The Empath : The Alterealm Series Book 3
Chapter Twenty-One

After a brief restless sleep, I transported to the landing room. Once I was certain I wasn’t going to throw up, I opened my eyes to see Sith grinning at me.

“I wasn’t sure if you remembered how to get to the dining room.”

I returned his smile. “I had wondered what would happen if I took a wrong turn.” I motioned to the door. “Lead the way.” He started walking. “Are the others there?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. Most went to have a nap.”

I watched, hoping to remember the way there for the next time. “I guess I’ve scrambled their sleeping habits.”

He shrugged his large shoulders. “It’s been like this since the illegal devices were discovered.” He stopped so suddenly, I almost walked into him. He looked down at me with concerned eyes. “I wished I could go with you today.”

“I as well. I am not relishing this in the slightest.”

“The royals have a plan, and a few back up options, so you’ll have assistance if you need it.” He started walking again.

“That’s comforting.” I had a few ideas of my own, of course I needed Daxx, or someone more tech savvy before I knew if it was going to work. We walked into the room, the only one at the table was Chase.

“Good morning, duchess.” He glanced at my head.

I touched where I’d hurt it. “It’s fine.” I went down to the other end of the table and picked up a cup filing it with coffee.

Rafael came in looking like he was half asleep. He paused and gave me a sleepy smile, then looked at my feet. “No heels today, sister?”

I looked down at my boots. “No, I’m going for functional today.”

Chase chuckled. “You wear functional very well.”

Setting the cup down, I place a foot on the edge of a chair and unzipped my boot. Pulling it open I revealed the handle of a dagger, tucked into a sheath made into the boot. I glanced to each male and smiled. “Functional.” I zipped the boot back up and picked up my cup.

“It’s amazing the human race has any males left to reproduce.” Chase mused with a smirk.

“I was thinking the same, brother.” Rafael nodded.

“That never ends well.” Quinton said coming in the door. “You thinking, Raf.” He winked at me. “Alona.”

“Hello, Quinton.” I sat down.

Mitz came out of the kitchen, smiling, as I’d come to know was her way. Even she looked tired. “I’m running a few minutes behind, but food is on the way.”

Chase sat down across from me. “Everything okay, Mitz?”

She nodded. “Just fine, love, it’s taking forever to replace a plan we all agree with.”

“Plans?” Daxx came in and yawned as she dropped into the first chair.

Mitz smiled at her. “For the ball, dear, to celebrate our kings’ reign… it’s the one hundred and sixtieth anniversary in a month.”

“Wait.” Daxx held up her hand. “Ball? Like gowns and all that?”

Chase had a huge grin on his face. Quinton coughed.

“Yes, love. It’s still in the planning stage, of course, but with gowns.” She smiled. “I’ll be back in a moment.” She walked into the kitchen.

Daxx glared at Chase. “I am not doing it again.”

Troy and Michael walked in. “Doing what?” He asked his mate.

Rafael grinned. “Mitz just told Daxx about the anniversary ball.”

“Oh.” Troy looked at her, gauging her mood.

She shook her head. “I am not having a fitting and being squished into one of those contraptions again.”

Troy poured his coffee, while nodding at her.

Michael smiled and sat down. “I’m sure if you explain it to Mitz, she’ll understand.”

“What?” Daxx frowned. “That’s so not fair you guys.” She looked down the table and pointed at me. “If I have to wear one of those bustier things again, you’re coming too.”

I looked around at the men and nodded slowly. “I have no problems with formal wear.”

“Uh! Figures you’re a girly girl.” She sat back and crossed her arms.

“I’m sorry?” I offered her.

Leone came in looking like he hadn’t slept at all. He glanced around. “What’s wrong?”

Troy shook his head. “Just discussing the anniversary ball.”

“Ugh. Is that close again? I hate those things.”

“Yes!” Daxx patted the chair beside her. “You sit beside me.”

Mitz came back in with a platter in each hand. “We were thinking crimson for the women this year, as we have women to put it on… and black for the men.” She said not looking at anyone in particular.

“I’m sure whatever you decide is fine, Mitz.”

She paused and gave Troy a loving, motherly look. “You know I enjoy these immensely.”

He nodded.

She grinned excitedly than turned to walk out again.

