Ancient Enforcer (Ancients Rising #3) - Katie Reus Page 0,1

spent much time with humans, but this one… He inhaled again.

“Well, I’ve worked with various supernaturals over the years. There are a ton of bears in construction,” she said on a laugh. “So anything you need, I’m sure we can help out. The only thing I ask is that if you’re going to bring someone back to the house, give us advance warning. I don’t want to walk in to find strangers here. Also, no wild parties, please.”

“We will bring no one back here,” he said immediately. “And have no parties.”

She seemed startled by his vehemence, but her smile remained in place as she nodded. “Okay, then. That’s perfect. So I should also warn you that even though we’ll be living together, I won’t be cooking for you guys just because I’m a woman.”

“We would never expect that,” Ivyn said from behind him. “In fact, I love cooking, so if you have any requests, just let me know. I’ve been experimenting with a lot of recipes lately.”

Mikael watched as her eyes widened slightly and pure joy rolled off her. He was going to have to punch his brother in the face for that later. He was suddenly overcome by the most insane need to be the only one to make her smile and laugh.

He vaguely remembered talking to King after that, saying goodbye and promising to basically be on his best behavior, but all he could really do was soak in the warmth and presence of Avery.

Avery… He let her name roll around in his head. Perfection.

He would never leave New Orleans now, not as long as she was here. That was something he knew on an intrinsic level. It should have scared him, being tethered to some place—to someone.

It did not.

“What the hell was that?” Ivyn asked him hours later once it was just the three of them upstairs in Mikael’s new bedroom. They didn’t have much so it hadn’t taken long to get them settled.

He’d chosen the bedroom closest to Avery’s.

“What are you talking about?” He shut the closet door and turned to face his brothers, who were staring at him expectantly.

“The way you went all moonfaced over our new babysitter,” Cas said, quoting him when he’d grumbled about having a babysitter.

Moonfaced? Where did his brother come up with this? It must be a human phrase he had learned. “Her name is Avery,” he growled, his dragon flaring to the forefront. “She’s being kind enough to let us live here. You will be respectful.”

Ivyn elbowed Cas. “Told you. He’s totally smitten.”

Cas laughed lightly and fist-bumped Ivyn—something they had recently picked up. “You were correct. I concede.”

He blinked, realizing they had been messing with him. “You guys are assholes.”

“That may be true,” Ivyn said. “But we weren’t the ones practically drooling all over our new roommate.”

“You two better keep your distance from her. I would hate to have to gut you and feed you your entrails.” The words came out as a growl, which only made his brothers laugh uproariously. Yep. Assholes.

Chapter 1

After The Fall

Mikael stepped through the front door of the three-story brick building downtown and looked around. He’d received a phone call about twenty minutes ago from King, saying that he was needed here. Since it was after work hours and Avery was home with Mikael’s brothers—meaning that she was protected—he’d slipped out.

“Thank you for coming,” King said as he stepped out of a half-open door where two other wolves were sitting inside talking quietly.

He shut the door behind him. In jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved black T-shirt, the male with brown skin and his wolf in his eyes reverberated with power. Especially for one so young—King was only a hundred or two hundred years old per Mikael’s information. But energy sang around him, a soft, lilting melody right underneath the surface.

Mikael thought the place they were standing in was called a lobby. There was a cluster of chairs off to the right, exposed brick along two of the walls, and a big desk to the left that appeared to be a hundred or so years old. The only reason he even knew that was because his Avery—who was not really his at all—liked to tell him about different types of designs, and he paid attention to everything about her.

“What is this place? And why am I here?” He didn’t like being separated from Avery for long. His dragon rippled impatiently underneath his skin, wanting to get back to her.

Always.

“This way.” King’s expression was dry as he