Vaewolf rising, p.1
VAEWOLF RISING, page 1
VAEWOLF RISING
ALEXA O’BRIEN HUNTRESS BOOK 19
TRINA M. LEE
VAEWOLF RISING
Copyright 2021 by Trina M. Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Published in Canada
Editing & Proofreading Team
Denise Fortowsky
Marisa Brown
Cover Artist
Marvin Lee Cover Design
Published by
Trina M. Lee
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
CHAPTER ONE
“Get your ass back here, wolf. I’m not finished with you yet.” Falon grabbed for me as I slid from the bed, clutching a handful of air instead of my ass like he’d intended.
Chuckling to myself, I gathered my clothes from the floor of his other side apartment. “If I stay in bed any longer my fun parts are going to be rubbed raw. I promised Arys that I wouldn’t stay away more than a day this time, and we still have to go to my… castle.”
Before he could leap out of bed after me, I darted into the attached bathroom to freshen up. This was my fourth visit to Falon’s other side home in the few weeks since Arys had encouraged it. My dark flame had proven his devotion by being the one to see that Falon and I needed this. To want it for us even though it wasn’t easy for him to see me go. It wasn’t easy for me either. Leaving my other half never felt right.
Something else that would probably never feel right was having a castle. I had a castle? It was too weird.
Since I’d started visiting Falon’s place regularly Kaia had asked me if I would come by the castle to see the changes that had been made. He’d beamed with pride when asking, leaving me unable to refuse. Not that I wanted to, but I struggled to accept that I had a castle. Accepting that meant accepting that I was a queen who ruled over demons, and that was still a tough one.
I’d just finished dressing when the door opened and Falon strode in naked and gorgeous. He helped himself to a handful of my ass on his way into the shower. After combing my hair I left the steamy room to stand on the balcony off the bedroom. The view still blew my mind.
A clear, deep purple sky stretched before me. Two red moons shone on opposite sides of the sky, slowly making their way toward one another. Once they descended two red suns would replace them. Time moved differently here, making it hard to figure out how much time had passed back home. It messed with my head.
Across from Falon’s building stood another similar stone building. On a lower balcony I saw a demon step out with a drink in one hand. Curly horns adorned his head and a furry tail swished about behind him. He surveyed the street, glancing down toward the marketplace. Feeling my gaze upon him, his attention snapped to me. From where I stood I could make out the sinister grin that spread across his face. He tipped his head to me in a facetious nod, reminding me that most demons did not and would not see me as anyone of importance in their world.
If only the bastard knew that I could make his eyes burst out of his head from where I stood. Maybe he did and he just didn’t care. Lucky for him, I was in a good mood and didn’t feel like wasting the effort. Maybe The Circle of the Veil’s not so subtle threat also kept me from lashing out. Bringing Bane to his knees had really pissed them off.
Because the demon across the street continued to stare, I banged the outside of both fists together twice in a Geller style fuck you from Friends and turned to go back inside. After a lengthy, mind blowing good time in bed with Falon, I was ready to get back to my side of the veil. Something about this side made my skin crawl. Probably the mass of demons. Wherever the angels dwelled, it wasn’t here.
Noise drew me through the bedroom into the kitchen where I found Falon pouring some kind of fancy alcohol into a crystal glass. Having showered in record time, his silver hair was still damp and haphazardly shoved about. Always dressed to kill, he wore a knee length black suede jacket over dark pants and a gray shirt. The socks hidden inside his trendy boots were argyle. They always were.
“Ready to go play queen?” he teased, drinking half the glass in one go. “I kind of like the idea of demons falling all over themselves to serve you.”
“Oh yeah?” I quirked a brow. “Does that include you?”
“Only if I’m serving that pussy,” he quipped without missing a beat. “I’ll leave it to Kaia and the rest of them to roll out the red carpet and kiss your ass.”
Tapping my finger on my bottom lip, I pretended to consider his claim. “If I recall correctly your lips have actually touched my ass, whereas theirs have not.”
Downing the last of his drink, Falon set the glass on the ruby red stone counter and pulled me into his arms despite my poor attempt to escape into the living room. “Do not tempt me with that ass if you want to get home before Arys blows his top.”
A few minutes later we stepped through a magical doorway made of swirling energy onto the castle grounds. The moment both my feet touched the ground the entity grabbed on to me, whispering sweet but sinister nothings in my ear. The castle stretched tall against the purple sky, the towers on either side of the main entry foreboding and dark. Palace guards watched unseen in each tower, always ready to protect the castle. Thankfully for all of us, nobody had deemed Lilah’s empire worthy of taking over, aside from Shya.
The heavy front door was marked with Lilah’s sigil. Three snakes crisscrossing over one another inside a triangle. It glowed softly in response to my presence. I guess that made it my sigil now. Since I wasn’t a fan of the design I’d have to look into changing that.
Kaia opened the door and immediately bowed in greeting. “It’s wonderful to have you, Your Grace. Please come in.”
