RISE OF THE LYCANS - Mates and Bonds

Selena

“What do you mean demons?” Flaym looked at Grandma Dori like she had just sprouted another head.

“That’s just what I said,” she replied and passed the plate of frog legs. “Have another chicken wing, it helps with the stress.”

“Aunt Demeter has mentioned demons in Egypt,” Lukas said in a hushed voice.

“That’s right,” Grandma said. “The existence of demons has been recorded for thousands of years, even before the prominent human religions of today. The ancients viewed demons as sort of like the middleman between this realm and the next. Some are guardians, and they’re harmless; in fact, they can even be benevolent. They’re associated with white mist.”

“And the ones with black mist?” I asked, feeling the tension building at the table.

“Wanderers,” she replied, taking a sip of her Chardonnay. “They enjoy wreaking havoc.”

I gasped as I realized what she was saying. “What we saw at the cemetery…”

“Yep,” Grandma nodded. “Looked like a wanderer to me.”

“Maybe it lives in the cemetery?” Flaym suggested.

“Did you get a good look at its feet?” I asked him.

“Those weren’t paws or hooves,” my wolf muttered.

Flaym shook his head. “I’m not a fashionista. I don’t give a rats ass what kind of shoes it was wearing.”

“I’m talking about the mist. Rex and Storm have both been seeing mist.”

“Maybe they’ve just been having visions of fire, like a warning or something,” he replied. “I mean, Grandma did almost burn down the Eiffel Tower.”

I would have laughed if I hadn’t just witnessed a demon stalking the cemetery. “Nice reach, but the Eiffel Tower is made of Iron.”

“I didn’t get the feeling it wanted to talk,” Lukas said, spearing a chunk of steak and bringing it to my mouth. The gesture may have seemed small to someone observing us, but it wasn’t. This Alpha male was taking care of my needs before his. Feeding someone was an intimate act, and doing so in public broadcasted the importance of your mate.

“Guardian or wanderer, a demon is perfectly capable of taking on their human form at will,” Grandma said.

“When you say human form, do you mean they look like us?” Flaym asked.

“Is there another human form I’m not aware of?” Grandma replied.

“It was angry,” Storm said. “I could feel rage emanating from it.”

“They’re vulnerable in human form,” Grandma continued. “It would need to take on its human form to talk. The mist is a protective shield because the demon is not in solid form.”

“So, they’re weak in human form?”

“Vulnerable to a lycan, but not necessarily weak,” Grandma explained.

“If we’ve both been seeing it for a long time,” Rex said thoughtfully. “Maybe the demon has been seeking our help?”

Grandma shook her head. “Don’t forget the color of the mist. There’s a difference between benevolent and malevolent.”

My wolf let out a low whine, and Lukas leaned in to press a tender kiss on my temple. I had no doubt he could sense Stella’s growing anxiety, and his kiss was a soothing balm to my wolf’s heart. He forked another chunk of steak and asparagus and continued to feed the both of us.

I took a long drink of water, wondering if this day could possibly get any crazier, and started to regret not running off to hide on that Greek island when Lukas suggested it. Storm wasn’t just seeing black mist. She had also seen monuments, dead people, a melting moon, a chandelier, and a naked man. What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why is there a demon in Paris?

“Phantom of The Opera!” Flaym called out like he had just solved a puzzle. “The chandelier you saw. Maybe it has something to do with the famous chandelier that fell at the Paris Opera House? Maybe it’s not a phantom but a demon that haunts the place?”

“Wasn’t that just a Broadway show?” Grandma asked.

“It was inspired by real-life tragedy that occurred here at Palais Garnier.”

“Does it still have a chandelier?” Flaym continued.

“This is Paris,” I reminded him. “Chandeliers are as common as toilets.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Grandma said wistfully, “I went for a walk yesterday with Caspian for some of that French hot chocolate I keep hearing about, and we saw a man watering flowers without a watering can.”

“You also said something about the doors of hell,” Lukas pressed Storm.

She shook her head regretfully. “I think I saw an entrance of some kind, but I don’t recognize it. The image has become fogged in my mind.”

“Next time you see something, mind link with me,” Rex told her. “Let me see it through your mind so I can remember it for you.”

