Hidden in Smoke (Phoenix Rising Book 2) Read online

  I don’t think there’s a better view. Hiro bantered back, not one to be outdone.

  I grunted in response. The fox was right. Watching her move effortlessly around my brothers was heating my blood.

  “Alright Nix, let’s do another round. All four of us together.” Damien challenged with a glint in his eyes. I could feel his excitement about getting on the board with Nix. I didn’t fault the guy as he’d had to play his first game against Hiro and Theo; playing a round of Twister with our girl was guaranteed to be a lot more fun.

  Out of nowhere, the spinner came flying at my face like a frisbee, and I prepared myself for the hit as I reached up to block it from nailing me in the nose. A squeak from Nix’s direction caught my attention just before I would have been pegged with the flying cardboard. One second she was standing on the other side of the twister board and the next she was falling into my lap—hard—as she caught the spinner in mid-air.

  “Fuck, baby, are you alright? What the hell just happened?” I grabbed her arms to steady her, and she tensed up so hard I thought her muscles would snap. Scooping her off of my lap, I settled her onto the couch next to me and immediately removed my hands. “It’s alright, Nix, it’s just me.” I kept my voice low and tried to sooth her. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed marginally and looked at the spinning game piece in her hands.

  “What the fuck was that?” Her voice was shaking.

  A smiling Theo answered her plea. “It looks like more of your powers are manifesting. This one, in particular, pertains to enhanced reactions, particularly involving speed and reactionary time.”

  “You’re saying I have super speed?” Nix’s voice rose in pitch towards the end of her question.

  “Yeah, babe. That’s what Theo’s saying.” She turned to look at me as I spoke. Her deep brown eyes had flecks of gold in them as her Phoenix shone through, alluding to her power and presence. It was a damn beautiful sight, and I felt my Puca pushing his luminescent green into my eyes as he tried to connect with her alternate form. He wanted to see her shifted and he wanted to shift for her too. He wanted to meet her Phoenix. Me? I wanted to put off my shift for as long as possible. What the hell would Nix think of me—of us? My Puca growled, berating me for thinking little of his preferred form.

  My Puca calmed as she grinned, the lightness of her tone when she spoke easing all of us in the room. “So you’re saying I’m like the Flash?”

  “You see, that’s why I love this girl. She knows her superheroes.” Ryder plopped down on the couch on her other side, throwing his arm around her shoulders. I watched as she tensed again, and growled at the Ceraptor for making her uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed on the exhale. I was proud of her for trying so hard to overcome her triggers and aversion to touch. It hadn’t escaped my notice that she was more comfortable around us when we moved slowly and didn’t startle her. I’d have to have a conversation with the Unicorn about how he handled her. I threw the name at Ryder mentally, willing Damien to pass along the message. I knew the Gargoyle had done me a solid when Ryder arched his brow at me, pulling a face.

  “Well, we’ll need to run some tests to see how far you can push yourself, and we may want to start a training program to help you hone your skills—we should do that for your fire powers as well—but, essentially, yes. It’s not uncommon for abilities to appear after your shift, but you’re a unique case since you didn’t shift until you were eighteen. Most shifters get their powers young and use their schooling in the shifter communities to learn how to harness and control them. You’re experiencing everything so late that it’s hard to know what powers will manifest and when.” I hummed in agreement with everything Theo had just said.

  “More blood work?” The way Nix scrunched up her cute nose was telling. I didn’t think she liked needles.

  “We’ll make it as painless as possible.” Ryder squeezed her shoulder.

  “You’ll be stronger in your shifted form, too. It would be good to get you out as soon as it’s safe so you can start practicing your shift and testing your powers.” She smiled at Damien as he mentioned her alternate form, and I could tell she was excited about the prospect of shifting again. I’m sure her Phoenix was pushing to get out and spread her wings.

  “Well, since we can’t do that tonight, I think we should get on with the ass kicking. That would be me… kicking your asses!” She stood and turned around, narrowing her eyes on Hiro. “No cheating this time!”

