Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) (31 page)

Edik stared at Patrick’s perfect profile in the moonlight. “I’ve been an idiot. Fates, my own granddaughter just called me a dumbass. I love you, Patrick. I want to spend my life with you. All I need to know is if there is even a chance in hell that you could love me again. You say yes and I’m all in, no holding back.”

Patrick finally met his eyes. “What if I say no?”

Edik leaned to whisper intimately, holding Patrick’s gaze “Then I fight like hell to change your mind.” The male’s pupils enlarged as his dentes slid into place.

Showing that he had been watching the exchange Edik had with Jorie, Patrick mimicked her by pinching his cheeks between thumb and forefinger. The love in Patrick’s eyes was pure. This was the look that had filled Edik’s dreams with yearning. Patrick placed a tender kiss to his pinch-puckered lips. “Yes, you dumbass.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Innanna had never been so hurt and pissed off in her life. “Stupid jackass” was the perfect analysis for Gil. “Dead man” would work too. Oh, no doubt he had some demented justification for taking females to his room. Eros’s arrival had surely sent him into a tailspin, not like it hadn’t been a shock to her too … well, sort of. Honestly, she and Miguel had figured out Eros was alive five years ago when Umbrae was rescued. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to do the math. Their consensus had been to wait and see if Eros ever showed himself or if the Fates gave them a direction, which they did … right before Jess and Umbrae were kidnapped. She had never felt any desire to pursue Eros. It was Gilgamesh, the moron, whom she loved.

If he thought she was going to stand back and let him throw her love away by sticking his dick in strange, he had another think coming. He may not have said the words, but she saw the love he felt for her every time he looked at her, yet when faced with possible competition for her, he took the easy way out. Well, fine! If he wouldn’t fight for her, he was damn well going to fight with her.

Innanna tried the doorknob of his suite—locked. She took a hard look at the door and frame; it was made with a fine mesh of platinum and lead. Being an ancient had some benefits, and Innanna focused on the wall the doorframe was anchored to. Internally condensing all of her anger, her hurt, and her love into a ball of kinetic energy, she targeted the barrier between her and the male she wanted to kill with her bare hands. She released the ball of fury.

Door, frame, and three inches of wall blasted into projectile shrapnel and peppered the wall opposite where she stood. A line of blood welled up across Gil’s cheek; the explosion had barely missed him sitting on the couch with a quarter of a bottle of Crown resting on his knee. When she realized he wasn’t hurt, a wave of relief and disappointment conflicted in her heart. Until she saw the shocked faces of his companions, standing open-mouth across from Gil. The females were tall, beautiful, and naked; their clothing littered the floor around them. Obviously Gil was enjoying a tag-team strip-tease. Her growl echoed demonically through the room.

She launched at the two females before either of them could react. Using an ability she kept on the back burner for only emergencies, she grabbed both females by the arms, propelling them sixty seconds into the future. Gil vanished behind her, and the noise from below was immediately silenced. “You have thirty seconds to get your clothes on and get your asses to the top of that staircase. Gil is mine, and I will not be disturbed. You two guard the stairs. Let no one pass and I won’t rip your fucking throats out. We clear?” The females nodded robotically.

While they put themselves back together, Innanna stepped to the spot directly in front of where Gil would be when time caught up. Fifteen seconds later, the buzz of noise and energies below reached her. Ten seconds, the fuzzy outline of Gil’s form began to take shape. Five seconds, Innanna balled her fist.

His image solidified and his eyes widened at seeing her standing between his knees. Her fist shot out and she hit him with every ounce of strength she had. Gil grunted as his head rocked back. He lifted it to look at her and she hit him with her other fist, the crunch of his nose music to her anger. His hand covered his face, and this time blood ran between his fingers. He held his other hand out to fend her off.

“What the fuck, Tiny Mite.” He was amused; Innanna cocked her fist back to slug him again. He gently caught it midway in his. She threw her other fist, connecting with his jaw; his head rocked again, his hand dropping from his face. His nose was already healing, and he was
laughing
at her. Tears blurred her vision and she quickly wiped them away. The humor drained out of Gil’s face. “Darlin’, donna cry. Ya got yer first love back, that’s great, I’m happy fer ya and I get it, I really do. Ya donna have ta let me down easy, I’m good ta go, fine.”

