Beneath the Earth (Seven Wardens Book 3) Read online

  “That doesn’t explain anything,” Jared growled.

  “It does,” Rónán responded. “How long did she spend out of the water before St. Kilda?”

  The men exchanged uneasy looks.

  “We’re not sure,” Cam offered. “We lost track of time while she was trapped in the Voice’s keep.”

  “It was two months, three weeks and four days.” Amber’s voice came from the doorway and Macey looked up to find the redhead leaning against there wood, with Izban just a couple of steps behind.

  “You were counting?” Macey asked.

  “Yes. I’m a beithir, we’re connected to the weather. We have an odd way of being able to tell how much time has passed. I was in there for a month and two days before you arrived. It’s not difficult to work out how long you’d been in there.” Amber shrugged.

  “You’re amazing,” Izban whispered, only to be ignored by the rest of them.

  “But I did shift after that,” Macey protested, though it sounded weak even to her own ears. “I was in the cseag’s pool and then again on St. Kilda…”

  “Yes, but not for any substantial amount of time,” Rónán countered. “You need to regularly spend time in the water, if you don’t, then this will happen. And the longer you go without, the longer you need to be underneath to recharge.”

  “And not doing that will turn me into a homicidal maniac?”

  “Technically, I’m not human, so it’d be a selikicidal maniac.”

  “Helpful,” she muttered.

  “That is the other thing…” he trailed off, seeming reluctant to continue.

  “Yes?”

  “There are two ways to recharge yourself. The first is being underwater for a prolonged period of time. The other is to, erm…how to put this…devour men.”

  “Devour as in eat, or devour as in…”

  “With an incubus as one of your companions, I doubt you have any problems in the latter department,” Rónán pointed out.

  “Oh.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Flint reassured her.

  “Not at all,” Jared added.

  Anger bubbled up within Macey and she shrugged off Flint’s arm, jumping to her feet. “It’s hardly fine. By the waves, what’s wrong with you?!” she shouted.

  Jared opened his mouth to speak but Macey held her hand up, stopping him in his tracks.

  “Don’t you dare tell me it’s okay. This is far from okay. What if next time it’s Flint I pull under water? What then?” A sob strangled her as she finished speaking, the emotions of the moment overwhelming her.

  “Then we’ll just make sure Flint stays away from the water,” Cam suggested, his voice a lot calmer than the others.

  “And how long is that solution actually going to work for? He can’t avoid water around me forever?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, but none of them moved to comfort her. They probably figured it would be wasted at the moment. With her emotions all over the place, there was a good chance she’d end up refilling the water and pushing them in.

  Angry tears rolled down her cheeks, her whole body vibrating with power.

  A wave of something undefined rose within her and she was dimly aware of people shouting. Macey was fairly sure all but one person had left the room, but she couldn’t be certain, there was something too confusing about the situation.

  “Macey, I need you to listen to me,” the man still in the room said. She still couldn’t tell which one of them it was but she was grateful for his presence.

  Or fearful of it. If he was here, then he was in danger from whatever was growing inside her.

  It wasn’t unlike a shift. Except that it also wasn’t. She didn’t need to change forms, this was bigger than that.

  “Macey, I need you to let go.”

  She shook her head, not sure how to even start following his instructions. She almost doubted they’d work at all.

  “I know it’s hard, but you need to. If you don’t…” he trailed off, his own voice shaking a little. “If you don’t, then you’ll likely end up imploding inwards and none of us really want to deal with that.”

  “I can’t,” she sobbed. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” She kept repeating the word as the thing inside her built up more, threatening to burst free. She couldn’t let it though. Not with someone else’s life at risk.

  “You can,” the voice said in a sing song way. “Just listen to me.”

  A strange humming filled the air. She found the lyric sounds rather soothing and relaxed a little more, thought the threat of an explosion still lingered.

  The sensation increased more and she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold it back much longer, there was too much inside her. Too much she couldn’t contain.

  Opening her mouth, Macey began to scream. The sound wrenched through the air along with the pitter patter of rain and a whooshing sensation she’d only ever associated with the wind.

  More power filled her than she’d ever experienced in her life before. If she wasn’t so scared of it, she’d laugh at the thrill of it.

  After what seemed like an age, and yet no time later, the feeling suddenly stopped and Macey collapsed to the floor in a heap, no longer able to keep her eyes open.

  Macey

  Four

  Little selkie, little seal,

  In the morning you will feel

  Brush of waves in sea so deep

  I will hold you while you sleep.

  Macey woke to the same voice that had sung to her just before she'd fallen unconscious. This time, however, she recognised who it was. Rónán.

  The selkie's baritone was rich and warm, embracing her, making her feel like he was hugging her.

  Which was also true. She was lying on his lap, his arms around her chest, holding her while singing his lullaby. It felt rather good to be in his arms. She resisted smiling, not wanting him to know that she was awake.

  "Little selkie, little seal,

  Careful now, or they will steal

  Keep your one true skin all wrapped

  or you'll be forever trapped."

