happy reading!
The Feri War
Chapter 1
Ah, I'm finally home! I muttered under my breath as I stepped down from the shallow pool behind Nick and River. Wren, Farren, Rhett, Reed and Bron followed me out. Drenched from head to toe, I shivered in my wet, plastered clothes. Exhausted, I needed a hot bath and a cozy bed. I glanced skyward. I was glad the rain had stopped. Ever since it started, the rain hardly let up. And when it did the tranquility would last no more than a few short hours.
'I badly need a full body massage,' Reed said holding his left shoulder. 'I'm aching all over.' I can attest to that. I was sore too. I could barely walk let alone lift my own legs.
Over the course of two months, fighting werewolves was all we've been doing. I had to admit, it was getting easier every time. Although, it took us nearly three hours to get rid of this pack. Partly because of the terrain. Fighting in the rain and on the muddy ground, the odds were against us. Quite frankly, I was surprised the beasts didn't kill us all. They had the advantage. Their big clawed feet gave them traction against the slippery mud. But werewolves were impulsive. And that worked in our favor. Enrage them and they became irrational, unable to launch a proper attack. I sincerely hope the people of Merk appreciated our effort.
'I'll do you if you do me,' Bron said. Reed grinned at his lover and pulled him closer. Bron grinned back.
'I know you're all powerful now Wren, but you don't have to try and save me every time as if I was a fucking girl,' River said shoving his big brother. His twin chuckled when Wren shoved him back.
'You froze, asshole. I had to save you,' Wren replied.
'Shut up! I didn't! I had everything under control.'
'Yeah! Wetting yourself,' his big brother said.
'It was raining!' River yelled.
Everyone laughed when he jumped on Wren's back and tackled him to the wet paved courtyard. It was even funnier the way Wren drew his younger brother beneath him and pinned him to the ground by sitting on his back and pulling at his hair.
'You're my beast of burden now. Say sorry master,' Wren said to everyone else's amusement. "Beast of burden" is a more familiar way of saying slave in the Targ language, and it's an insult, especially to a changeling.
'That's enough,' a melodious female voice said from the main entrance. We all turned to look at Jan with her legs spread wide, hands on her hips and a scolding frown on her face. 'You're all so filthy. Go through the side entrance and straight to the bathhouse. I will not have you dirtying my freshly cleaned floors.'
Wren released River with a slap upside the head. The younger brother muttered an insult before picking himself up off the ground much to the other's amusement.
'Farren,' Jan said as we passed by the main entrance. 'You have a visitor.' The tall Neornite had an arm slung over his boyfriend when he asked who it was.
'Your brother Caden.'
In hearing his brother's name, Farren jumped away from Rhett so fast that Rhett almost fell flat on his face on the cold pavement. When he realized what he'd done, Farren helped his boyfriend up with a thousand apologies. Being the kind-hearted man that he was Rhett held the tall man's worried face between his palms and said something in a hushed voice.
I stood watching them, unaware the others wanted to put distance between them and the couple, giving them privacy. When I realized that, I hurried to join the group. Although, I was sure they were hearing everything Rhett was saying to Farren. Apart from Nick and me, they were all shifters. And shifters, especially wolf-shifters, have acute hearing like that of their animal counterpart.
Our time in the bathhouse was loud and spirited. It was much the same later at the dinner table. By then Alessa had joined us. She clung to Nick's every word as he recounted the day we'd had. I couldn't help watching them with amusement as they fed each other food from their own plates. Nick noticed me and winked. I blushed as Wren put on a frown. He hadn't seen the exchange. It wouldn't have mattered if he did. The what's-up-with-you-look he gave me told me something else was bothering him. I had an inkling what it might be, but I chose to ignore it and him.
Jan and two other women placed a variety of dishes in front of us. They didn't join us, even when Alessa insisted. Looking around, I noticed the absence of Charlie and the other adults. I knew they were at Notwitt, but I hadn't seen them all day. Finally, it was Nick who asked his aunt about the whereabouts of his parents.
'They're in the throne room with a delegation from Hering,' she casually said.
'Hering!' Reed said. 'Are they in trouble too?'
Hering is a witch city in The Sear close to Pixan, the capital. According to Stryker, it was one of the richest cities in the witches' homeland. Why would they need our help?
'I don't know,' Jan said, 'you have to ask Charlie.'
That piqued the guys' curiosity. They began speculating about the possible troubles in Hering. The conversation died down when Farren walked in. The distant look in his eyes and his horrid, stricken face caused some concerns.
'Where's your brother?' Rhett asked. I'm sure, like all of us, he wanted to know what was wrong, but he'd been with the neornite long enough to know the guy was not forthcoming with his feelings.
'He left,' he said dryly.
'And?' The shifter pressed as his boyfriend took his place beside him at the table.
The tall guy shrugged. 'My older brother is calling me home. Don't ask me why because I don't know. Caden also didn't seem to know.'
Farren being called home wasn't unusual. He would often make a trip to Neorken, the neornite homeland, for updates and further orders. However, I've noticed lately that he dreaded going home. During all the time he has spent with us, I came to know Farren well. To someone outside our little family, he might be considered arrogant, conceited or even emotionless. He might have been all that before, but he has changed. He still might be indifferent sometimes but we all brush it off as him being Farren. We didn't love him any less for it.
