Black Magic - An Urban Fantasy Colleciton Read online

  He explained about the video that had gone viral, just days after the initial chaos and how it had affected his life. “I lost my business, my home and friends. My family disowned me and my employees all quit,” River said, disappointed to know how weak they’d all been, refusing to believe in and trust him. “So I became as much of a recluse as I was when I was first turned. Only, I can’t wait a few months to find my control, then have everything go back to normal. This is my new normal and I have to accept that. It’s just–” He stopped and sighed, not sure why he was rambling.

  Hard, Vanos supplied the final word and leaned close to peck his cheek. It was ridiculous how such a small thing could make him smile.

  He nodded instead. “Other than the time I spent in the forest, learning control, I’ve never been on my own before. Not like this. So it’s been hard adapting to that and becoming a night owl, because it means I don’t have to face the Creaturist assholes,” he admitted.

  Glancing up, he noticed a look of confusion from his mate. “Oh, that’s what they call themselves. Creaturists. They’re like vigilantes for creatures; any creature who ventures out of city limits is killed or captured and tortured for information,” he explained, surprised he didn’t know that. “They drive through once a week, spreading their propaganda on a megaphone, for anyone who is hiding in the city. Then they round up any creatures living on the street.”

  With a shake of his head, River offered Vanos a smile. “That’s not important right now, but I guess I’ve grown used to everyone hating me and always being on my guard. And I’m sorry I lumped you in that category,” he apologised.

  Vanos fluttered his wings, as though to test the bandages, then lay down, rather like the Sphinx, with his large eagle head on his front feet.

  “Are you tired?” he asked, softening his voice. “Sleep, Vanos, my mighty warrior.” He smiled and slid closer to lean against his mate’s side, laying his head on those soft feathers. Sleep, he repeated. And tomorrow we’ll start a whole new battle.

  CHAPTER 5

  Ten Days Later

  River smiled when he found a lone feather lying on the pillow when he woke. He closed his eyes and snuggled into the warm covers, thinking about the gift Vanos had left. It was cute, the way he’d collected the feathers he lost every time he exercised his Griffin within the house, then left them in thoughtful places for River to find.

  They’d been training together for the last week, getting used to each other’s natural states inside the house, while practicing techniques for fighting. River thought it might be going a little overboard, but Vanos was convinced that reclaiming the world would result in a fight.

  Tameron was certainly proving that might be the case. He’d been their prisoner for the last ten days, giving River as much information about the outside world of creatures as he could think to ask for.

  “Why am I bargaining tool? Is it just because of my strength?” he’d asked, a thousand times or more.

  “You were born on a New Moon, on the same night that the first door from our world to Earth was created,” Tameron answered, just yesterday. “No one can explain how the door opened, only that it appeared at the very moment you took your first breath. There are some who believe you can reopen the rift between worlds and send us home,” he explained, while spitting out blood.

  It made sense, when he took Vanos’ knowledge into account. He was born on the 29th of February. And, as far as the stories of his birth went, it was actually a new moon. Some prophet had sensed his future and told his Griffin to seek him out, both to find his mate and to save the human world. The problem was that River didn’t see what it had to be saved from; the creatures had been kinder to him than the humans had, lately.

  At that moment, finally getting answers to his many questions, River had experienced a moment of regret for how fiercely he and Vanos had punished the vampire. Each wound was always taken care of and allowed to heal before the next interrogation, but that didn’t take long, thanks to his natural vampire healing abilities.

  Vanos was also quick to recover, thankfully, so River hadn’t experienced any desperate need to revenge his injuries. Though it had come close, a few times.

  The only real regret he had was that Vanos didn’t know how much River was growing to care for him. As a Griffin, there was a tenderness to him that made River feel safer than he’d ever been before. But also loved and cherished, for more than their mate bond. In his human form, Vanos became this innocent, clueless kid with wide eyes and an eagerness to learn about everything in sight. It was endearing.

  He wanted to feed that need for knowledge, to be the one to teach him and show him the world, to be the one to make a safe world for him to live in. It was a comfort knowing Vanos wanted that too. He knew that because his Griffin had confessed something last night, during the late hours they had come to spend in bed, lying next to each other but afraid to touch.

  “I was jealous,” he had said, with guilty, downcast eyes. “When I first saw you with Brendan, you were looking at him with such love and I could sense the pheromones raging between you. I knew that you would mate with him, if I did not intervene,” he confessed. “I did not mean to kill him.”

  River had been so stunned that he’d rambling mindlessly. “I can’t say I approve and that I don’t regret his loss, but I would never have mated with him. He was never my mate and I knew that,” he said, trying desperately to make Vanos understand. “But I’ve been alone my entire life and relationships have never worked. I dated a werewolf once – the boyfriend before Brendan – and he dumped me after he discovered that I’d been turned, not born, and that I was still stronger than him.”