  The tune turned sadder, and Macey couldn't help but ask, "Is that what happened to you?"

  "You're awake," Rónán said, stating the obvious. "How are you feeling?"

  Macey took a quick inventory of her body. There wasn't any pain, but she did feel a strange tingling in her limbs.

  "Fine, I think. What exactly happened?"

  "Do you want the long or the short version."

  "Short," she replied impatiently.

  "You glowed. All the pipes burst. The pool refilled itself. It started raining inside the house. And... ehm... you've got scales."

  "What?!"

  Macey shot up from her comfortable position on Rónán's lap and looked at her arms. They were covered in tiny, smooth scales, just like the ones she had when she was in her kelpie form. Except that right now, she was human. Her bare legs were the same, the scales reflecting the light of the brightly lit pool room.

  "By the fucking waves," she muttered, inspecting her hands and feet. There was no webbing, luckily, and the scales were smaller and lighter, blending in a little more but still distinctly non-human.

  "My face?" she asked, turning to Rónán.

  "No scales," he said and she sighed in relief. That's when she noticed that Rónán was bare chested, his chiseled abs capturing her gaze.

  "What happened to your shirt?"

  She knew she was distracting both herself and him, but he seemed happy to oblige.

  He grinned. "You're wearing it. I thought you'd be more comfortable waking up with some clothes rather than being naked."

  "Thanks, I guess." She really didn't want to think about the fact that he'd dressed her. That she'd probably been in his lap, naked. That he was shirtless. That she was almost drooling.

  She turned away from him, chastising herself for wanting the selkie. She already had three men. That was two more than most women had. How could she be this greedy? And why was she thinking about
Rónán when she had suddenly turned into a scaled monster?

  She shook off the thoughts of devouring Rónán... wait. The guys had used that word. No, it had been Rónán. He'd been talking about her devouring men. Was that what was happening to her? Was she turning into a wanton kelpie, feeding off sex like incubi?

  Even now, she was fighting against the urge to turn and kiss Rónán. Was this what Jared felt? If so, she was gaining a new sense of admiration for him. He was so in control most of the time, not jumping her like she was wanting to jump Rónán. Maybe she should get away from the selkie and spend some time with her men instead. But they weren't here and Rónán was.

  "Slap me," she whispered.

  "What?"

  "I want things I shouldn't. Slap me out of it."

  Rónán chuckled. "I'm not going to hit you."

  "Then get away from me."

  She wanted to scramble off his lap, run away from him, but she couldn't make herself do it.

  Why wasn't she freaking out about the scales? Why was she so... horny instead?

  "Something's happening to me," she said quietly. "I feel things I shouldn't be feeling. Where are the guys? I need them here, not you."

  She didn't turn around to see if he looked hurt by her words.

  "It's too dangerous for Flint just now, his fire would be too vulnerable to all the water magic you have filling the the air just now. Jared would love to be here, but... ehm... his incubus got a little out of hand when he felt your pull. Cam is busy holding him back or you'd have an incubus screwing you mindless just now. And you know incubi can kill when they get out of control, right?"

  She nodded, stunned.

  "Which leaves me. I might be the one least likely to get hurt if your magic overwhelms you again." His voice was more serious now, containing none of the previous humour.

  "But why is this happening?" Macey asked. "All this just because I didn't shift for a long time? I've never heard of this happening to other kelpies, and I know a few who've been living on land for ages."

  Rónán was quiet for a moment, then said, "I think it's a combination of things. First, not shifting for months. Then, being under the influence of the creature you call the Voice. Third, you had some weird shit happen to you when you fought the creature hurting the Staran. And additionally, the Staran failing has started having an effect on all magic, not just yours. One of these might not be enough to have that much of an effect, but all four together..."

  "Turned me into a monster," Macey finished his sentence.

  Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. "You're not a monster. You're a beautiful, strong, magnificent woman. Don't you ever call yourself a monster again.”

  Macey raised her arms, showing him her scales. "Look at me! I'm deformed. I'm a -"

  His lips shut her up.

  His kiss was different from the others, but no less enticing. Macey pushed up against him, the memory of her new scales already sinking backwards. What did it matter if she had them when a hot selkie was making his feelings known to her?

  Her whole body heated up as she shifted against him and felt how hard he was against her. There were two ways she could go with this. Either she put a stop to it, or she went all the way. The former seemed to be a bit of a let down though. And her men had already given her the go ahead…

  She twisted around, removing herself from his lap briefly so she could straddle him and link her legs around his back.

  His hard cock pressed against her, heating her further as she rocked back and forth. The only issue being the clothing between the two of them. It was definitely in the way and she almost wished she had magic that would vanish the little they were wearing.

  Rónán’s hand slipped beneath his shirt, caressing the skin of Macey’s back. She shivered in anticipation.

  “Are you sure about this?” he whispered against her lips. “I don’t want you to-”

  “Stop talking and kiss me.” She pressed her lips against his with more vigour, pulling him closer with her arms around his neck.

  Rónán cupped her ass and moved her so she was laying down against the side of the pool, the rough, cold floor a welcome sensation.

