Chapter 15

When I opened my eyes I was standing in my dingy apartment. It looked even smaller the last time after wandering around the large nightwalker, I’d say palace, but it wasn’t. Dwelling? Whatever it was called the bathroom was larger than my whole apartment. Then again, when a group of giants lived there, it made sense.

I didn’t bother turning the lights as I navigated over to the wall that seemed to be my think spot in this tiny space. Sliding down, I looked outside at the street light.

My mind was mush. So many thoughts at the same time, I didn’t know how to begin to sort them out. For as long as I could remember I didn’t actually belong anywhere, not fitting into any one group for more than a few days. I’d always thought it was because I didn’t have any sort of normal upbringing, but now I had to admit that was just an excuse I used to not fit in. I liked my life, for the most part. I looked around again, debated on turning on the lights, but it looked better in the dark so I left it that way.

If I hadn’t witnessed and lived everything since that night I tracked Wanda, the first time, I wouldn’t have believed it. Screenwriters had taken over my life and were tossing things at me from every direction. I was just a bounty hunter from the wrong side of life that had to fight every day of her existence just to stay in the game. Now suddenly I have a group of people, from some other realm to boot, telling me they’ve been waiting for me and that’s where I belong. The part that was messing with my head the most was I liked being there. All the weirdness blended with who I was, I wasn’t normal in any way and now I find out there’s a whole race of beings that aren’t normal at all.

I didn’t even know about their way of life, on the outside they looked normal, when they weren’t glowing with the flashy eyes at least, and that was good for me. I could always get to know more about them as my comfort zone expanded.

The words from the book kept coming back to me, that was a whole lot of ‘I don’t know what to make of this stuff’, to put it simply. How in hell had I been selected to be the Huntress Queen that had the delightfully horrid task of choosing between two identical twins to mate with for all of eternity and then some? There had to be a typo or something everyone was missing. It was written a long, long time ago maybe a part was lost in the translation. Maybe I was just supposed to have a brief affair with one and then the other, and carry on my merry way. I groaned at the ridiculous thoughts randomly taking over my mind. Was I taking all of this too literally? The brothers all seemed serious about it, or the few that had actually said something.

Pieces were fitting together, little things here and there. The looks between Troy and Chase from the moment I’d first seen both of them in the same room. The way each of them watched when I was close to the other. Troy’s cryptic conversation about prophecies and the separate parts appearing to come together— Did they really think I was the one that was going to control whether the eight, no make that nine men died alone in some distant century or if they lived their own happily-ever-after?

This internal discussion was getting me nowhere.

I scrolled through the numbers in my snazzy new phone. My popularity was skyrocketing with a shattering ten contacts entered. Aside from eight brothers, Frank was in there and Crissy, a woman I was determined to get off the streets.

I dialed the one number on the list, the only one I was sure would tell me it straight.

He answered on the third ring.

“Victor, its Daxx.”

There was a long pause. “Daxx, I can honestly say you’ve surprised me.”

I grinned. “No doubt. Have you got a minute?”

I heard a female voice in the background.

“I haven’t interrupted anything, have I?”

He cleared his throat. “No, I was…” More murmurs. “What can I do for you, Huntress?”

With that the other voice grew quiet. I had to give it to him; he could make a point without being rude. “I have questions.”

“I am surprised you called me.”

Dropping back against the wall, I stared at the stained ceiling. “Well, I figured with you being Mister Justice and all you’d tell me the truth.”

“Of course.” His tone was less ridged.

A mental pat on the back for me, I’d managed to compliment him without even trying. “It was either you or Leone—you’re the only two that aren’t treating me with kid gloves.”

He sighed, “there’s good reason for Leone’s reaction.

“He doesn’t like women?”

“What?” He chuckled softly. “No, I can assure you that is not the reason.” There was another pause. “Leone’s afraid you’ll be his downfall.”

“Downfall to what?”

“About thirty years ago, Leone had an addiction.” When he paused again I wasn’t sure if he planned to continue and then I heard movement in the background and a door close.

“Leone was addicted to pure human essence. I believe he’s afraid you will tempt him and send him back to that place he worked hard to climb out of.”

I was shocked. Not because he was telling me, but that the brothers had weaknesses like the flawed humans I knew. “I’ll be sure to keep my essence far away from him.”

Victor chuckled again, adding another surprise to my tally. “I’m afraid that’s impossible my dear, you absolutely reek of it—in a very appealing manner of course.”

“Of course.” I repeated, not sure if I’d been insulted or complimented. “I’ll still try to stay clear of him.” Apparently, that was the end of the discussion when he didn’t say anything further. “And why do you keep your distance and pretend I’m not there, Victor?”

“I’m not willing to change my life after five hundred years because of some words scribed in a book.”

I grinned. “Not ready to give up bachelorhood?”

“Mmm, something like that. Now, Daxx, please tell me why you called.”

Enough small talk. “Am I seriously expected to choose between Troy and Chase? Does everyone on your side expect this?”

There was a pause long enough to make me squirm. “Yes.”

“What if I don’t want either of them? Don’t get me wrong, they’re both hot and seem okay, but I don’t know them and I really don’t think I’m ready to settle down for an eternity with either of them.”

“Then don’t.”

“Seriously? And what about the part where none of your brothers will ever have a mate if neither ruler does? Do you believe it?”