  In the silence that followed, River really thought he’d said too much. Then his Griffin smiled and pulled the covers over them. “Do not apologise for living. We all survive in our own way and I have also loved others,” he whispered, before leaning close to kiss his forehead. “Sleep well, River, knowing that I will never think less of you. You are a strong, proud man, who has been weakened by the cruelty of others. I shall see your strength and belief in yourself restored,” he promised.

  No other words had filled him with such warmth. As Vanos closed his eyes to sleep, River cried silently, for the words he had spoken and the knowledge that having his mate close was already repairing the wounds caused by the actions of others.

  He should never have been so weak as to allow their taunts and actions to change his fundamental nature for so long, but the only excuse he had was that he’d been a boy and this thing had been done to him. Every creature he had ever encountered since the rift – and the rare few who had somehow existed in his world before that – had been born into their life, not created in any other way.

  Now that Vanos was in his life, River had rediscovered the fun loving, easy going boy he’d once been, before his life was turned upside down.

  “How did you become a werewolf?” Vanos asked.

  Surprised that he was still in the room, River sat up and smiled at the sight of his mate walking through the door with a tray. “I thought you’d gone,” he admitted, though even when that thought had occurred, he’d known Vanos wouldn’t be far. He never was.

  “I could hear your stomach rumbling in my sleep,” he teased, with a pleasant smile. With padded steps that indicated he was barefoot, as well as only dressed in a pair of loose pajama bottoms, he rounded the bed and perched on the empty side.

  Seeing him so comfortably gave River shivers. He hadn’t been back to live in this house for a long time and he’d forgotten how nice it was to sleep in a bed, to wake up to a smiling face and have real utilities on hand. It couldn’t last long, but he would enjoy it while he could.

  “I was on a camping trip with my friends,” River began, finally recalling the question he’d asked a moment ago. He smiled as Vanos got comfortable against the headboard beside him, settling the tray over his lap. “We went
into the mountains the night before Halloween and I made a bet with my friends that I could stay in a separate area, all by myself, without anything happening to me. You know, since it was Halloween,” he hinted, with a self-depreciating smile.

  “Anyway, I was wrong.” He shrugged and accepted a cup of coffee that Vanos handed him. “This hiker appeared at midnight and asked my name. I lied and told him I was Ryan, which was my pals name. He smiled and asked to have a sip of water. When I gave it to him, he said ‘Thank you, River.’ then he transformed right in front of me,” he explained, full of shame and anger at himself. “I was so scared that I couldn’t move. So he bit me, told me ‘You’re welcome’ as though I should be fucking grateful and took off without another word.”

  He laughed and thought about how furious he’d been, how terrifying and confusing it had all been. “I guess he already knew my future or my fate or whatever, because it seems he was right. If he hadn’t done that, the world would still have gone to shit, but it would have stayed that way,” River said, realising how stupid he’d been to never see it before. There was a reason for everything, as his mother used to say. Why should his turning be any different?

  “There is a chance we may change the world, but I cannot say it is a guarantee that we can save it,” Vanos corrected him, with a hint of concern.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going all ‘Hero’ on you.” He gave that warning first, so that they both understood his position. “I won’t back away, if I need to do something, but I won’t sacrifice myself for a pointless cause either. We’ll do what we can and see what happens,” he decided, laying his hand out on the duvet between them and watching Vanos for his reaction.

  With a smile, his mate clasped his hand and let their finger intertwine. “We shall.”

  ***

  Remembering his turning brought unfamiliar feelings to River, as he and Griffin cleaned the house in preparation of leaving to see their plans into fruition. He’d once been so full of anger and frustration, for not knowing what was happening to him and how it was possible. Then, after some extensive research, when he found out he had become a werewolf, he’d be spitting nails over the fact that no one had prepared him for what he was going to go through.

  “Are you sad?” Vanos asked, as they packed two duffel bags of important supplies.

  River smiled and deliberated over an old box of family photos. “Not about leaving. This isn’t my home anymore,” he admitted, promising him that wasn’t a problem. He was adamant about their plans. They made sense, though it was a risk, but they didn’t really have time to rethink or regret it. “I’m just thinking about things. Like, how I was left to deal with this change alone. I always thought it was because my sire didn’t want me. But, now, I’m beginning to think that he wanted me to figure it out myself, because it would make me stronger,” he said.

  Vanos sighed heavily and lay his bag down. He crossed to where River stood and smiled as he placed a hand on his arm. “Now that I have heard your story, I have something to tell you,” he began, with a seriousness that worried him. “I have been thinking on your story, since you told me, and I believe that your sire was dying. There were only two of your kind missing from our world, before the veil between worlds fell. One was too young to have been the one you speak of. I believe he eventually became your boyfriend,” he continued, stopping to take a deep breath.

  “So the other one was my sire?” he checked, still not sure if that was an appropriate word. But he didn’t bother asking; it was as good as anything else.

  His Griffin nodded and rubbed his arms. “They were banished from our world, in what way I cannot say. But I assume the same prophetess knew you would need both men in your life and may have sent them to you,” he explained, maintaining eye contact as River tried to make sense of that.

