SWNOVELS Vengeance of a Queen: Chapter 1
Ten Weeks Ago.
When the light from Ayla’s attack fades, my heart hammers loudly in my chest as I pant slightly. Fuck me. She’s killed all of the lower-level demons. That’s badass. But something else catches my attention—Malick. Or the lack thereof. He’s not in the ground anymore.
Where the hell did that fucker go? I glance around and notice everyone from our community is doing the same. Shit. No one seems to have any idea what the hell transpired.
Those of you who saw what happened, I want to be debriefed as soon as we’re safely back at the community, is that clear? Caleb booms through our bonds. He must be using his mate bond with Ayla to talk to all of us. Immediately, the witches still able to do so begin creating portals back to our community land.
Strong hands grip the tops of my arms, spinning me around to face one of the most handsome men I’ve ever met.
Malcolm.
My panther purrs inside my head. She seems to like the witch just as much as I do. His scent, which reminds me of fresh rain in the desert, has been driving me insane since he showed up at our doorstep with the rest of the Council. Surprisingly, his hair is pulled back from his face today. He usually prefers to keep it loose and flowing around his shoulders.
I don’t get the chance to think anymore. Malcolm’s mouth lands on mine and my brain shuts down. My eyes slide closed, and stars instantly burst behind my eyelids. Time seems to slow as my entire being becomes solely focused on the sensation of his lips against mine. My panther releases a low, pleased growl.
Mate. Holy hell. Talk about life changing days.
Four Weeks Ago.
After everything Ayla’s been through, I’m surprised she hasn’t taken it easier on herself. The woman has been like a damn machine since she woke up a few days ago. And the only reason we aren’t heading to Ireland right now is because she wants to take some time out to train me.
I’m a damn queen. It’s been six weeks, but awe still fills me every time I think about it.
My mind flashes back to the moment on the battlefield when I inadvertently exploded a demon by turning him inside out. My stomach still gets a bit queasy just thinking about it. I’d been feeling off all day, amped for the battle ahead in a way I’d never felt before. I love a good brawl, but this was completely different. I wouldn’t go so far as to say bloodthirsty, but I was certainly eager to get into the thick of things and rip demons apart with my touch.
Accompanying those images is a memory I’ve tried my best to shove into a little box in my mind and forget. After Ayla released her life mojo on all the demons and the dust had settled enough for all of us to determine that we were all alive and going to stay that way, I felt Malcolm grab my arms. I stared up at him with excitement buzzing through my veins as he leaned in and kissed the ever loving daylights out of me. It wasn’t a sweet, gentle first kiss. It was a kiss to lay claim to my very soul. A kiss that curled my toes, blew my damn head off, and melted my knees.
And it hadn’t happened again since.
My panther lets out a low rumble of annoyance at the thought. We finally found our mate, he planted the mother of all kisses on me, and then ignored me? Not all shifters are able to determine their mates by first scent, and there isn’t always that instant flash of heat the way Ayla describes what happened with her and Caleb. For some of us, it can take a while for us to realize what’s directly in front of our damn faces—especially if our mate isn’t another shifter.
I’m not sure if becoming a queen made me realize Malcolm is my mate sooner, or if I’d have known the instant his lips landed on mine anyway. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that the man has been avoiding touching me ever since. He’s been shooting me hungry looks, but he hasn’t acted on them. I’ve been so busy trying to get my new magic under control that by the time I think about acting on the mating instinct, he’s already scuttled away somewhere.
Present
As I step through the portal to Ireland with Malcolm beside me, I swear to all that is good in this world that if he doesn’t touch me soon, I am going to rip his head off. You can’t go around kissing people like that once and then never touch them again. Is he brain damaged?
He’s a witch, Olivia. My panther gently brushes against my mind. He doesn’t feel the urge to mate the way we do. Goddess, how can he not feel this heat? It’s eating me alive. While I’m a dominant shifter female, I have no desire to go after a man who doesn’t want me, even if he is my mate. No. If he wants me, he needs to step right the fuck up and say so.
What if we nudge him along? My panther has no problem with the idea of us rubbing all over him. We don’t need to go at him like a cat in heat, but just give him enough of an indication that you’re interested. We don’t know how witches mate. What if it’s not instinctual?
I suppose she has a point. I refuse to throw myself at a man, but there’s no harm in subtly nudging said man, right?
I’ve been so caught up in my thoughts that I haven’t noticed the stunning scenery around me. Now that it’s claimed my attention, my breath catches and my eyes go wide. I’ve never been to Ireland before, but I’ve seen pictures. Pictures do not do the beauty of this land justice. The thrum of power, ancient and wise, pulses out of the very ground here.
Ayla said we’d be coming out of the portals at the Cliffs of Moher, where her village used to be. The crashing of the sea against the cliffs only serves to amplify the power here. I can feel it singing through every nerve, every cell. I want to dance and cry out in joy. The energy is just so pure and light. I let it roll over me.
Ayla stands in front of me, slowly spinning with her arms out by her sides. She has an expression I’m sure is mirrored on my face. Wonder. Joy. Power. Her connection to this place is stronger than mine, so I can only imagine how she’s feeling.
“I hate to break up the love fest,” Caleb calls, startling both Ayla and me out of our commune with nature, “but we need to find somewhere to stay. We can’t be out in the open.”
“I agree.” Malcolm moves to stand next to me, gently placing a hand on the small of my back, causing my panther to purr.
“Our cottage was right on the cliffs.” Ayla sounds wistful, her eyes unfocused. “Ma used to take us out flying at night over the water.”
As she speaks, I feel a surge of magic drawing me closer to the cliff’s edge. Following the pull of the magic, I inch closer to the drop-off until I feel a large, warm hand close over my shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing, Liv?” Malcolm growls. “Get away from that damn cliff.”
