don’t like to intrude, so stop projecting and then I won’t get bombarded with your thoughts.”

“Jesminda Zealand, I’m offended.”

Jes rolled her eyes and took a bite out of her pizza. She was ignoring him on purpose, and that was fine with him. One thing he knew for sure, she wanted to find Draven, and he’d give her all the tools she’
d need to do just that. Even if it was to bring her mate back in a bag. Her heart would be at to rest. He knew about not having closure. She needed it, and he would help her get it.

“Jes, what if I told you Ronin and I are willing to train you. Combat and weapons training?”

She’d dropped her pizza to stare at him for long seconds, her eyes had gone dark, and behind the darkness he saw calculation and resolve.

“When do we start?”

“Today if you like.”

“Hey, what about me?” Bells said across from him. “I’m supposed to be training her.”

“You still can. The offer is for both of you, the unit has incredible resources, and I intend to teach you both and help you utilize everything and anything that can be readily available to you.”

His plan was falling into place. He would help Jes and get Bells in the process. It would work, and Ronin would do it. He’d make sure his stubborn ass brother would do it. The two women looked at one another for a long minute, and both said at the same time.

“We’re in.”

# # #

3 Days later

“
A
gain.” Royce’s voice was hard as Jes got into stance. It was funny watching her friend practice with the twins. Jesminda Zealand was no longer human, and it showed. A large smile spread wide across Belinda’s lips. Her girl was bad-ass. Ronin charged from one end of the training room and Royce from the other. The grace of her movements was envious as she threw her entire body into a sprint and quickly dropped to her knees sliding under both men’s swords as they swung in unison. Her body was stronger, leaner and harder edged. Every move she made was precise and timed perfectly. She’d picked up fast on the training, and it seemed her body was shaped for fighting. It’d be her turn next, and she was ready to hand both men their balls. They’d been riding her for over a week. Ronin was always up front with his intentions, but his twin Royce was a different story. She couldn’t figure them out. It seemed she was just another conquest. Ronin approached her first and then Royce, with his never ending sarcastic remarks and movie quotes. Should she give in?
No, you can’t. You’re the next heir in line. Mother would die of embarrassment.

The sounds of grunts and fists connecting to skin brought Bells out of her thoughts. Jes’ hand connected to Royce’s jaw, her punch was powerful enough to snap his head back. Ronin simultaneously connected to her gut. In slow motion, it would have been comical. Jes hitting Royce, Ronin hitting her. Her friend doubled over and stumbled back, but Ronin moved forward. She’d made tremendous progress over the last six weeks and still managed to stump them all with her astonishing new abilities.

“Fuck!”

“Don’t drop your guard Jes, never assume your opponent will give you that momentary breath you may need to use for your second wind.”

Jes was doubled over, sucking in large gulps of air and Bells almost went to comfort her, almost. Ronin walked closer. Jes’ hands tightened on her knees as she sucked in more air. Bells felt her friend’s anger rising like a tidal wave. Any moment she would come crashing down. Hard. Ronin placed a hand on her back as a comforting gesture. It was strange to see him being so warm and accommodating. When Ronin’s hand landed lightly on Jes’ shoulder, her head shot up. She used the balls of her feet to progress her upward movement. The sound of her head connecting with his chin was dull. It was the sound of his teeth clacking together that gave everyone pause. Did she shatter them?

“I
. Never. Let. My. Guard. Down. Ever!” Her friend said between short breaths. She was of course looking down at Ronin who was now planted on his ass. Jes twisted her waist to the right while her left hand reached over her shoulder, to stop the oncoming train that was Royce. He side stepped, and the two were now engaged in a dance of fists and speed. Ronin momentarily jarred, got off his ass and joined the fray. The three of them tangled and ducked, two on one as Jes leapt, spun and twisted out of their grasps. She was more than ready to take on anything that came her way. She flourished under their training.

Six weeks ago, she’d been human. Today, she was the unexplained product of a mad man. Her eyes changed color with her mood. All traces of her scars were gone. She’d swallowed her fear, stepped up to bat, and had no intention of going down without swinging. Years of abuse had almost killed her spirit. Bells knew she struggled, even more now that her mate Draven was gone. He was assumed dead by the team, but her friend thought otherwise. His body
had never been found. They searched for him in the rubble of what use to be the warehouse that held the captive Vampiri and Regs. They’d searched and searched and still, there was nothing. The only thing that seemed to have survived the fire were the support beams. Everything else had been incinerated. Who had started the fire was still a mystery. One Dravaggio said would be investigated thoroughly.