I candidly watched him.
As far as I know, nothing frightens the guy. Nothing except his relationship with Rhett. He feared his family because of it. Ever since he'd been with Rhett, he has been more liberal in showing his affection. He feared his family might notice. Of course, there was more to it than that. The Neornites are all breeders. They value a productive relationship. To them, his and Rhett's relationship was non-productive, meaning they can't have children to replenish the neornite ranks. Even if they could make use of a breeder, Farren's people would object, because they also value monogamy. They believe sex is something that should be shared only between a man and a woman. They can tolerate others' indiscretions but not one of their own. At that instant I pitied Farren. I could only wish everything goes well during the meeting with his brother.
'When are you leaving?' River asked.
Farren looked at him. 'Tomorrow I think. And I don't know when I will be back.'
'Aw!' Rhett said. 'You'll miss Chase's party of birth.'
Everyone chuckled, with Nick and Bron the loudest. Despite myself, I grinned too. Rhett meant birthday party. Targs don't celebrate their birthdays rather their accomplishments. Like shifters celebrate their transitions and witches celebrate their job placements.
The birthday party was Charlie's idea. Chase grew up in the human realm and having lived in an abusive household, he never got to celebrate his birthdays. Charlie wanted a reason to make his son happy.
'You'll miss all the fun,' Nick chipped in.
Farren looked into Rhett's pleading eyes and sighed. 'Ok. I'll stay for the party. But I must leave the morning after. I don't want to anger Warren. He's already not pleased with me.'
Rhett pulled him in and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. Everyone laughed again. When their lips stayed glued, Bron shouted, 'get a room.'
After dinner, we waited for the adults to give them the usual account of our exploits, but they never came. So, one by one the guys retired to their chambers.
'Ok, I wasn't going to say anything, but the silent treatment is killing me.' Wren said as we were getting ready for bed. 'What's wrong Rye?'
I could say nothing was wrong but that would be a lie. And wolf shifters have a knack for knowing when people lie. Nothing escapes Wren, especially if he was already suspicious.
'Is it me? Did I do something wrong?' He prodded when I didn't say anything.
He slipped under the covers and pulled his body close to mine. He nudged me with his face before dropping a kiss on my neck. 'Come one Rye. Tell me?'
I sighed. Then rolled over the face him. He wedged an arm beneath my head while tracing a finger along my jawline to my chin. 'Have you noticed me lately?'
His finger stilled and he creased his forehead.
'No,' I said with a wan smile. 'It's not what you're thinking. I love you. You have been the perfect mate. I meant my powers. Have you noticed they're not as strong as they were?'
His frown didn't ease when he said, 'what's wrong with your powers?'
I exhaled loudly. 'I don't know what's wrong with me but my powers are fading somehow. I tire from the slightest exertion and today I almost passed out while restraining the werewolf I was battling.'
'I noticed you'd brought down only a single beast, but I thought it was because of the slippery mud. Even I was having trouble keeping on my feet.'
I turned my head from side to side.
'Besides me, who have you told?'
I shook my head, 'no one'.
It was his time to sigh. 'It might be nothing, but we have to be sure. Keene and Devlin are here at Charlie's request. We'll go see them after breakfast before we leave for Valpak. If it has something to do with the dark energy you were stabbed with in Koff, Devlin might know something about it.'
He smiled at my puzzled expression. 'What makes you think it has something to do with the dark energy?' I asked. I was more surprised he brought it up. He has been avoiding talking about anything that reminded him of the arena where his father died.
'You told me. Even though the professor injected you with the antidote, you could still be feeling the effects.'
I gapped at him in astonishment. He really does care about me. Emotions welled up in my core as I reached for him. 'I love you, Wren.'
He smiled and bent down for a kiss. As our lips touched, a familiar tingle coursed through me with a flicker of excitement. I moaned. He responded by cupping my crotch. Rubbing me gently he deepened the kiss. 'I love you too,' he said, coming up for air.
I shivered in anticipation as he gently bit my chin, neck and collarbone. I held my breath as he ventured lower. I gasped when he flicked his tongue over a nipple. His hot breath burned my skin. He closed his lips around the little nib. I shuddered at the suction that followed. Too soon, he abandoned it to suck on the other. My cock was standing tall by then and it kept pulsing at Wren's touch.
Wren glanced at my crotch then lifted his head, searching my eyes. 'Someone's happy to be getting some attention.' I didn't speak only moaned when he gave me a tug.
He chuckled. Pushing the bed covers aside, he bent down again. This time he went straight for my throbbing member. I gave out another shudder when he put me in his mouth. He licked, sucked and swallowed me and repeated the same movement repeatedly. The sensation caused me to whimper with pleasure. He didn't attempt to breach my opening, but he rubbed his very wet thumb over my hole increasing my yearning tenfold.
After this delightful torture, he straddled my crotch. Wetting his palm, he grabbed and started jerking both our cocks together. After a while he used both hands. Attuned to my rhythm, he brought us both to a gratifying end. Spent, he lowered and gently wrapped himself around me. Burying his face in the crook of my neck, I held him tight. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but he was sleeping when I rolled him off me. Feeling the loss, his arms found me and pulled me to him. I smiled as I laid my head on his chest. I love the man.
...................................................
End of chapter one