Try as I might to convince the head of my palace guard to call me by my name, he wouldn’t be moved. Kaia had been serving a queen far longer than I’d been one, so I had to let that one go.
‘Welcome home, my wolf queen,’ the entity murmured in my ear. A shudder crept over me at its words. This was not my home.
With Falon right behind me I stepped into the castle, bracing for the heavy sense of evil to hit. But it didn’t. The entryway was lit by a fiery chandelier. Gone were the dark tones and colors from before. The walls were splashed in a creamy lavender, paired with black trim on the framework and shiny white tile covering the floor.
Not only had the team undertaking the care of the castle removed the nasty black carpets, they’d taken out the ghastly artwork that had littered the place, replacing it with pretty landscapes and images of plant and animal life from this side of the veil.
I followed Kaia down the main hall branching off the foyer across from the spiral staircase. There were two arched doorways leading into rooms off the foyer that each led into other wings of the castle. The place was a maze that left me disoriented.
I was shocked by the immense change the interior had undergone since I’d last been here. It was more than the physical appearance and décor. The entire vibe had shifted.
“Holy crap,” I marveled, ogling a large painting of a black unicorn. “It looks and feels amazing in here, Kaia. You’ve all outdone yourselves. Do you love it though? Because all that matters is that those of you calling this place home love it.”
Dressed in a tunic and loose fitting pants, Kaia carried an assload of weaponry. A sword on his back, a dagger on one hip, and blades strapped to the inside of each forearm were the visible items. I suspected there were more less visible weapons as well. Not to mention his deadly demon magic.
He flashed me a grin that revealed vicious wildcat fangs. His orange and white streaked black hair had been slicked back. On this side of the veil Kaia always had his tiger-like features on full display. “We do love it. Everyone who dwells in the castle has been a valuable part of this restoration. Thank you for not only allowing it, but forcing it. We all needed this.”
During my first visit to Lilah’s former home I’d been appalled and then downright disgusted by what she’d neglected to do with the place. Not to mention her people who’d been abused and abandoned. That evil jerk was right where she deserved to be.
“It feels like she was never here.” Holding out a hand, I felt the energy of the castle. Gone were the dank, depressing vibes. It felt lively and almost joyful.
“I had an angel come and do a cleansing,” Kaia said, shocking me. His chuckle was light and just as surprising. A crack in the stiff outer shell he wore like a shield.
We stepped into the sitting room where we’d sat during my first trip here. It didn’t look remotely similar. The creepy statue of a demon pinning a struggling woman was gone as were the mounted animal heads that had seemed to still be alive. New artwork replaced it including a dazzling display of rare gems and crystals found only on this side of the veil. They’d been arranged above the mantel on the wall in the shape of a howling wolf.
“An angel?” I repeated, frozen a few steps inside the arched doorway. My chest warmed at the colorful wolf, feeling the honor my demons had intended with such a display. My demons. That felt strange.
“Yes, a dear friend that I’m still close with despite the many things that divide us. Because you’re a be
“Oh my goodness, I love it,” I gushed as the female demon I’d met once before slipped quietly into the room behind me. “It’s… wow, I don’t even know what to say. It’s beautiful.”
For once Falon didn’t ruin a nice moment by opening his mouth. He stared at the piece of art, nodding his appreciation.
“I’m so happy you like it, Your Grace.” Marah dipped into a curtsy, drawing my attention to the uniform-like attire she wore. If this side of the veil had their version of a French maid outfit, this would be it.
No doubt she was gorgeous with long copper colored hair and the cutest little fangs. Fox ears peeked through her tresses, the tail to match emerging from beneath her short skirt. Knowing that Marah was a rare woman in a world of demonic men made it an even bigger insult. Why would Lilah dress her as if she were an object for them to ogle? Did they do more than ogle? Marah and I needed to have a talk.
“You have a true talent,” I said, hoping I wasn’t about to make her uncomfortable. “Is your attire by choice? Or something Lilah made you wear? Because I wish I’d been more clear on the new rule around here, which is do, wear, and say whatever the fuck you want.”
Marah’s black eyes were eerie in that they hid her emotions well. The tightening of her mouth was the only hint of the anger she held inside from years of hell. “She wanted every woman that served her to be attractive and available to those in the palace guard at all times. She had a select number of men that were treated the same. I’ve worn it so long I’ve forgotten what it’s like to wear anything else.”
Swallowing back my rage, I wished for the umpteenth time that I could pound Lilah one more time. “Time for that to change. You are your own person, Marah. You will wear anything you like, and nobody lays a hand on you without your permission. That goes for everyone here. Anyone breaking that rule gets thrown the fuck out after being beaten to a bloody pulp.”
Kaia nodded, drawing himself up to his full height, shoulders squared. “Of course. I’ll see to it that everyone is made aware.”
“This has to be a safe space.” Imagining the torment and pain that had occurred within these walls, I felt ill. That would not be happening on my watch.
Marah’s eyes gleamed with unshed tears, feeding the hate I had for her former queen. Lilah had done a number on her people. It was nothing short of a miracle that anyone chose to serve me or this place.
