“I might be able to help there.” Hartt ran his thumb across his lower lip and studied the fire as he thought about what he was going to suggest. He wasn’t one for wanting an exchange when he took on a contract, and he was sure the male wasn’t going to be happy when he amended the terms of their deal, but he needed to know who or what Aryanna was, because he had the feeling trouble was brewing on the horizon and Archangel were up to something not so noble after all. “I took on a job recently. An incubus hired us to find his mate. He believes she’s been brainwashed by Archangel. She’s working for them now. I saw him in the cells there when I had to get someone out of that place… before he came to me for help.”
Rosalind’s eyes slowly widened as she listened, but Vail was the one who spoke, his deep voice laced with disbelief.
“Fenix?”
“You know him?” Hartt frowned at both of them, his gaze darting between them.
They both nodded.
“We were held together in the Fifth Realm of the demons. When we managed to escape, Fenix left us to go and find his mate, said she was cursed. I guess he found her.” Rosalind stepped towards the fire, the soft lines of her face hardening as she stared across it at Hartt. “I want in on this. We owe Fenix and I want answers about what Archangel are up to, and if a Crow is after this power… I will stop him and put him down.”
Hartt didn’t like the blue fire that lit her eyes. The darkness didn’t suit her. Vail stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, and that darkness evaporated as she blinked, as if her mate’s touch had roused her from a dream. Or a nightmare.
She tilted her head up to her left, looked at her mate and then turned in his arms, nestling against his chest, her palms pressing to it. “I’m just tired.”
Vail pressed a kiss to her blonde hair.
Looked at Hartt.
Hartt nodded. “I’ll get in touch with Fenix. Just give me a few days to sleep off my death.”
Vail closed his eyes and disappeared with Rosalind, leaving Hartt alone with Syn and Fuery.
And Mackenzie.
Awareness of her drummed inside him, lit his blood on fire as something deep within him called him a liar. He had no intention of sleeping off his death. He had every intention of finding that quiet place he had wanted to go when he had mated with Mackenzie and spending the next few days worshipping her, indulging her every whim, showing her how much he loved her.
And then they could get back to work.
“Come on, elf. I know that look.” Syn held her hand out to Fuery. “I’ll give you a lift back to your own mate.”
Fuery bared fangs at her and then gave Hartt a look that asked whether he was going to be all right if he left him alone.
Hartt pulled him to his feet and embraced him as he whispered in the elf tongue. “Just give me a few days. Get researching and uncovering what you can about Archangel’s current movements and locate Fenix.”
Fuery reluctantly released him, stepped back and tossed a look at the demoness. Rather than taking her hand, black jagged smoke formed around him and he disappeared.
“Whatever,” Syn muttered and glanced at Mackenzie. Her smile was wicked. “You be good now.”
She dropped into a black abyss that rapidly healed, leaving perfect worn rock behind.
Mackenzie rolled her eyes. Set them on him. The gold in them shone brighter, flickered like fire that threatened to scorch him.
His mate needed him.
And gods, he needed his mate.
He stepped up to her, took hold of her hand and pulled her into his arms. She pressed her palms to his chest, her heart drumming to the same fast rhythm as his as she angled her head up, beckoning him.
He could never deny her.
He dropped his head and kissed her, a soft, slow one filled with the love that poured through him, laced with the need growing inside him. When he pulled away, she was breathless, her golden eyes a little dazed as she stroked her fingers over his chest.
“A few days, huh?” she murmured, her sweet voice teasing his ears, stirring his need of her to new heights as he imagined sharing them with her. “I get the feeling you were buying time and you could have contacted this incubus straight away if you had wanted.”
“You got me there.” He brushed his palm across her cheek, tilted her head up and kissed her again, breathed against her lips, “We can forget the few days and jump straight to working together if you prefer?”
“Working together?” She pulled back and her eyes searched his, and whatever she saw in them, she clearly liked it, because it made her smile, brightened her eyes and stirred warmth inside her that trickled into him through their bond. “I like the sound of that.”
“I thought you might.” He eased his hands down, skimming the curve of her waist, trying to keep his mind on track, but gods, it was hard. “So, back to work, or to… say… somewhere remote, sunny and warm, where we’re the only two people in existence?”
The warmth in her gaze became wicked heat that scorched him.
She tiptoed, brought her lips to his and her warm breath bathed them as she whispered, “I like the sound of that even more.”
Her mouth captured his and he wrapped her in his arms as she teleported them, grinned against her lips as hot, bright sunlight kissed his skin and the sound of waves rolling against a shore met his ears.
And he sensed no one else on the island.
Hartt twisted with her, sank to the sand and covered her.
He kissed her and pulled back, lost himself in her warm eyes as they shone at him, revealing the love he could feel in her—love that burned inside him too. The kind of love he had never thought would be his, still couldn’t believe he had found in not only a beautiful, powerful female but his fated mate.
He dropped his head again and captured her lips.
Intent on not just worshipping her for the next few days.
The phoenix who had resurrected his heart and breathed new life into him.
The woman who had stolen that heart from him.
It was hers now, and he would worship her.
For the rest of his life.
The End
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The Eternal Mates Series will return in Fall 2021 with Fenix’s book!
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About the Author
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author who writes passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!