1 Daddy Issues
“So, who are you exactly?” Brock crossed his arms over his puffed chest, making his biceps bulge as he broadcast dominance to the two Asian warriors who’d shown up saying they were here for me.
The tall one with his hair in a ponytail smirked a little, seemingly unfazed by Brock’s display of power. We were spread out on Brock’s porch after returning from the gate to the underworld. The gateway was open, seeping nasty green magic into our world, where it didn’t belong. Just as bad, on the other side of the gate, demons were preparing for war.
“I am Reo, and this is my brother, Haru. We come from a long line of kitsune guardians. It’s our honor to protect Evie and train her to use her powers against the underworld creatures.” His gaze flicked to Cass, and my bestie inflated his pink, fuzzy chest as well.
Between finding the gate and these men, my head was reeling. “Wait a second. You said my dad sent you. As in, my dad is still alive or…?” I let the question linger in the air, hoping my face wasn’t betraying the turmoil I felt inside.
Reo sighed. “Yes, he’s alive.”
My body sagged into a nearby chair. Brock rushed forward to assist me, but I lifted a hand, stopping him.
“But he was severely injured in the car accident that killed your mother,” Reo continued, looking pained. “His kitsune tails were severed.” He looked at me meaningfully, deep brown eyes clouded with regret. “When he lost his tails, he lost all of his magical abilities too,” he added when it became obvious I didn’t understand. “He’s completely paralyzed from the waist down and lives his life as a human.”
I gasped, and Brock placed a hand on my shoulder, offering his strength. My poor father… Still, I had to ask: “My whole life, he just let me think he was dead?” There was more anger than hurt in my voice, and I realized it was going to take some time to get over his betrayal.
Haru’s lips curved downward. “He’s lived in hiding, hoping not to bring any attention to you. The forces that would seek to end a kitsune’s life watched you for a while after the accident, but determined you were a magical dud. Which is exactly what your father wanted. It was the only way to keep you safe.”
Damnnn. That shit was heavy. It made sense, but still … I’d lived over twenty-five years believing both my parents were dead. That messed a girl up, big time.
“What are these forces that would seek to end a kitsune’s life?” my bestie asked, fuzzy chest still puffed.
Yes. Important question. When the shock wore off and my brain started working properly, I’d have wished I’d asked that.
Reo and Haru shared a dark look.
“The Akuma,” Haru stated ominously.
Chills broke out across my arms. Akuma meant “demon” in Japanese. I knew that much from my studies.
“The Akuma is an organization of demon overlords plotting to—”
Reo cut his brother Haru off with a squinty-eyed look at Cass. “Can we speak freely in front of everyone here?” Reo’s gaze then moved on to Molly, Sabine, and finally to Brock.
I waved his concern away. “The demon imp is my best friend. The alpha puffing out his chest at you is my baby daddy, and the girl with purple hair is my new human bounty hunter apprentice. Oh, and she’s my doctor.” I pointed to Sabine.
“I’m her alpha, not just the father of our unborn child.” Testosterone oozed from Brock’s voice. “She’s pack.”
“And I may be demon in origin, but that doesn’t make me evil!” Cass snapped.
Reo’s eyes were wide as saucers as he took a moment to compose himself. “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to offend. This is all very sensitive information, is all.”
I nodded. “You can say anything in front of them. I trust them with my life.”
Reo eyed Brock and my belly. “You’re pregnant with the werewolf’s child?”
I sighed. “Yes, and the baby’s healthy. Now tell me about the Akuma.”
Focus.
Reo nodded. “The Akuma plan to take over Earth and make it the new underworld. They figure the weak humans will make great slaves, and the other supernaturals will be powerless to overcome their large numbers.”
What the actual fuck did he just say? Oh man, I was so not okay with that.
Molly glared at him, clearly not liking what he’d said about weak human slaves.
“How exactly would they take over Earth?” Brock asked from behind me.
Haru pointed into the woods, looking entirely too composed for the subject matter with his neat short hair and slim breastplate armor hugging his chest. “The gate. Evie’s grandmother and her protective spells were the only thing keeping underworlders from escaping. Now that it’s cracked open, Evie is our best chance at keeping our world from becoming hell on earth.”
Me?
Fuck.
“The underworlders are the most vicious and nasty creatures you can imagine,” the long-haired warrior, Reo, stated. “If they want to rule Earth, there’s little that can stop them.”
Double fuck.
Standing from the chair, I started to pace, and Brock began to pace right along with me, nearly nipping at my heels.
“Can I have some space?” I snapped, regretting my tone as soon as the hurt crossed his handsome face. He backed off and leaned against the side of the house, cutting me with a glare.
‘I’m sorry,’ I mentally projected to him.
‘That came to me,’ Cass said.