His comment threw Innanna into a fresh bout of fury; her agonized roar shook the remnants of walls around them. She pelted him with open-handed slaps beyond her control. Tears streamed unchecked down her cheeks. Her guts twisted in pain. Her chest burned with rage. Her head pounded with frustration. All the while, her heart broke.
Good to go
, he said. She was wrong. Gil didn’t love her. She was no different than the females she’d sent away.

Gil captured her flailing arms and spun her as the realization overwhelmed her. He crushed her wings against his chest holding her arms tightly across her own chest, using his massive arms to secure her. Her head sunk in defeat, her shoulders sagged with humiliation. What a fool she was to think she could possibly be more than a passing amusement to a male like Gil. “Shhh.” She could barely understand him, but the ache deep inside wouldn’t be denied. Her soft keening wail of pain and her racked sobs blocked everything else out.

She tried to wiggle free of his hold. She needed to get out of here, somewhere private where she could die in peace. This was the kind of pain that made bloodmates release their energies. “Let go of me.”

“Nope.” He held her tighter and rose from the chair, letting her feet dangle above the ground. Grateful for a spark of irritation his refusal to release her created, she kicked against his shins with her heels. Gil didn’t slow his pace. Using a small burst of kinetic energy, he opened the bedroom door, stepped through, and closed it behind them.

“I hate you, Gilgamesh. I really, really hate you. Just let me go, I can’t do this,” Innanna pleaded with him. Why was he doing this to her? No way was she up for a goodbye fuck.

With a gasp, she found herself soaring through the air. The mattress of his bed cushioned her fall. She looked at his face, which was bruised and scratched and bloody, his expression fierce. Oh, great universe, she had done all that to him and he’d barely defended himself. “Ya donna hate me Innanna. Ya wanna hate me. What I donna understand is why. Why barge in here? Why beat me ta a bloody pulp?” As he spoke, he climbed the bed on his hands and knees till his face was directly above hers. Danger emanated from him, his voice was demanding, his eyes burned to her soul. “Why all the passion fer me when yer love is downstairs? Before ya answer, bear in mind that I ain’t strong ‘nough ta let ya go a second time.”

His words sunk in slowly. He loved her; this was his way of being a gentleman. She’d told him she was to be bloodmated, failing to mention anything more. Staring up into the fierce intensity glaring back at her through doe-brown pools, her soul soared. “I didn’t ask you to let me go in the first place, stupid jackass. There was never a question of whom I want to be with. I told you I love you. I meant it. What I didn’t tell you is that in all of my life, you are the only male I’ve ever said those words to. Ever.”

Every emotion possible painted across his face plain as day. Confusion, frustration, happiness, love, shame, joy, plus many more made an appearance. “I’m sorry.” Gil’s voice broke and he cleared his throat. “‘Bout the females, I’m sorry. I thought … damn, it was stupid what I thought.” A chagrined lift graced his lips. “Ya wanna punch me again?”

Innanna pursed her lips to keep from smiling—she was still mad at him. “I think I broke my hand already. You can punch yourself for a while. Start at your balls, treat them like a speed bag. I’ll tell you when to stop.” She expected Gil to laugh and make some smart-assed comment. Wrong. His brows drew together and a growl rumbled from his chest. He sat up on his knees and grasped her wrist, looking at both side of her hands closely. They looked as bad as his face.

“Damn it.” He felt the bones, and Innanna tried not to wince when some of the fractures rubbed together. The bone to her left pinkie finger would definitely need to be reset before it healed wrong. “Remind me ta teach ya how ta throw a proper punch. I juss called a healer ta come have ya fixed up.”

Shit.
“Err, I doubt anyone’s going to make it to this room.” She told him about the females. The sound of arguing from the stairs got louder as more people joined in the attempt to reason with the two Aquatie females. That finally brought a return of Gil’s laughter. They started taking bets on how long the standoff would last and giggled with each other, both of them realizing how close had they come to losing this. Innanna shivered at the thought. Leaning over, she placed a tender kiss to his beaten lips.

“Gil, I’m so sorry I hit you,” she whispered.

“I deserved it.” His grin was contagious. “It showed me a whole new side of yer passionate natures. Got me hard and hot in a heartbeat’s time, too. Might have ta make pissin’ ya off a habit. Course, I’ll reinforce the walls first.”

