Stanislav, meet Synthia McKenna, Goddess of the Fae, Queen of the Horde, and my niece,” Alden chuckled as he watched the color drained from Stanislav’s face.
“Fuck me,” he muttered, scrubbing his hand over his mouth, taking me in once more.
“Well, Stanislav, at least we know you got some balls on you. What breed are you?”
“Hybrid wolf, born from a long line of hybrids in Russia,” he announced, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I don’t know how to address you correctly. Should I bow?”
“Hell, no,” I laughed outright. “I’m here as one of your potential bosses. Basically, if you prove worthy, you work for me, Alden, Adam, and Adrian. I will be behind the scenes, and Alden will work beside you.” I spit out all the ‘A’ names and considered changing a few to something cool, like a codename.
“And if we get into trouble, we’re just fucked and left on our own?” a feminine voice asked. I observed the young woman as she strolled out in front of me, twirling cherry colored hair around her dainty finger. She popped a bubble between her matching red lips as I took in her appearance, noting the multitude of weapons she concealed. Slowly, I peered up into her glowing blue eyes that watched me with the gaze of a predator.
“Then you get your fucking ass out of it,” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not your crutch. We’re hiring warriors, not damsels in need of saving. Be the dragon that eats the prick and leaves nothing but bones when she’s finished. If you can’t do that, then get the fuck out because this world will eat you up, strawberry lips and all, sweetheart.” I was brutally honest, but we didn’t have time to hold anyone’s hands. The world needed people out hunting for demons now. Not tomorrow. Not next week.
The young woman chuckled before tilting her pretty head to the left. “So, you’re nothing but a threat that we whisper to our enemies? We get in trouble, and they take our fucking heads before we can spit out your name.”
“I cannot intervene, but I have friends in every dark corner and every shadow that can rain down hell on whoever thinks to fuck with my people. Make no mistake; you will be my people if you make the cut. I will protect you to the best of my ability. The thing is, if you’re good enough, I shouldn’t fucking have to save your asses. I never needed to be saved when I worked here as a witch. Strive to do the same…?” I raised my brow in question, allowing the young woman the opportunity to share her name.
“Ivory Henderson. I’m a born witch and bitten shifter,” she shrugged nonchalantly, mimicking me. “I’m in it to kill creatures that piss me off. Don’t piss me off, and you won’t be on my list, sugar.”
Smiling wickedly, I disappeared and reappeared behind her, watching her search the room before I whispered into her ear. “Do better, so you live longer, little girl.” Picking her up, I sifted us to the level that housed my new office, high above the stairs and only obtainable through sifting. I spoke against her ear as I held her securely against me. “Too easy. Even with weapons, you’re an easy fucking kill. Get smarter, Ivory. Learn to listen to the wind; it speaks to you.” I sifted again, placing her right back where we’d started.
“How the fuck?” Ivory demanded.
Pushing her forward and away from me, I narrowed my eyes. “Shut your mouth, stop chewing gum, and listen to the room. Sifting, materializing, and displacing air all make a sound. Learn it, and you’ll live longer. Drop the attitude; you’re not untouchable. Being sassy works, being cocky? That shit will get you murdered just for the simple fact that they’ll need to teach you a lesson. Let our enemies be cocky, and then when they’re flapping their lips, cut their fucking heads off and show them why they don’t fuck with women.”
“I think I’m wet,” Ivory swallowed audibly.
“My dick just got hard,” Stanislav said, chuckling.