  A gentle smile crossed his lips as he leaned toward her. “Then you shouldn’t be allowed to play because everything about you, including the way you move, is distracting.”

  Holy fuck. I watched in apt fascination as a light blush worked its way into her golden cheeks. I wanted to see her look this way all the time. Walking past her on my way to the couch I leaned in, careful not to brush against her just in case she startled, and whispered, “He’s right, you are, but we fucking love it and wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

  Hums of approval joined my statement, and I saw a small grin grace Nix’s lips. Passing me the spinner, she redid her hair, fastening it into a high ponytail, and I watched as she wrapped the rubber band around her mass of black hair.

  I ached to run my fingers through it again, and I wondered if we could convince her to watch a movie after our tournament ended.

  “Alright gentlemen, shall we?” She motioned to the board.

  “Wait, there are four of us this time.” Ryder ran into the room and got to work pushing the two boards together and securing them so they wouldn’t come apart. “There. That should give us enough room for all four of us to play.”

  The four of them stepped onto the board and moved effortlessly through the first few moves. They were barely tangled together, but everyone was in a hilarious position. I couldn’t take my eyes off Nix’s ass as she was bent over. Three more moves and suddenly Nix was partially under Damien. The heat in his eyes told me he liked where the game was heading, although the mental link was suspiciously closed.

  “Left leg red.” Nix scrambled to reach the closest red circle before Damien could claim it. The position opened her legs under him, and I watched as the circle he found to complete the move caused his leg to bend right into her center. Sly move, Gargoyle.

  A small, high pitched hum left Nix’s throat as Damien growled softly. She tried to hold still, and I purposely left a few extra beats before calling the next color. I wasn’t sure if the Gargoyle would thank me or kill me later.

  “Right leg yellow.” I watched in amusement as Damien and Nix maneuvered around each other, his leg brushing against her as he shifted. I almost choked on air when I saw her hips flex into his thigh as she purposefully sought friction.

  Two more moves and Damien’s torture was over, but Ryder’s and Theo’s was just beginning. The moves had brought them right up to Nix, one on either side of her with their heads practically in her lap as they twisted into each other.

  “Damn, but you smell amazing.” Ryder’s voice was full of want as he scented her pheromones and arousal. I growled in both excitement and jealousy. Damien must have gotten her worked up with the light touches.

  When the next move was called, I caught the barely perceptible narrowing of her eyes, and her lips twitched as she tried to school her features. Everyone else seemed to miss it.

  “Left foot green,” I called out with too much enthusiasm as I spied Nix’s next move. While Theo ended up in a backward crab walk position, Nix swung her leg over his head, effectively straddling him with a leg on each side of his face.

  “Oh fuck.” The Ceraptor’s curse was long and drawn out as he watched from next to the couple.

  “Nix.” Theo’s voice was strangled.

  “Oh, hey there, water boy! I didn’t notice you down there. Come here often?”

  The Kraken groaned as he breathed in deeply. “I’d like to.”

  Ryder coughed to cover up his startled laugh.

  “I don’t think you know what you’ve done.�
�� The tone of Theo’s voice was deeper and almost challenging.

  “Oh, I think I do.” The triumph in her voice was unmistakable.

  “You underestimate me, little one.” He nipped at her inner thigh, and I almost flew up off the couch as I waited to see how she would respond. I wasn’t sure if I would be rushing to bash our fearless leader into next week for taking liberties or if I would be stepping closer, trying to scent her myself. Her small gasp made me take my seat again and scramble for a pillow to cover myself. This game was getting way to fucking heated. As soon as he had that small affirmation, Theo continued, “I’m dying to have a taste of you.” This time when he nipped her, it was over the center seam of her jeans, right at the heat of her core. Nix moaned, and I watched as she hung her head, trying to compose herself. The noise she made set me on fire.

  Glancing at Hiro, I saw him white knuckling the couch as he watched the intimate scene in front of us and I smirked, shaking my head. Our girl had us all wrapped up. The Fox liked to pretend he was in control, but truly? It was Nix.