She’d destroyed his suite, beat the hell out of him, and he liked it? Males. He was a true warrior through and through. “Someone has gotten through.” She felt the presence before whoever it was appeared. Recognition of the shadowed ghost’s presence testified to the growth of her abilities over time. She’d never have been able to sense them when she was younger. Eros and Tenebrae used to love to scare the hell out of her. They’d once shown up out of nowhere to beat up a group of bullies that were tormenting her.

Eros and one of his sons were standing in Gil’s living room. “Innanna,” Eros called, “Jacob is here to set your hand.”

Innanna turned to leave the room, but Gil’s arms wrapped around her waist from behind, holding her to his chest. His whisper tingled down her spine. “I love you, Innanna. Before this night is over, I want ta make ya mine, if ya will have me.”

Innanna turned to wrap her arms around his neck. “Ask me on the dance floor. Maybe I’ll say yes.” She lifted to her tiptoes and placed a light kiss to his swollen lips. Another half hour and he’d be fully healed.

His hand to the small of her back, they joined Eros and his son. Eros greeted them with a smile, shaking Gil’s hand and complimenting Innanna. “You always did throw the best tantrums. Nice work, sis.” He’d always called her sis when she was little, before the pheromones of bloodmates ruined everything. Was there any wonder why she could never love him any other way besides a brother? His laughing gaze shifted to Gil’s bruised face. “Hope you own a cup, my man.”

Eros’s son looked confused, so Innanna introduced herself to the young male. “Hi, I’m Innanna. I grew up with your dad. Thanks for coming. I didn’t realize the Sicarius bloodline had healers too.”

“I’m more of a medic; none of the healers could sneak in here. I’ve heard of you. Pops always said you were the greatest Oracle ever born. He told me a story about you blowing up an igloo because he threw a snowball at you. I thought he was full of shit.” Jacob’s eyes took in the destruction. “I guess he wasn’t.”

Innanna laughed, remembering that day. She sat on the arm of the couch; Gil took position behind her, his hands possessively on her shoulders. She clenched her jaw through the setting of the bone. Jacob was quick and precise, causing her little pain. As soon as it was aligned, her bone began to heal rapidly. Gil trudged through the mess to his kitchenette and returned with a tray, carrying four goblets of bloodwine. She took hers with her good hand.

Lifting to toast, she said her standard: “To Fate, may she smile on us all.”

Gil lifted his. “Ta good times an’ rock n roll.”

Eros lifted his. “To family.”

Jacob left his on the tray. “Sorry, I’m iron-rich. But I would toast to never pissing off a female.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Brae’s laughter echoed through the night, the most beautiful sound Enlil had ever heard. Well, second to her cries of pleasure when they made love. She was circled by her brothers, each of them snatching her from the other for a dance. Waltz, tango, modern, she danced them all. She learned the steps easily; her natural grace carried her when her lack of familiarity with the styles should have held her back. Part of him wanted her all to himself—they were newly mated, after all—while another side of him loved seeing her enjoying her family, building relationships with her father and brothers. The popular males seemed to enjoy spending time with Brae rather than paying attention to all of the females whose heads turned in their direction.

Admittedly, it had been a pleasure to dance with Jess, Moira, and Ninlil. It had been so long since he’d been able to truly enjoy anything. The hollowness within him had been replaced with the love and light of the amazing female laughing. Brae was a miracle in every way.

Jorie plopped into the chair next to him. “I’m freeeeee.” Enlil had heard she was on babysitting duty when he’d sought her for a dance earlier. A fast-paced song came through the speakers. “Oh, dance with me, pleeaasse.” Jumping up, she pulled at his wrist. He felt Brae’s amused eyes follow as he led Jorie to the center of the revelers.

“Jorjor, G-G-pa doesn’t know how to dance to this … music.” Though he sure appreciated the gyrating of his mate to it. “How about we go to the hall and dance there.” Where the music was more his forte, he thought.

“Just move your butt with the beat, easiest thing ever.” Finding an opening wide enough for them to move freely, she turned to face him, her arms, hips, and feet moving in a random, impromptu pattern.

Enlil let the music roll through him, feeling the underlying melodic rhythm. He caught Jorie’s hand, taking her through a series of twists, turns, dips, and candlesticks in time to the song. The area surrounding them widened to give their antics room. Jorie’s happy squeals brought smiles to the faces around them. Then the song ended, and Enlil dipped her, nearly touching the ground. “Don’t know how to dance to this, my ass. That was a blast.” She giggled when he kissed the tip of her nose, raising her to her feet. She took off in search of shoes that had flown off her feet at some point.