Deacon's Star: Orion's Order, #3

By MC Solaris

After years of resisting the undeniable pull toward the hunky geek, Starr discovers that fate has decided to take matters into its own hands. History repeats itself and she finds herself face to face with the seriously sexy male that she had been trying to forget.

 

Will the fiery and independent Starr let Deacon in? Or does her heart have too many scars?

 

THIRD BOOK IN THE ORION'S ORDER SERIES

 

Orion's Order returns in another addictive installment about their secret world of magic and mystery. A world where the power of love prevails in the fight against an ancient evil force.

 

DEACON

Starr. The bane of my heart's existence.

 

For years, we danced a flirty, banterous duet full of hot tension. Since the second we met, I knew there was something about her. It was like our stories were stars that mingled in the night sky and twinkled brighter in a desperate attempt for someone to read their shining story. Except, when I took the lead of our dance and had her heart spinning and knees weak, she ran in the other direction (or rather, sped off into the night on a motorcycle) with the taste of our kiss still lingering on our lips… and my heart crushed beneath the tires. 

 

Somehow, I ended up in another relationship with a fine female who doesn't twist my heart with wicked games. She is probably better for me. Yet, I can't stop thinking about the female who keeps her distance from me. The female who made it clear she doesn't want me. The female who is determined to put weed killer on anything that buds between us. The female who has my heart in her hands and doesn't even know it.

 

STARR

If life has taught me anything it's that there's only one thing you can truly count on: yourself. And I have built my life with this in mind. My job? Bounty hunter. I'm my own boss and, yeah, you guessed it—no partner… by design. Family? None. Friends? One. But I sure as hell don't rely on her for anything. Not that she isn't reliable or anything. Again, it's just how I roll. My love life? It's complicated. Hashtag: How in the hell had my love life become a damn Facebook status?

 

So, yeah, I was doing just fine on my own… until a certain male waltzed into my life. And stole my hunt… for the second damn time.

 

Devour this addictive series at your own risk...

 

+ Happily Ever After

 

+ Sexy Paranormal Romance

 

+ Multiple POV

 

+ Mature Content

 

+ This series is meant to be read in order for the best reading experience

 

------------------------

 

DEACON'S STAR is an adult paranormal romance. If you like swoon-worthy males, heroines with feminine strength, an engaging plot, satisfying relationships, steamy love stories, happy ever afters, and getting sucked into a supernatural story, then you'll want to immerse yourself in the world of species!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MC Solaris
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201180522

Book preview

PROLOGUE

"S tarr, I’d like you to meet, Feura," Mara said gently, with that warm, motherly smile of hers.

Starr eyed the shy young female standing before her with skin of burnt gold and midnight hair.

She’s now a part of our family.

Hi, Feura. Starr only said it to be polite because that was what Mara and the other castellans at the home—her home—had taught her. But she wasn’t interested in making another friend only to lose them either to being adopted or becoming better friends with someone else in the family because they thought she was just too fiery and strong.

At least, that’s what Jillian—her last and final friend and supposed sister—had told her after she had single-handedly ruined Jillian’s tea party by accidentally burning everything to smoking ashes (including the table, food, presents). Jillian even suffered a very minor burn by trying to save her favorite doll.

Starr hadn’t meant for that to happen. She’d only been trying to impress Jillian and the other females by lighting the candles on the cupcakes in a flashy way. Instead, she only managed to alienate herself further. The other females were now wary of her and she knew that they only sat next to her at the dinner table because Herb and Mara made them because the two head castellans were big on family.

Hi, Starr. Feura’s voice held a foreign lilt and was as soft and airy as a whispering breeze.

Timid eyes of fiery sunlight met Starr’s for a split second before gluing themselves to the floor.

Feura’s only a year older than you and is a fire elemental just like you.

Starr felt excitement burst inside of her. There had never been another fire elemental in their home before. But she quickly snuffed out the excitement that ignited within her. Fire elemental or not, Feura would soon find out that Starr was too flashy and fierce and that the other females steered clear of her now.

Starr, honey, why don’t you show Feura around.

Okay. Starr nodded, deciding to start with the outside. It was a sunny day and she didn’t want to waste the sun. Plus, she knew Jillian and the others were inside right now.

Feura was a silent shadow next to Starr as they walked around the house and toward the back.

Your voice is strange, Starr said with the innocent bluntness of a young. Where are you from?

La Rivière Du Temps.

I don’t know where that is, Starr’s brow wrinkled a bit in thought. But I like the way your voice sounds.