After I moved here, I spent the first year playing tourist during my free time. There was so much to do and see in Paris, and I was thankful for the distraction. The gates of hell sounded familiar to me, but my first thought was the Paris catacombs.

“Catacombs?” Lukas asked as if reading my thoughts because he was listening to my thoughts.

“Storm, these dead people… do they look like they still have flesh, or are they bones?”

She hesitated for a moment. “Bones.”

The ground beneath Paris was lined with tunnels that had once been quarried by the Romans for their limestone. The abandoned underground mines eventually served as a marriage of convenience when Paris was struggling to bury its dead due to overcrowded cemeteries. The combs were consecrated, and the bones of millions of Parisians were emptied from cemeteries and transferred to the underground labyrinth.

“Did you see stacked bones?”

Storm shook her head slightly. “I’m not sure. The vision came and went as quickly as a fading dream.”

“Wait!” Flaym’s eyes went wide. “Are we going to visit the catacombs? I hear people get lost down there.”

“Well, not if you have a tour guide,” Grandma replied. “I know a lady that does private tours.”

“You do?”

“Giacomo's wife,” she said. “He gave me her card when we got the face masks for the ball. I think I left it at your apartment. I bet if we tip her well she’ll take us to the areas the regular tours don’t take you.”

“You mean the card is not in your purse?” Rex chuckled.

An hour later, we trudged up the stairs to my apartment. I rarely had company, and suddenly, I had a full house. I didn’t even have enough seats to accommodate everyone, and it was strange to see them all here.

Rex slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Caspian sent two cars to get us. They should be here in ten minutes.”

“Is that one of those washer-dryer, all-in-one machines?” Flaym asked, stepping into my kitchen. “It’s so small! What do you do? Wash two towels at a time?”

“It’s not that small,” I laughed, though I did miss the American full-sized washers, which were faster and easier to use.

Grandma shuffled to the small table and found the tour guide’s business card. “Here it is, Parisian Tours. Her name is Sylvie Venini, and she also does private custom tours.”

“Why’s your refrigerator so small?” Flaym continued looking around the kitchen.

“People here don’t usually need large cold storage for their food because they prefer to shop daily or every other day for fresh foods. They tend to eat what’s in season,” I tried to explain to Flaym, who was used to having industrial-sized refrigerators at the mansion.

“You don’t even have a pantry!” He genuinely sounded shocked, and I couldn’t help laughing.

“They’re not stocking up at the supermarkets, and you won’t find them freezing pork chops for another day because a butcher shop is common in every neighborhood around here.”

Flaym shook his head, trying to comprehend the cultural differences. “I suppose when you’re not refrigerating your eggs, butter, or milk, you might not need all that extra space.”

“Nothing wrong with stashing some extra bacon in the freezer for later,” Grandma mumbled.

I moved into my bedroom, and Lukas followed me. My phone was on the bedside table, and I tried to check my missed calls. It was dead. I shoved the charger and phone into the tote bag on the floor and moved across the room. My favorite silk robe was hanging in the corner, and I quickly rolled it up and stuffed it inside the tote.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Special silk robe?” He smiled.

“It’s my favorite. Nothing beats the comfort, elegance, and luxurious feel of silk.”

“Then you’ll need to feel my mouth all over your skin again to compare,” he grinned. “The cherry blossoms on it are nice.”

“Thanks. Jose brought it back from China for me,” I told him, and he growled.

“Relax,” I laughed. “Jose would sooner date you before he set his eyes on me.”

“Right,” he chuckled. “I knew that.”

I pulled open my jewelry drawer to find my most prized treasure. Persephone had packed my graduation dress and shoes with some of my other things, but she had missed my favorite crystal bracelet. It was the bracelet that Lukas had given me for my thirteenth birthday.

His eyes locked on the crystals in my hand, and he smiled. “You still have it?”

“Someone special gave it to me a long time ago.”

“Fuck, I love you so much,” he said as he closed the space between us.

Lukas wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against his chest. Dipping his head down, his lips gently grazed mine. Unable to resist, I took a deep breath, and his delicious, fresh scent filled my nose. I couldn’t seem to get enough of him now that he was mine.