  I was starting to wonder if it would have been safer to go dancing after all, not that I would have ever passed up the chance to see Nix like this.

  The link flew open as Damien projected Nix’s feelings. She was definitely turned on. Theo blasted an image through our minds of Nix with her hands fisted in his blonde hair, holding him in place as he pleasured her with his tongue.

  Ryder groaned and the Ceraptor hit the floor. “I’m out!” He held up his hands in surrender as he moved to Hiro’s side.

  Damien had his jaw clenched tight, and I could feel him grasping to control his reaction to the scene Theo had fed us.

  Nix hesitated when the next move was called, but ended up swinging off of Theo. Her chest was heaving as she tried to keep her balance, and the sea monster had a self-satisfied grin on his face.

  The fox finally let out a breath as the tension faded minutely.

  Half a dozen turns later and Nix hit the floor as she tried an overambitious move.

  “Damn!” She hopped up with a small scowl on her face, upset at having lost.

  Scooting over, Ryder patted the space between Hiro and himself as she made her way to the couch.

  As soon as Nix was off the board, the game between Damien and Theo grew fierce. The link was closed tight as Damien focused on trying to move as fluidly as Theo, but it was a losing battle. Within minutes, Damien’s elbow brushed the ground as he tried to twist himself to the colored circle he needed.

  “Out! Damien’s out!” Nix called all too cheerfully as she pointed at where he had made contact with the board. “Theo wins!”

  Theo puffed up as he stood, looking proud of himself.

  Don’t look so smug. You still have to get through me. I stood as I threw the challenge mentally.

  Stretching my arms over my head, I limbered up. There was no way in hell I was going to lose this game. I knew exactly what I wanted as my prize, and I couldn’t let anyone else win.

  “I feel like I’m going to want popcorn for the rest of this show.” Nix’s smile was infectious as she prepared to watch the battle between Theo, Hiro, and me. Excitement settled around us as Damien brought out the staples—popcorn and Twizzlers—and everyone settled in to watch the battle.

  Hiro was hard to beat. He was almost as matched in fluidity as Theo was. I, on the other hand, couldn’t move like that. My tall frame didn’t bode well for playing on such a small game board, and to top it off, my movements were a bit jerky as I looked around for the circles I needed.

  Damien and Ryder took turns calling the body parts and colors out.

  “Ass on yellow!” Ryder teased as he and Damien took turns calling the moves. I heard a thump and looked over towards the couch just in time to see Nix finish bopping the Ceraptor on the head. Her eyes met mine and she smiled, her eyes bright with amusement. She was so damn pretty. Something in my chest tightened, and I knew I was falling hard for her.

  My Puca itched to hop from space to space, wanting to come out to play. He wanted to show everyone how well he moved and how quickly he could outmaneuver both of the shifters on the board with me. He wanted to impress our Annie. Holding steady, I worked my way through the game on shear strength and determination. Theo lost first, and after an inordinate amount of time, I finally beat Hiro when he second-guessed the call and used the wrong hand.

  Nix’s cheer from the sidelines had me smiling as I re-adjusted my clothing back into place and smoothed a hand over my short hair.

  With a bow of his head. Hiro conceded the win.

  “Alright, bunny, what spoils of war are you requesting?” Ryder lounged backward, throwing his arm over the back of the couch and grazing his thumb over Nix’s shoulder. She leaned into his touch this time and looked at me, waiting for my answer.

  The truth was, that was what I wanted. I wanted Nix, and anytime she would give me.

  “A date,” I said, looking right at her trying to gauge her reaction to my question.

  “Aw, big guy. All you had to do was ask!” Ryder quipped, feigning flattery.

  “Not you, douche canoe. I was talking about Nix. I mean… I was trying to ask Nix…” I trailed off and turned to her. She placed her hand on Ryder’s thigh and used it to push off of as she crawled from the space between Ryder and Damien. Coming to stand in front of me she placed her hand on my chest.

  “You want a date with me?” The deep chocolate pools of her eyes pulled me in, and I couldn’t speak. What if she turned me down? Fuck. I hadn’t thought this through.