“Crap.” Daxx dropped her head on the table then raised her head, glaring at me. “What is crimson?”

I smirked. “It’s a deep red hue.”

“Guess that’s better than peach. I’m not wearing peach.” She mumbled and sat back again.

Crissy came in with Victor. “No, you’re not. Your shirt is blue.” She rolled her eyes and sat down.

“We were…” Troy began until Daxx reached over and covered his mouth.

“Not another word about it. Plans for today, that’s all I want to hear.” She glared at the men around the table. “As Queen, I demand this.”

Victor actually looked at her with his mouth open. Snapping it closed, he gave a cautious look at his brothers. All of them were working hard not to smile.

Arius came in looking fresh and rested. “I just talked to Mitz, did you…”

“Sit.” Daxx pointed to a chair. “Now.”

Arius paused in mid-step and looked at Chase, without turning his head.

Chase gave his head a quick shake.

“Can I have coffee?” Arius asked pleadingly.

Daxx huffed out a breath. “Yes. You all suck!”

Chase lifted a finger, “I actually do not. But the rest of these fangers, are guilty.”

Even I had to smile to that.

“Sleep deprivation is a bitch, huh?” Chase said glancing around at his siblings. “Welcome to my hell, boys and girls.” He picked up his cup, raised it to me, and then took a sip.

“Let’s just not discuss anything we’ll need to remember for a few moments.” Rafael around a yawn. “Let my brain and body synch up a bit.”

Arius looked to me. “If we can come away today knowing what they’re up to, it will be a successful mission.”

“As long as not one hair on Alona’s head is touched, it will be a success.” Chase told him with a warning look.

Crissy leaned forward and looked around. “They must really want Alona, to have followed her this long.”

“As far as recruiting goes, this Lou guy is an idiot.” Leone said, rubbing a hand over his face in a distracted way. “Were you approached by anyone before him?”

I sipped my coffee and thought for a moment. “I was thinking about that when I couldn’t sleep. I may have been but didn’t realize it at the time.”

“How so?” Chase

I waved a hand around. “It was creepy and random, but in hindsight it makes too much sense.” Everyone turned to look at me, so I continued. “A sleaze propositioned me a few weeks ago. He said I was just what he was looking for, I thought he was talking about filming porn.” I chuckled.

Every male in the room turned to look at me instantly. Except Crissy’s uptight man. Which was good, or I’d have to stab him in the eye.

I rolled my eyes. “Down boys, I’m not a porn star, or anything close to that.”

“Oh well, there goes my dream.” Chase said quietly.

Daxx glared at Troy.

He lifted his hands. “You know once a male is mated he only wants his mate. I was more concerned about what they’re really recruiting her for.”

Daxx sighed and mumbled something that sounded like sorry.

“Wait… mated males can’t cheat? If you could bottle that ladies, you would take the top slots on the list of the wealthiest women.” I laughed.

“It’s true.” Leone nodded. “Except Dad, he could.”

“Emil cleared that mystery up.” Arius said glancing around.

Mitz came in with more platters and all the talk ceased while they heaped food on their plates. I sat there examining the two couples. Being mated meant they would never have to worry about fidelity. That was something I hadn’t known. It also explained why my mother and father hadn’t moved forward well without each other.

I found Chase glancing in my direction every few seconds. It was unsettling, it made me constantly aware of his presence, a feeling I was sure was impossible for me to overlook, even if I wanted to.

“Okay, did we get people to all the islands last night?” Chase asked finally.

“Most.” Arius answered. “Only one didn’t allow us to get too far on, but we managed to land in several spots around it.”

“Let’s hope it’s not that island then.” Troy shrugged, “although, it most likely will be, now I said that.”

“I may have another idea that I’m not certain will work, but we have time to test it.” I said glancing to Daxx. “I did some app research last night and downloaded this,” I took out my phone and opened it to the application I was still figuring it out. Sliding it toward her, I shrugged. “I’ll replace a way to use it.”

The men near her, stood and looked over her shoulder as she checked it out. “I’ll get it on my phone.” She nodded and then smiled at me. “If it there’s signal we can hear what’s happening in real time.”

I wasn’t sure what in real time meant, but nodded. “It would make me feel more at ease, and then I wouldn’t have to remember everything.” I blew out a breath. “I would just like this to end. Soon.”