“Mark him,” my wolf demanded. She was feeling territorial.

The warmth of his tongue flicked against my lips, and I parted my lips in response. His kiss was hard yet gentle, as if he were fighting to maintain control. It left me feeling a little dizzy and excited because this was everything I had ever wanted with him.

“Should we come back later?” Storm asked, leaning in the doorway.

“Yes,” Lukas said with a low growl.

“No,” I laughed. “I have what I need… for now.”

Lukas stole another kiss before we stepped back into the living room. Flaym was still poking around the kitchen in fascination, and Grandma was seated in the chair with the business card in hand. Storm and Rex were both standing at the window, observing the view.

“Do you think she does night tours of the catacombs?” Grandma asked.

“What difference does it make? It’s going to be dark down there anyway,” Rex said.

“I hope it’s not haunted,” Flaym murmured.

A chime sounded, and Rex checked his phone. “The cars are here.”

Lukas reached the front door and noticed it was still cracked open. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Grandma, did you leave the door open again?”

“Nuh-uh, I wasn’t the last one to enter the apartment,” she said as she nodded her head toward Flaym. He was at the end of the line when we came up the stairs, so he was last to enter the apartment.

“Don’t get your underwear in a bunch,” Flaym rumbled. “No one would be silly enough to come up all these stairs just to rob an apartment full of shifters.”

“Perhaps, but we did just meet a demon this morning,” Rex said as he strolled out the open door.

“That wasn’t a meet-and-greet,” Grandma told Rex, following him out. “She didn’t even introduce herself.”

“Great view of the Tower,” Storm told me as she followed Grandma out the door.

Lukas and I stepped into the long hall, and I turned to Flaym. “Be sure to turn the lock before you close the door.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Flaym replied. “Let me turn off the light in the kitchen first.”

We started our descent down the stairs in the narrow corridor, and Flaym pulled the door closed. The lock tumbled in place.

BOOM!

The building shook as the impact from the explosion rattled the walls. It was total silence, and my heart hammered in my chest as I staggered against Lukas. Then I heard the sound of muffled voices, and a burning scrap of wallpaper floated down in front of me as if in slow motion.

A plume of fire raging from my apartment filled the stairwell with orange light and smoke, and I was sure I was having a nightmare. I looked up to see my front door had been embedded in the opposite wall we had just passed, and I knew Flaym was still up there. Terror gripped me, and I screamed, but I wasn’t sure a sound had come out. Lukas lifted me off my feet and raced down the stairs behind Rex, who was also carrying Grandma.

I caught sight of my neighbors rushing out of their apartments. Their mouths were moving, but I couldn’t hear anything except the sound of my breathing. Some were trying to get a better look up the stairwell, while others were running down the stairs to safety. Old man Mueller was taking photos with his phone, and Lukas nearly knocked him over when we rushed past.

My apartment had just combusted. The moment Flaym closed that door, the apartment exploded. But why? And how? I loved that apartment.

Fresh air hit me, and I realized we were outside. Lukas’ mouth was moving, but all I heard was ringing. He was talking to Rex, who set Grandma down and reached for my tote bag. I remained speechless as he removed my silk robe and rushed back into the building.

Lukas and Rex could both control fire, and I wondered if they had put the fire out or if it was too risky because the humans would notice. Smoke was billowing from the top of the apartment building, but I couldn’t see flames. Lukas said something and it sounded like sweetheart, but it was still muffled.

My ears felt like they had been stuffed with cotton balls, and one had just fallen out. The first thing I heard clearly was the sound of sirens growing louder as they neared. I tried to wiggle out of Lukas’ arms, but he wasn’t going to set me down anytime soon.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said through the mind link.

“Flaym?” I croaked.

“Here he comes,” he motioned his head to the door of my apartment building where people had gathered.

Rex appeared in the doorway first, followed by Flaym. His red hair was disheveled, and he was covered in ash and soot. His shoes were missing, and the only thing shielding his naked body from the view of onlookers was my favorite pink silk robe that reached mid-thigh on him. The wind shifted, causing the robe to billow out and display Flaym’s family jewels to the gathering crowd.

Flaym reached to pinch the silk closed, and Storm howled with laughter. “You should wear silk more often, Carrots.”