Thanks. It’s near the Paris crossing.

Starr nodded. She had heard of the Paris border crossing before because all young were taught about The Barrier and the major crossings into the human world as it was an important part of their world and history.

For the next little while, Starr showed her new sister around the home. Feura spoke very few words during the tour but her interest was apparent.

Do you want to see where I practice my fire?

Feura nodded, her eyes sparking with interest.

It’s great. I can practice as much as I want and I don’t ever get in trouble for burning things. As long as it’s within the fire circle though. We’re not allowed to use our fire freely outside the circle without one of the adults though.

Feura nodded.

Starr guided them to the practice area that had been built just for her. It was a large clearing of dirt far away from the house and anything that could catch on fire, including grass or trees.

You can’t get burned, right?

Feura shook her head.

Can you make a fireball? Starr asked, conjuring a ball of flame in her tiny palm. The flame was small but Mara said that one day she wouldn’t be surprised if Starr could conjure big ones, maybe even the size of a basketball.

Feura’s eyes lit up. Woah. I can’t do that. To show, she conjured a single flame that would perfectly fit the size of a small tabletop candle.

I can go bigger, Starr half-whispered, as if sharing a secret. Do you wanna see?

Feura nodded, thoroughly entranced.

Starr looked around to make sure no one else was near and then closed her eyes to concentrate. She called forth the inner flame within her core—called and called until she felt her entire hand tingle and burst to life.

At Feura’s delighted gasp, she opened her eyes to see a giant fireball engulfing her entire hand and part of her forearm.

Woah. That’s so cool!

You wanna see if I can go bigger? Starr asked, her soul singing and practically jumping for joy at Feura’s curiosity instead of frightened rejection.

Feura bobbed her head excitedly.

Again, Starr closed her eyes and concentrated hard—harder than she ever had before. She wanted to impress Feura so badly. Maybe then Feura wouldn’t leave her like the others had. Maybe then she’d have a friend.

She called forth her inner fire and kept calling and calling, even when her whole arm began to tingle, then her torso, then—

A deafening whoosh and slight boom sounded out along with a frightened cry.

Starr’s eyes flew open to see both her and Feura’s clothes had been burned to ashes. And there was now a large blackened circle on the dirt around them as if an explosion had gone off.

Immediately, Starr had flashbacks of the tea party with Jillian and other incidents caused by her fire. An awful feeling flooded her, dousing her excitement. She knew that she ruined everything. She knew that Feura wouldn’t ever talk to her again and instead, would go hang out with the other females and avoid her.

I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—

Woah! Feura laughed for the first time. Can you show me how to do that?

---

Even after a few years of Starr teaching Feura, her sister of all but blood had never been able to conjure as much fire power as Starr. But that hadn’t stopped them from becoming the best of friends and being attached at the hip wherever they went.

They had made pacts to be best friends forever and promises to go to school together and live together until they got mated, only to then have homes right next door to each other.

If only that was what the fates had blessed them with...

1

Tonight was the night. He needed to do this. It was the right thing to do. It wasn’t fair to either of them to keep going on like this.

Do it now.

He looked into chestnut eyes that belonged to a lovely, soft-faced, and warm-skinned brunette. He thought about the first time that they had captured his attention from across a bar. Thought about that night which felt like a lifetime ago. Thought about how in the starry skies it had come to this.

Instead of doing the damn thing that needed to be done, he allowed awkwardness to take advantage of his hesitation and slide in between them. Inhaling through the brutal uncomfortableness that was determined to add its two cents into the mix, he gathered the words in his mind but before he could speak, she did.

And wasn’t that symbolic of how they first met?

Deacon.

The gentle tone of Elise’s voice paired with a subtle, sad half-smile jostled him out of the holding pattern he seemed to be in and had his full attention all of a sudden. Her chest rose with a deep breath as if she was trying to transform the air mixing with her emotions into words.

You know I care for you, she began. And I know you care for me too. And we’re really good together.

Her delicate hand reached across the white-clothed dinner table and lightly touched his for a brief moment before pulling back to easily navigate around the single candle. The steady low hum of romantic date night conversations filled in the space around their intimate table of two at the restaurant.

Elise had only just arrived and yet, being that he was wrapped up in his own thoughts, Deacon just seemed to attune to the fact that she hadn’t taken off her jacket before sitting down. Not to mention that he couldn’t quite read the look painted across her face. But he was able to translate it enough to know that whatever she was about to say was going to change things.

He inwardly cursed himself because he knew he should’ve—

But we both know that your heart already belongs to someone else. She attempted a smile but the subtle curvature of her lips was a mix of sadness and resolve.