Dammit! I didn’t know how to work this freaking pack bond yet. I needed a remote control to change channels or something. There were too many voices inside my head.
‘I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed,’ I pushed again, hoping this time it went to Brock.
The alpha’s amber eyes met mine and he nodded. ‘It’s fine. I understand.’
Relief poured through me and I focused on the warriors again. “What do I do? How can I stop this from happening? I’ve been lied to my whole life, so I have no idea how to be some gate-guarding kitsune.”
Reo smiled. “That’s why your father sent us. We’re here to train you. Our associate, Tianna, a powerful fae-witch, will join us tomorrow. She’s an expert in mixed-breed magic.”
I raised an eyebrow. Did he just call me a half breed? Motherfuc—
Cass’ little ears perked and his black eyes glittered with sudden alertness. “Fae?”
Reo nodded, his shiny black ponytail bouncing. “Tianna’s half fae, half witch. She’ll be able to safely train Evie to use her witch powers.”
Whoa. A half fae, half witch. I’d never heard of such a thing!
Cass swallowed hard and adjusted his little gold booty shorts. “Well, I look forward to meeting her.”
Ewww. Still, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Cass was so predictable, especially when it came to the fae—his favorite delight.
Brock cleared his throat. “What exactly will this training entail? Her doctor will need to approve any exercise.”
A sigh escaped me and I had to suppress a groan. Of all the wolves out there, I had to fall for an alpha. I couldn’t just pick a nice, mid-level dominant guy that’d allow me to breathe once in a while?
Reo didn’t appear intimidated by the alpha. “She’ll need to train daily with her katana and her magic, and of course she’ll need to practice demon slaying.”
At “demon slaying,” Brock’s eyes bulged. “No way,” he declared, as if his word on the matter was final.
Sabine stepped forward and cleared her throat, casting wary eyes at our alpha. “As long as she doesn’t suffer any hard falls, and there’s no blunt force trauma to her abdomen, I think a modified demon slaying routine is acceptable.”
Reo didn’t look like he was fond of a “modified” training routine, but he simply nodded, probably figuring now wasn’t the time to test the alpha werewolf. Brock’s amber eyes flicked back and forth between my warrior protectors as if they were the enemy.
I was about to suggest we head down to Gran’s cabin to talk some more when my phone rang. Looking at the screen, my brow furrowed. It was my vampire lawyer.
“Hey, Croft.” I answered on the second ring.
“Hello, Evie. I wanted to extend you the courtesy of informing you that the seethe has voted to split, and I’m now the head of the North Eugene Chapter.”
A grin tugged at my mouth. “That’s great. Congrats!” Maybe our little bust-up the other night had actually turned out to be a good thing.
“But…” Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. “The Southern Chapter wants you, the demon imp, and Brock, dead for the stunt you pulled trying to capture the siren. Byron determined it was disrespectful of you to stop by without notice.”
Shit. Just what I needed. Fucking vampires and their need for respect! If I’d called their leader, Byron, he would have tipped Calista off! The vamps and siren were clearly working together. I’d bet my Jeep that was why they wanted us dead.
“Why Brock?” I growled into the phone, and in a flash the alpha was there, breathing down my neck.
Croft was silent for a few beats. “You smell of him. Byron assumes you’re an item, and as you know, vampires are old-school. Byron is very traditional. He thinks men should be able to control their women or pay the price.”
Like hell! I was about to retort when Brock pulled the phone from my hand.
“Do you think they’ll retaliate?” he asked as I smooshed my face against his, trying to remain part of the conversation.
“He lost a quarter of his seethe that night.”
Yikes, really? I hadn’t realized that many went down in our little backyard bust-up. Gran’s sunlight spell must have caused more damage than I intended.
“So that’s a yes?” I asked, needing to be sure.
“That’s a big yes. Watch your back, Evie,” Croft warned.
Fuck.
“Alright. Thanks for the heads up,” Brock said and ended the call, appearing too calm compared to Croft’s ominous warning.
Leaning forward, he planted a kiss on my cheek. “Play safely with your new friends. I need to attend to the vampire issue.” And with that, he stalked from the porch and into the house.
Play safely? What was I, five? I was totally learning to behead demons with my katana!
I expected Sabine to follow her alpha inside, but when she didn’t, I guessed Brock had used the pack link to tell her to keep an eye on me, and make sure I didn’t do anything dangerous. A quick flick of her eyes over to me seemed to confirm my suspicion.
Cass smiled, revealing a mouth full of pointy teeth, and gestured to Gran’s cabin below. “Come on, let’s take this inside. I make a mean pot of coffee,” he told our new hodgepodge crew.
A werewolf doctor, a purple-haired human, a pink demon imp, two Japanese warriors, and my freaky hybrid self, started down the hill as a group. It was like the start of a bad joke…