  Macey moaned as he thrust against her.

  “Off,” she murmured. “I need you.”

  Rónán broke away from her and shimmied slightly so he could remove his jeans. Macey propped herself up and whipped off the shirt which was covering her, leaving them both gloriously naked.

  He lowered himself over her, their skin slick where it touched. Leaning down, Rónán captured her lips in a deep kiss which she felt throughout her body. Macey arched back into him, desperate to feel more of him. To have him inside her and feel complete.

  Something told her this wasn’t going to be like with her other men. This wasn’t contrasting elements coming together. This was two water beings becoming one for the first time. She didn’t even care that he was a selkie. Not if he made her feel like this.

  “Please,” she begged, slipping her hand between them as Rónán rocked against her.

  He trailed kisses down her neck and grabbed her hand, stopping it from wondering further. “Not yet.” His deep voice rumbled against her skin, only serving to excite her further.

  Rónán’s lips continued to travel downwards, one of his hands moving up the outside of Macey’s thigh. Her legs fell open of their own accord, inviting him in. Rónán chuckled before taking one of her nipples into his mouth and flicking it with his tongue.

  Macey arched into him, a soft gasp escaping from her. Rónán took the sound as encouragement and repeated the movement.

  She gasped again, secretly wanting to demand more but scared to. If she interrupted him, then maybe he’d stop.

  He switched to her other breast, suckling on her other nipple as he drew his hand inwards, hovering it not quite close enough to her centre and where she wanted him most.

  “Did you know selkies can hold their breath for a really long time?” Rónán asked as he kissed down her stomach.

  She shook her head, almost unable to think though the sensations throughout her body.

  “Would you like me to show you?” He blew gently across the skin of her hip, causing her to buck slightly. If this was how she was acting when he wasn’t even touching her properly, how was it going to be when he finally filled her?

  Somehow, she managed to nod, accompanying it with a slight moan.

  Rónán propped himself up and watched intently as he slipped his finger inside her. Macey’s mind went blank, unable to form any kind of rational thought.

  He lowered his head, kissing up the inside of her thighs as she squirmed against him. Without waiting any longer, he settled between her legs, drawing his tongue upwards, tasting her thoroughly.

  If she hadn’t been able to think before, then this was something entirely new. He hooked his fingers inside her, pressing on just the right spot to make her insides begin to coil tighter.

  Macey lost track of time, the feeling inside her getting more and more intense with every movement of Rónán’s fingers and tongue. Small gasps and moans fell from her lips and she wasn’t truly in control of what her body was doing.

  As suddenly as he’d started, Rónán pulled away, climbing back up her body and taking her in a searing kiss that left little doubt about what he was going to do next.

  She felt his hand cover his cock and guide it towards her. Then with one firm thrust, he seated himself inside her. The full feeling was more than welcome, and while her body was coiling itself up tighter, something else deep within relaxed. She hadn’t even been aware she was so on edge.

  Well, that was a lie. She’d been well aware there was something angry inside her. She’d been able to feel it before she and Rónán had started this.

  They fell into a rhythm that only they knew. Rónán’s pants mingled with hers and all that surrounded them was the sounds of sex.

  Inside her, the feeling grew impossible to contain and the second Róná
n’s thrusts increased in speed, she let go. A drawn-out moan filled the air as her body exploded, the wave of passion crashing through her and refreshing her in a way she was both familiar with and was also completely new.

  Moments later, Rónán followed her over the edge, groaning his own release into her ear, only increasing her own pleasure.

  He withdrew from her, dropping a kiss on her forehead and collapsing down next to her. Rónán pulled her closely and Macey made contented noises as she snuggled into him. His presence was calming after the intensity of their previous activities. Knowing that he was close, she closed her eyes and let herself drift off to exhausted, peaceful sleep.

  Five

  Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table when Rónán and Macey returned, even Amber and Izban. He had an arm around her shoulders and she was snuggled against his chest. Macey had to stop herself from making a cooing sound at the sight of their cuteness. Did she have that same adoring look in her eyes when she looked at her men?

  Apropos, her men. Jared, Cam and Flint were all looking at her with barely veiled curiosity. There was no jealousy or irritation in their expressions at all, simply the desire to know what happened. Or was the curiosity because of her new scales? Wait a moment, the scales had disappeared. She looked at her arms and legs. No scales. She was human again, at least on the outside. Had it all been a one-off or was she going to turn scaly again soon?

  Macey sat down besides Flint and waited for Rónán to take a seat on her other side, before she cleaned her throat.

  "Rónán helped me deal with my magic," she began. "Sorry for bursting your pipes."

  Cam laughed loudly. "You can burst my pipes anytime, little kelpie."

  "Mine too," Jared grinned. "Although please give us some warning next time so we can ask the house for more buckets and mops. Or a pump."

  "That bad?" Macey asked, feeling more guilty by the second.

  Flint reached over and put an arm around her shoulders, squeezing reassuringly. "Nothing we couldn't handle. We've had parties here that were more destructive than your magic, so don't worry. Are you feeling better?"