He winced for not only hurting her but also for letting this go on for as long as it had.

We can’t keep going on like this because it’s not fair for either of us.

He blew out a defeated breath. I never meant—

I know, she offered genuinely. I truly hope that, whoever she is, it works out between you two.

There was a pregnant pause as if they both knew this was likely the last time they would be sitting across from one another as a couple would. It might even be the last time they would ever see each other. Well, maybe not. Because when one could potentially live forever, the world sometimes felt infinitely smaller as the centuries ticked by like seconds on a clock.

Goodbye, Deacon. Elise calmly got up from the table, gently kissed him on the cheek, and walked away… and out of his life.

Well, he certainly never would have guessed that this was how it would end between them. And as much as he cared for Elise, it didn’t matter. Because like she said, his heart already belonged to someone else. Someone who didn’t want it. Someone who he tried desperately to forget… and yet, he couldn’t.

That must’ve been the shortest date recorded in history. Rhyland just couldn’t help but pounce on an opportunity to talk a little shit as soon as Deacon walked into the male cave at the place they called home.

The verbal volley was all for fun, of course, and Deacon was used to it because it was just how the twins rolled—especially being that they were identical twin black jaguar shifters and couldn’t help their playful feline nature. Unfortunately, Rhyland had no idea how much of a sore subject he decided to prod at and that he essentially just slugged a brother when he was already down for the count.

I bet... Nico has him beat. Rhyker recoiled. His chuckling quip quickly turned into something he could barely choke out.

For so long, the twins were used to pawing with their dark and deadly vampire pack brother that it had become second nature to them. So, the joke just spilled out of his muzzle in a knee-jerk reaction before his conscious mind had a chance to halt the reins on that crash and burn of a disaster.

Yeah, adjusting to life without Nico was crushing on many levels… to everyone.

If Nico were there, the mini interaction would have likely ended with an exchange of twin grins and fist bumps while said vampire shot icy daggers at them. Everyone knew Nico enjoyed their little trio of brotherly banter, even if his frosty exterior didn’t show it.

Except, no. Nico wasn’t there.

Instead, the room was filled with an echoing recoil and a sea of sorrow, as if everyone had just been gut-punched at the verbal reminder of the nightmare Nico was in… That is, if he was still alive.

Akira, their pack’s rescued and adopted red fox, licked Aleia’s hand as if trying to pull the healer from spiraling further into the abyss at the horror that befell Nico. After all, Aleia couldn’t help but think that she was the reason that the closed-off vampire was wherever he was. Because when Barker attacked her and presumably attempted to kidnap her, Nico came out of the shadows like some kind of dark knight and heroically saved her. But because of her automatic deer in headlights freeze response (plus being slowed down by unknowingly having been injected with the mother of all date rape drug cocktails), Barker had gotten the upper hand with Nico’s distraction on her safety and had taken Nico into the black liquid portal that led to who in the hell knew where.

Felix, their black house cat and resident fur baby to the alpha couple, jumped on said alpha female’s lap and cranked his purring motor into high gear as if the soothing vibrations could dissipate the emotions growing thick in the air.

Deacon cleared his throat in preparation for his announcement. Elise and I broke up.

The already silent room grew even more impossibly quiet as all eyes fell on him.

He blew out a defeated breath and allowed his slow gait to carry him to his alcoholic pit stop before his final destination: his room.

The mood was already a gloomy pool with the mention of Nico. So, Deacon didn’t feel the least bit bad dropping the depressing bomb, grabbing his choice of a coping mechanism, and shooting-star his ass out of there so he could drown in the amber liquid under the silver luminescence of the starry night sky.

D… Caly said, concern brimming in her stormy gray eyes. Getting up from Blake’s lap on the leather recliner chair, she walked over to Deacon at the bar.

I’m fine. Deacon casually (not so casually) avoided eye contact with everyone, especially Blake and his golden, alpha wolf gaze.

In a habitual motion, Deacon’s hand pushed through his short, sandy blonde hair, leaving it a bit disheveled.

Remaining focused on his mini-mission, he set a crystal glass on the counter and located the bottle for his drink of choice: whiskey. He tipped the bottle and right before the liquid promise of emotional dullness spilled into the glass, a better idea nestled itself in his mind and took control of the reins. He screwed the lid back on the bottle, returned the clean glass back to its spot, and walked out of the too-quiet room with the bottle in hand… while strategically still avoiding eye contact with everyone.