  Swallowing, I answered, “Yes.” My voice was gravelly.

  “I’d like that.” She said softly, and I felt like her eyes were looking straight into my soul. I felt her power flare and zip along my body, and I wondered if she felt it. I saw her sway toward me, and I leaned into her as well, her hands trapped between our bodies as I brought my hands around her waist, ready to pull her firmly into my body. Her sweet breath mingled with mine, and I let my eyes drop to her full lips.

  The crunch of popcorn reminded me that we had an audience and Nix and I looked over toward the couch as we placed a little more breathing room between us. Ryder was smirking at us—the popcorn culprit—but every eye in the room was locked on us.

  “Don’t let us stop you, by all means.” Ryder waved his hand at the both of us, popcorn falling from his hand as he motioned between Nix and I. “This is good stuff!”

  “You all seriously have a kink with watching me kiss your friends!” A rose color tinted her cheeks, and she pulled away from me, throwing her hands on her hips as she faced everyone.

  “What can we say? It’s rather hot. Or do you need another demonstration of what watching someone enjoy physical pleasure is like?” Hiro’s eyes were sparkling, begging her to take his bait.

  She bit her bottom lip and I wanted to groan. She wasn’t a lip bitter, but there was something about the action that was sexy on her. I could tell the thought of watching Hiro kiss Ryder again was enticing to her, and it was attractive as hell to me the way she just accepted all of us the way we were.

  “As long as we all kink responsibly.” Damien shrugged one shoulder.

  Shaking it off, she gave a nervous laugh. “You guys are ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculously good looking.” Damn, Ryder was on a roll tonight with his quips and comebacks. I rolled my eyes at him, but my Puca wanted to come out and join in Ryder’s shenanigans. It was a damn blessing that Ryder wasn’t a puca. The mischief and trouble that combination could create together made me… I didn’t even want to think about it.

  Turning back to me, she smirked. “So when are we going on our date?”

  Stepping closer, I reached out and ran my thumb over her lip. “Soon.”

  “Will you at least tell me what we’ll be doing?”

  “Yeah, Kill. No hanky panky, got it?” The Ceraptor jokingly scolded with a mock serious expression.

  Hiro reached out and smacked Ryder upside the head. “You can’t dicta
te who Nix gives her body to, even if you were joking about it. Plus, if you set rules for Killian, those same rules apply to you.” Hiro set the Ceraptor straight.

  “Sorry. I was just messing around.” Ryder looked cowed.

  Reaching out, I gently put my hands on Nix’s shoulder’s and put her back to the group, gaining her full attention.

  “I have an idea for our date, but I’m not going to tell you what it is yet. I’ll let you know when I have it planned. Okay?”

  “Alright, Romeo. Keep your secrets for now.”

  I couldn’t wait to take Nix on a date. I wanted to get to know everything about her, and I wanted to kiss her again when we were blessedly alone.

  Thirteen

  Damien

  Watching Nix walk up the stairs as she hesitantly waved goodnight was sweet torture. Her hips swayed as she climbed and a collective sigh sounded around the room once she was out of sight. Damn, tonight had been fun. And sexy. And a huge fucking turn on. More cold showers were in sight.

  I want her so fucking bad! Ryder groaned. I haven’t even gotten to kiss her yet.

  It’s worth the wait. Killian smirked across the room in Ryder’s direction, trying to get a rise out of the stallion.

  It is. The Kitsune had a dreamy look on his face. Damnit. I couldn’t help the jealousy that ran through me for a moment as I thought about them kissing her. I was biding my time, waiting for the right moment. Logically, I knew I wasn’t the right man to kiss her first. If I tried to kiss her now, I’d overwhelm her. With her triggers, I thought it best to let the others warm her up before she got to me, but the wait and teasing was killing me.

  I made sure to block Nix out of our conversation, but I’d been able to perfect the balance of keeping her from hearing us while I was still connected to her. Holding up a hand, I made the guys stop talking as I listened to an internal battle raging in Nix.