“Amen to that, sister.” Rafael nodded at me. “We’ll run around the halls after we eat to check out the settings on that app.”

“I had thought of another possibility.” Victor paused and glanced around the table. “If Alona were somehow able to introduce Lou to another prospect, we may be able to get someone on the inside.”

“Who do you have in mind?” Troy asked.

“Michael and I have been contemplating this for a few weeks now. We’ve gone through all the new guard applicants. There is one that is relatively unknown around these chambers, she is from the other side of the wasteland…”

“A woman?” Leone frowned. “Is that…”

Victor held up his hand. “She has been screened thoroughly and passed each test through the process.” He shrugged. “She is quite ruthless and doesn’t appear… guard like.”

“So, she’s not the size of a mountain?” Daxx asked.

“Precisely. She is very just in her beliefs as well.” He sat back and waited for comment.

I gave him a curious look. “I’m to what, just suggest this other woman?”

He shook his head. “Nothing as blatant as that. Perhaps mention you’ve seen another woman with red eyes at the club.” He nodded to Michael. “My brother has been discussing with her a possible situation arising, and she is anxious to work for the cause of the realm. I have no trust issues, her male relatives have served the guard for many generations now.”

I sat back. “I suppose that could work. I’ll need her description, of course, to drop enough hints for Lou to be interested.”

Victor gave an abrupt nod. “I’ll arrange a brief meeting with her after we go over the rest of the plans.”

“If we can get someone inside, it would stop us from chasing our tails.” Quinton mused. “I’m tired of porting to discover we just missed them.”

“As we all are, brother.” Michael agreed.

“Has anyone heard from Emil?” Arius glanced around. “See if he found out where his son is?”

Chase sighed. “He still isn’t sure. I talked to him last night, briefly.” He motioned around the room. “He’s still digesting all of this I believe.”

I gave him a wide-eyed look. “Considering his age, I can vouch for the enormity of that task.”

Chase nodded. “Three hundred years of not knowing adds weight to a man’s soul.”

“It must have been scary,” Crissy said, “not understanding that long.” She nodded. “I thought I was crazy not knowing what was wrong with me, and I’m not three hundred.”

“Nothing was, or is, wrong with you, heart.” Victor said softly.

She smiled at him. “We know that now.”

“You wouldn’t be you any other way, cutie.” Chase winked at her.

“Thanks.” She smiled and went back to eating.

After discussions of plans, backup plans, and plans within plans, and testing the application I’d downloaded, everyone finally went their separate ways.

Chase was the last one in the room with me, no coincidence there. He walked toward me slowly. “Sith will be back at your place before you leave.” He stopped a few feet away and stood there with his hands in the back pocket of his jeans. “I spoke to the elders, and with more blood, they say I could trace to your location, if done right.”

“You’ve never done it before?”

He shook his head. “Seems to be the year of firsts for me.”

I thought about what he was suggesting. “While there’s comfort in knowing you could do that if needed… I think the question is, should you? Just appearing in the middle of an unknown number of beings that aren’t fond of you and your family …”

Chase gave me a blank look. “Oh sure, use logic against me.”

I tried not to smile. “I think you’re biased in this situation, so I have to be the voice of reason.”

He gave me a wide grin. “I agree, doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Glancing around, he shrugged. “So, are you feeding here or at your place?”

“But I just…”

He held up hand. “You need to be at the top of your game in a few hours,” he waved his hand to the table, “and we both know food isn’t going to accomplish that.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Now who is being logical?”

He smirked. “What goes round…”

“Fine.” I almost laughed at the stunned look on his face that I’d agreed so quickly. Moving over, I touched his shoulder. “My place.”

With a grin, he wrapped his arm around me and as fast as that we were standing by my door.

My stomach lurched and I regretted it. Keeping my eyes closed I stood there and breathed out a few careful breaths.

“Your body is getting used to it.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him. “I won’t miss this feeling if it never returns.” When his arms loosened, I stepped away and went into the sitting room. “My nerves are on edge today.” I stopped and looked down at the street.

“It’s not too late to change your mind.”

I didn’t turn to look at him, but knew he was right behind me. “I need to do this. You need answers, and I do as well. I’d like to know why they want me, and I can’t get rid of them if I know nothing.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t pack up and vanish when all this started.”