Not sure if a hug would be welcomed by a demon, I tried anyway. To my surprise Marah flung her arms around me, babbling about how happy everyone was since I’d claimed Lilah’s rule as my own. I patted the emotional demon on the shoulder, steering her along with us as we continued to survey the castle.
From the insanely huge and intimidating throne room we moved to the massive backyard which had an amazing gazebo, bright green grass, a pond, and even a maze. A bush of angry black roses hissed as we passed.
I was so damn tempted to touch one but Falon slapped my hand away. “I told you not to touch the foliage, wolf. Trying to lose a finger?”
“Are you trying to lose a body part?” I snarked back with a threatening glare.
Falon taunted me, both hands raised in invitation. “Try it. Please. I dare you.”
Having grown used to our dynamic in the time he’d been shadowing my almost every move, Kaia ignored our banter, spilling the news that had him grinning bigger than I’d ever seen. “Demons are returning to the town in greater number than I anticipated. It’s grown from two hundred to just over one thousand. A far cry still from the former twenty thousand it once had, but it’s a wonderful start, don’t you think, Your Grace?”
One thousand demons. Here in the town that now belonged to me? One thousand demons willing to serve the new queen. My face felt hot, and I reached for Falon, clutching his arm so I wouldn’t collapse from the shock.
“That’s um, that’s definitely a lot of demons.” Trying to wrap my mind around this was breaking my brain.
Sometimes it still felt like only yesterday that I’d been a new werewolf learning to live with having magic, before I ever knew about Arys. Everything had changed so much since those days.
“It’s enough to make The Circle of the Veil think twice about fucking with you,” Falon mused. “Or it may be the final nail in the coffin that brings them to your door. I guess we’ll find out.”
“Jackass,” I muttered beneath my breath, digging my elbow into his ribs. To Kaia and Marah I said, “You should both be proud of yourselves for everything you’ve achieved here. This castle might be mine currently in name, but it really belongs to you. I’ll try not to stay away so long next time.”
“I’ll be along shortly,” Kaia promised. “I need to speak with my guards.”
My sentry would shadow me until sunrise on my side of the veil, always watching my back or that of my companions. I would never understand why he’d stayed in service of Lilah after she took reign here. I hoped that one day he would tell me. It didn’t feel like my place to ask for those details.
The entity stuck to me like cobwebs stringing across my face and neck, disappointed in my departure. I ignored it, eager to get back to my side of the line. It was a needy magic that I didn’t have time for right now.
Falon drew an unseen pattern in the air and a swirling energy door opened up. I braced for the mild dizzy spell that would hit as we stepped through. We stepped into my suite at The Wicked Kiss, surprising Shaz. He let out a startled shout and threw the slice of pizza he held. It flew across the living room to splat face down on the carpet.
“Holy shit, you scared the crap out of me.” Hand on his heart, Shaz gasped in a deep breath and swore again while Falon laughed his ass off. After pressing a kiss to my lips Shaz fetched a damp rag from the kitchen. “Good timing though, Lex. Smudge just called. There’s been another incident with the rebels.”
CHAPTER TWO
My laughter at Shaz’s reaction quickly died at the news he shared. While he scrubbed the pizza sauce stain off the carpet I grabbed my phone from the bedroom where I’d left it before crossing the veil.
“What’s up, Smudge?” I asked when the leader of The Circle’s local watchdog team answered my call. “More bad news?”
“Seems to be the usual lately. A public attack this time. I need you to track down a vampire and turn his ass into ashes. Send Falon to help Nova out, if you don’t mind. He’s dealing with a memory wipe on a few witnesses.” Smudge rattled off an address that I jotted in my phone. “Oh, I have a blurry picture of the guy you’re after. I’ll send it over along with his last known location.”
The rebel uprising that had been brewing among members of The Circle of the Veil remained a problem. There had been attacks on fellow Circle members, primarily the elite. In the past week or two public attacks on victims had also been occurring. The rebels were trying to get attention and piss off the powers that be by breaking the first and most important rule: Keep the secret that we all protected.
Breaking the rules, attacking fellow members, it was all incredibly dangerous and had the watchdog team working overtime. I honestly didn’t know how Smudge managed her crew as smoothly as she did.
“Another public attack on a victim?” I hissed. “Those bastards are getting bold. Yeah, I’ll find the guy and send Falon right over. I’m heading out in two minutes.”
“Send me right over where?” Falon leaned in the doorway, watching me as I started stripping down. “This doesn’t look like heading out. It looks like you can’t get enough of me.”
I ended the call and twirled a finger in front of his face. “You’re the main character of your own little show in there, aren’t you? Smudge needs you to help Nova with a witness memory wipe. There’s been another public attack. Vampire on human. I’m off to find the vampire.”
“Yes, I am the main character, and you’re the evil villainess who’s cursed me into servitude,” he quipped in response to my first comment. “Of course you get the easy job. Fine. Tell me where to find Nova’s grumpy ass.”