  He nodded and wet his lips. “Okay, so this was all planned,” he realised, not all that surprised. Most of what Vanos and Tameron had told him suggested a much bigger plan at play than he’d assumed. “Which means that our plan should work, right?” he asked, hoping for one last reassurance, before they dove head first into this.

  With a sweet smile, Griffin released his arms and folded his hands before him. “I hope so,” he agreed.

  The way he took a step back made River rush forward. He grabbed Vanos’ t-shirt and dragged him forward, before he could get too far. They hadn’t spoken of their feelings for each other since Tameron rudely interrupted them, but he couldn’t hold back much longer. The more time he spent with his mate, the more he fell in love with him.

  Crushing their lips together, River gave himself over to his senses; every part of him opened to Vanos in acceptance of their bond. His sense of smell heightened until he could tell how aroused Vanos was, then his hearing scoured the entire room to detect that desperate thud of his beating heart. It was so wonderful to feel surrounded by him in all possible ways.

  He broke away for a split second, keeping their lips a breath away. “Love me, Vanos. Please,” he begged, too afraid to put it off any longer. “Before we do this, mate with me. Then, no matter what happens after tonight, we’ll always be mates,” he whispered, grasping at his arms to keep him close. He was so afraid that his Griffin would take off and keep putting distance between them, because he still couldn’t accept they were true mates.

  Vanos sighed and leaned against his forehead. “I accept you, River.”

  That explained everything. For so long, he’d thought Vanos wasn’t ready to accept him or acknowledge their bond, but if he’d already done that it would why explain why River couldn’t sense him coming. Only mates could surprise each other.

  His hands crept up that t-shirt, clinging so wonderfully to Vanos’ frame, until his fingers slipped through his thick dark hair. River tilted his head up and kissed Vanos’ jaw. “Then I need you to promise that you’ll take me to bed the minute this is over,” he asked, sensing that this wasn’t the right time to delay their plans for the chance to be alone. There was no rush to mate, once they’d accepted each other, but everything inside of him wanted to hold Vanos close and leave saving the world to other people.

  “We should leave, River.”

  He nodded, knowing he was right, but hating it all the same.

  CHAPTER 6

  Three hours later, reluctantly, River stood on a podium in the centre of the town square, facing a hundred creatures who had come through when the worlds collided.

  Vanos had used his Griffin to spread the word amongst his compatriots that Tameron and River were going to hold a meeting for all creatures at this time and place. River had always wondered if it would work or if anyone would show up, but Vanos had done a brilliant job reassuring everyone that all they had to do was listen.

  Tameron stood beside him, only there because River and Vanos had threatened to take him down in front of all the vampires and creatures if he didn’t play ball. With his help they had the attention of the vampires, who stood off to the side, lurking by an alley opening and watching Tameron with wary eyes.

  “Thank you all for coming.” River shouted over the general muttering and whispers, as everyone wondered why they were here. “I’d like to introduce myself. I’m River and I’m a werewolf. Unlike those of my kind who are here tonight, I am the first who was turned against his will or knowledge,” he called out, glad that the noise died down so that he could speak freely.

  The crowd seemed shocked, which Vanos had prepared him for, so he glanced towards his lovely Griffin, sitting in front of the podium in a protective stance to keep the crowds away from him.

  “It’s now been seven years since I was turned and I’ve learned a lot. At twenty-three, I’m still the only werewolf to have been made and not born. For some reason, this was foreseen by a prophetess from your world,” he explained. “My sweet Griffin here,” he said, gesturing to Vanos.

  Heads turned in his direction, taking in the seven foot
half-eagle half-lion.

  “This is Vanos and he is my true mate,” River told them, still not sure exactly what he was doing. His mate had only told him to speak from the heart and make his final decision on whether to save the world or change the world according to his feelings. “He was sent to me with guidance from the prophetess to help me save the world. My world. But that’s where I have a problem,” he admitted, watching the curious faces focused on him.

  No one had interrupted, but he still wasn’t sure if they were just there for the warmth of a crowd and the possibility of a fight, since they seemed fond of that. Or if they were staring blankly, waiting to see if he’d make a fool of himself or worse.

  “Earth has been my world my entire life,” he continued, taking a deep breath before continuing. “But, despite growing up here and being a human for sixteen years, the moment the world knew I was a werewolf, I was made more of an outsider than those who were thrown into Earth through the tear in our worlds.” River sighed and watched a few faces expressing doubt, clearly not believing that he had been treated worse than they had.

  “All these weeks since the rift, I’ve rescued many humans from attacks,” he said, trying to convince them of his words. “I knew, every time, that it was their own ignorance and judgements that caused the attacks, but human nature can’t be changed overnight. They were my people for so long that, even as a werewolf, I believed they were my people. But they didn’t see things the way I did. I was attacked and beaten. My business was destroyed many times, my own family disowned me and called me a monster.”

  Vanos let out a small scream that sounded so comforting that it bolstered River. He knew he was rambling, but everyone seemed to be paying attention to him, so he figured he couldn’t be doing that badly.