He cleared his throat, something I realized he did when he would rather not answer. “It’s true.”

“It’s not just a psychological thing because they think it’s true?” I could hope, right?

“No. Clearly I’ve never experienced it, but there is a bonding when mates find each other and not one of us have.”

“Maybe you haven’t found the right one.”

“Daxx, you are aware of how old my brothers and I are, don’t you think there have been a fair number of females in those years?”

It took a second to get what he was hinting at and then I almost broke out in a sweat trying to do the math. Even if Victor, for example had sex once a week multiplying that by what, we’ll say four hundred and seventy-five years roughly—that would take the count into the thousands, more double digit thousands! “I get your point.” I said quietly. “What if I’m not the one for either of them?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” He added dryly.

My eyebrows shot up. “Are you saying I should sleep with both of them to find out?”

There was a pause and then an exasperated sigh. “I said nothing about sex. I wouldn’t suggest something like that. Nor would they agree to it. They may be fair rulers and twins, but they are still male and no man likes to share.”

Frowning, I stood up. “Then what were you suggesting?”

“Get to know them. Perhaps spend some time with Chase on his side and then with Troy.”

“Oh.” It didn’t seem as bad as the idea of sleeping with both of them. Not that having sex with either would be a hardship, but I wasn’t ready to go there. “I suppose I could do that.”

“Don’t let their looks confuse you, Huntress Queen, they are not identical.”

I nodded to my empty apartment. “I already know that much.”

“Is there anything else I could assist you with?”

I had about a hundred more questions. “No. That’s it.”

Victor cleared his throat. “My brothers are all brooding now that you’ve left.”

“But not you—”

“I’m talking to you they aren’t”

“I do have a job here too.”

“We are all well aware of that.”

Wandering over, I looked out the window and stared at my reflection in the dark.

I didn’t look like anything special, and certainly not a Queen, whatever that should look like I wasn’t sure.

“Daxx?”

Victor’s voice brought me back to the conversation. “I would like to thank you, while I have the opportunity.”

“For what?”

“Quinton.” His voice had softened. “For what you did for him, I will be eternally grateful and in your debt.”

A lump formed in my throat. “I really didn’t do much.”

“You did what no other could have, and while his spirit isn’t as it used to be, the man I once knew is closer than he has been all these years.”

If he continued I would end up in tears and that I really didn’t do with ease. “You don’t have to thank me, I like Quinton and I was happy to help.” By giving a little essence and ending up stoned, I thought to myself.

“He is quite distressed you left.”

Sighing, I took the hint. “I’ll call him before I turn in.”

“Thank you.” His voice was still soft.

I preferred the icy Victor to this warm version. “I’ll let you go, Victor. Thanks for the assist.”

“Anything you need my Queen.”

Cringing at his tone and words I hung up the phone and looked outside.

Would anything in my life ever be simple?

Before I could change my mind, I hit the number for Quinton. He answered on the first ring.

“Daxx, are you alright?”

Victor hadn’t been exaggerating.

“I’m fine.”

I could hear voices in the back ground.

“Were you busy?”

“No, just a brainstorming session, trying to decide where to start looking for Marcus.”

Which meant more than one of his siblings were present— “I’ll let you go then.”

“No. Wait.” I heard the voices fading and then a door closing. “I’d rather talk to you.”

“Too many chiefs in the session?”

He laughed, “You know them too well.”

“Not really, I just know what too many men in one room means.”

He was silent. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged like he could see me. “I’ll be fine, I just feel like I was dropkicked today.”

“I wanted to tell you, but…”

“You didn’t think I’d stay.”

He snorted, “I was right, you left right after you found out.”

“I have a job over here, Quint.”

“We need you here more.”

Really, he played that card? “I’m sure you boys will track down Marcus just fine without me.”

Going into the kitchen, I looked in the fridge. The shelves were empty except for a plate with something green and fuzzy on it, I kind of missed Mitz at this moment.

“It’s worse than we thought, Daxx. Michael figures he made around a hundred of those devices before Wanda found out.”

Closing the fridge, I leaned my forehead against the cool surface. “How many did you recover?”

“Thirty.”

That left seventy day or night walkers in possession of the device and free to enter my side anytime they wished to do anything they could get away with. Whether I wanted to be mated for eternity or not wasn’t the issue now. Keeping a balance was. “It shouldn’t take me long to find this guy tomorrow. I’ll be back when I’m finished.”

“I could come and help.”

Opening a cupboard, I discovered it was empty too. “No, I doubt he’ll be a challenge, I got it.”

“Oh. Okay. Hang on.”

He must have covered the mouth piece because all I could hear were muffled voices.

“Daxx, Chase would like to speak to you.”

I bit my lip and held my breath for a few seconds. “I’ll see him tomorrow.”

He covered the mouth piece again.

“I’m supposed to tell you if you come back with so much as a scratch he’s breaking someone’s neck.” Quinton snorted. “He’ll have to get in line for that.”

“I got this, okay? Just tell everyone I’ll be back tomorrow sometime.”

“Be careful, little Queen.”

I smiled. “Will do.”

Hanging up, I tucked the phone into my pocket. I looked around at the closed cupboards and then turned and went toward the bedroom. My stomach would just have to get over it; I was too tired to go get food right now.