Glancing at him, I shrugged. “I am as well. It’s so unlike me to stick around when people are looking at me,” I smiled, “or even if I’m paranoid they might be.”

“Mmm, sounds like fate has its hold on you as well.”

I looked to see his hazel eyes assessing me. “Does it have you?”

He sighed. “Fate has been grabbing at me since the day Daxx got her tattoo, only I didn’t know it until recently.”

“You don’t sound happy about it.” For whatever reason, I needed to know if he felt as trapped by this as I did. Some unknown force, we were labeling fate, had decided we were to be together. Period.

Slowly he looked me over, from my boots to the top of my head. “All I’ve wanted for close to two centuries, give or take a decade, was someone in my life that felt like… home. That feeling you have where it just feels right.” He tilted his head and watched me. “While I have brothers to spare, I’ve never had that connection and I’ve always felt… lacking.”

His answer surprised me. I couldn’t think of a thing to say. I hadn’t lived even half as long as he had, but had realized several decades ago, that emptiness was the worst feeling to have. It never went away, just lurked in the background all the time. The few times I thought it was gone, there it popped up again. I studied the man less than a pace from me. My assessment of him had been so far from the truth, I was speechless. Just once, I thought and stepped closer before I could change my mind.

Grasping his hair, I tilted his head and bit into his neck without warning.

Chase groaned and clutched the back of my head while wrapping his other arm tight around my waist.

Desire swamped me and I knew he did it on purpose, so I could feel how I affected him. Licking over the mark quickly, I pulled his head down to mine. As soon as our lips touched, he took over and kissed me with such passion, it robbed me of my breath.

He walked me backward, without breaking the kiss. As soon as the back of my legs touched the sofa, he lifted his head and turned, pulling me down to straddle his lap.

With his hands running up and down my legs, his yellow eyes held mine. I remembered what the girls had said. “Don’t touch my hands.” I held my breath waiting for his response.

He stared at my mouth for a moment. “I’ll resist this never-ending urge to mark you.”

That was close enough to a yes for me. Grasping his head with both hands, I leaned down and kissed him again. He ran his tongue over my still present fangs and groaned low in his throat. Squeezing my thighs, he pulled me tight into his body. I gasped and lifted my mouth from his.

Shoving my jacket down my shoulders, he pushed it down my arms as I shrugged out of it. He pushed my shirt up, then growled when the straps I wore to hold my dagger prevented him from moving it further. He fumbled with the straps, and I heard my dagger hit the floor with a clunk.

Grabbing my hips, he raised up and turned me so I was laying on the couch with my legs wrapped around him. Feeling his weight on me only heightened my desire to the point I thought I may catch fire.

He licked my mouth and stared into my eyes. “You are so beautiful—”

Someone coughed from across the room. Chase stiffened and blew out a quick breath.

I glanced around his shoulder to see Sith standing with his back to us, looking at my door.

“Leave.” Chase growled.

“Stay.” I said with a breathless voice. “I have to go soon,” I whispered to the man with the yellow eyes looking down at me.

“Sith, go to another room for a moment.” Chase said firmly without breaking eye contact with me.

“Yep.” Sith answered.

Chase grasped my chin lightly. “I’m a patient man,” he said with a rough voice. “Despite wanting you endlessly each day.” He exhaled. “I won’t mark you, but we are finishing this later.” He kissed me roughly and released the emotions he’d been holding back.

My body went from a simmering that had started to cool upon Sith’s arrival to such intense desire I thought there may actually be flames.

When he lifted his head, he gave me a serious look. “Nothing had better happen to you or no one will survive.” Getting up, he pulled me to my feet and then straightened his clothes.

I rearranged my shirt and bent down to get my dagger and jacket.

“Sith.” Chase said loudly.

As I put the straps back on for my dagger, Sith appeared at the end of the hallway.

“Sorry.” He looked from me to Chase. “I came here when I had been told to.”

Chase ran his hands through his hair and then looked back to me. “Transporter in your pocket, phone battery charged and tracker to turn on when you reach the island.”

I nodded, all traces of desire being erased with nervous energy.

“This is your last outing with Lou, duchess, so make it count.” He turned back to Sith. “Go do your puzzle or something.” He said with an annoyed tone and then vanished.