“Don’t you feel it?” I can still feel the pull of the magic, so I let my own magic respond. It flares out around me, the beautiful amethyst mist shimmering in the light. It shines around a dome that appears to be empty, until it flashes and reveals a small cottage where nothing had been before.
Ayla gasps. “The cottage!” She doesn’t make a move to get any closer, and Caleb comes up to wrap his arms around her.
“How did you know that was there?” Malcolm questions, still firmly gripping my arm.
“You didn’t feel that?” I ask, looking at the others around us. Everyone shakes their heads, staring at me oddly. “There was this pull, I couldn’t ignore it.”
“She almost went off the damn cliff,” Malcolm snarls. “The magic almost killed her. And listen to her! She sounds like a damn zombie!”
I bristle at his words. “Excuse the fuck out of you. I do not sound like a zombie. It’s not my fault your ‘wand’ couldn’t find magic even if magic hit it upside the head!” My rebuke ends on a shout. While I intended to be subtle about my approach to Malcolm, he just pissed me off, so I needed to, rightfully, call his manhood into question.
Girl, you have so much explaining to do. Ayla’s laughter echoes through our bond, and I grin in response. Malcolm starts to turn an interesting shade of purple, his mouth opening and closing as he struggles to respond. You just insulted a man’s penis. That’s savage. Something has absolutely gone down between the two of you and you will tell me. Ayla proceeds to laugh out loud, causing Malcolm to turn and glower at her. Caleb has the good sense to hide his face by burying it in Ayla’s hair, but there’s no mistaking the shaking of his shoulders.
“My wand,” Malcolm starts, pulling me flush against him, “can find magic perfectly fine.”
“Prove it.” The two worst words to ever be spoken between two individuals who have sexual tension so thick it would take a chainsaw to cut through it. Malcolm tenses against me, his eyes narrowing on my parted lips. I decide to push him just a bit more by slowly sliding my tongue along my bottom lip. His eyes narrow further, and a low growl forces its way out of his chest. It’s impressive since he isn’t a shifter.
And then his mouth is on mine, our lips fusing together as his hand tangles in my hair tightly, moving my head exactly where he wants it. I groan, and Malcolm uses that moment to plunge his tongue into my mouth. There is nothing gentle about this kiss. It’s not the kiss of two mates discovering one another. It’s the kind of kiss that tells you a man wants all of you, no holding back.
My mind stalls for a minute, unsure. Malcolm is my mate, and the urge to climb him like a tree is so damn strong. The fact that he hasn’t touched me in weeks makes me feel insecure, but his kiss quickly wipes the feeling away. I’m only just starting to settle into the kiss when I hear a loud cough behind us.
“Guys?” Ayla is amused, and I can tell she’s struggling not to laugh. “I appreciate the show. Malcolm, I need to give you a solid nine for hand placement, passion, and enthusiasm, but a one on timing.”
Caleb chuckles.
I pull away from Malcolm, blinking several times to try to get my brain to work properly again. Malcolm’s grip in my hair tightens, not letting me pull too far away. He brings his lips close to my ear and whispers, “This isn’t finished.”
Damn it. I don’t think I packed enough panties to be talked to like that. My panther purrs so aggressively it makes my chest vibrate. Malcolm’s eyes go wide and drop to my chest as I continue to purr, a wicked grin spreading across his lips.
Caleb slaps his hand on Malcolm’s back, breaking the moment. Malcolm throws me one last heated look before walking off with the alpha, going to make sure that the cottage is safe enough for us to investigate. Ayla is suddenly by my side, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face.
“You told me it was nothing. That you’d just been training with him.” She waggles her eyebrows at me. “Is that what the kids are calling hot, nasty, sweaty sex?”
A surprised laugh bursts from my lips. “No, that’s not what the kids are calling any form of sex.” I shake my head. “He kissed me on the battlefield that day with Malick. Just laid the mother of all kisses on me and then nothing. Literally nothing. For weeks! And now he just swoops in with that?” I groan and tug slightly on my hair. “What the fuck was that? What am I supposed to even do with that?” I glance over at my friend to see her fighting back more laughter.
“Oh, honey.” She sobers upon seeing the frustration on my face. “He’s a dumb male, but learn from my experience with Caleb—don’t hold back and go after what you want. I can feel the mate bond forming inside you, Olivia. I know what he is. Witches are different, they don’t have the pull the same way we do, but his magic will draw him to you, even if he doesn’t realize why. If you don’t want to give it time, I can help with Operation Cave Explorer.”
“I’m sorry” —I can’t keep my laughter contained— “Operation Cave Explorer?” Ayla lifts one of her hands so it forms an O-shape and inserts the forefinger of her other hand, rather aggressively, in and out of the ring several times, winking lewdly at me. “Why the fuck am I even friends with you?”
“You love me, and you know it.” She beams at me. “Now let’s go see what those idiots are up to. We can form a solid plan to have your cave explored later.”
I groan but allow her to lead me toward the cottage. The men have gone inside, so presumably it’s safe for us to do so as well. I crack open the door and allow Ayla to go in ahead of me. It’s her family home, after all. Despite her earlier reaction to seeing the cottage, she’s more composed now, her eyes wide as though she’s trying to take everything in all at once.
The cottage has been extremely well preserved. I wouldn’t have assumed it had been sitting here empty for over four hundred years. As soon as I follow Ayla through the doorway, the door slams shut, the snick of the lock engaging causing all four of us to freeze. A gentle rumble shakes the cottage, slowly getting louder and more aggressive with the passing minutes. My hand just slaps onto the door before the cottage is plunged into darkness.