He should’ve known it was a mistake to waltz into the male cave and pretend like everything was okay. Sure, his heart may belong to another but that didn’t mean this breakup with Elise meant nothing. He wasn’t an emotionless robot, after all. He had feelings for Elise and cared for her. But did he love her? No, not in the way that lovers should, which was why it was only fair for both of them that it ended.

---

Caly. Blake gently grasped her hand as she went to go after Deacon.

Yeah. Maybe he should be left alone, Rhyland agreed with Blake’s silent statement, settling back onto the large leather sofa in a very feline way.

All eyes swung to Keena who was curled up next to her mate, Rhyker, on the twin leather sofa across from Rhyland. She was the mind and spirit healer with several therapy and psychology-based degrees, after all.

I’m not that close with Deacon yet. Keena’s emerald green eyes had a hint of regret then a subtle spark, igniting the intention to remedy that. But I don’t think it’s a bad idea for Caly to at least offer support. He can choose if he wants to be alone or not.

Bending down, Caly kissed Blake on the lips. He cupped her chin and his incandescent golden gaze bore into hers as a silent exchange of emotions transpired, communicating his love and adoration for his mate. Even though Caly wasn’t a wolf shifter, she was the alpha female of their pack and his chest puffed with pride at how she not only genuinely cared for each of them but also, forged close relationships bonded with the elements which promised to withstand the test of time.

I love you, wolf. Caly’s eyes beamed back at him like full moons.

I love you too, Ice Queen. Blake stole another quick kiss of her full lips and decided to ignore the wolf whistle from Rhyland.

Why you gotta show me up like that? Rhyker’s playful remark was followed up with him ravishing Keena’s delectable lips.

Fuck me. Rhyland rolled his piercing blue eyes as he adjusted his backward-facing baseball cap in a habitual motion. I thought we were watching an action movie tonight, not a sappy rom-com, he quipped, desperately trying to lighten the mood in the room from the recent and unexpected double dose of depression.

Blake pointedly kissed Caly once more while playfully flipping Rhyland the bird. He knew what Rhyland was doing and was more than okay with steering the conversation away from that depressing dead end. Because stewing in a place of anger and frustration at not being able to find Nico didn’t do anyone any good or change the fact that he was gone.

Caly walked out of the male cave with the familiar sounds of conversation and some sort of species sports game on the TV. As she rounded the corner, she heard the easy cadence of Rhyland’s deep voice as he cracked a joke which was followed up with waves of rolling laughter.

Deacon should be in there laughing too, she thought. And Nico… She ordered a cease and desist on those thoughts as the pain in her chest felt like someone sliced it with one of Nico’s black-bladed knives.

Her knuckles gently rapped on the arched, floor-to-ceiling dark wood door to Deacon’s room on the second story of the fortress. The fortress was the nickname that they had dubbed the regally elegant yet intimate castle that they all lived in since it was decked out with a security system that Deacon loved to geek out over.

When there was no answer, she decided she would knock one more time and if he didn’t answer then she would take his silence as his response that he wanted to be left alone.

D? It’s me, Caly. She tapped a few more times on his door and waited a beat. But again, she was met with nothing but silence. Blowing out a breath, Caly turned and began her return journey back to the male cave. Not two steps in, Deacon’s door swung open and she swiveled back around.

Hi. She offered a comforting smile.

Hey. Deacon’s tone didn’t hold that typical lightness it usually did.

I wasn’t sure—

I didn’t hear you at first. I was on the balcony.

At night, Deacon was either in crazy, creative techy mode (whipping up some sort of gadget with his Intelligent Computer Information System, or ICIS for short) or he was stargazing on his balcony. Being a steorrian, the latter was a standard practice instilled from a young age. However, the former was unusual for a steorrian because he actually had the rare gift with computer languages instead of the ancient language of the stars, like most of his kind.

Steorrians, or Keeper of the Stars, were those born with the ability to read and translate the long-lost and ancient language of the stars. This ability was said to be passed down through the genes, where some had the rare ability to speak and translate all languages—ancient and modern. It was theorized that all languages originated, in some form, from the stars. So, steorrian minds held the key to language translation of the old and new. Although Deacon did not have the ability with language translation, he said he could still sometimes see stories in the stars.

Do you want company? Caly probed.

No. Thank you though. I appreciate you checking up on me. Both his words and the polite shake of his head were like a quick pingback of an automated out-of-office message, spoken without really processing the data.

Okay. With a nod, she turned and walked away.

Closing his eyes, he exhaled and allowed his shoulders to sag slightly. Caly?

She looked over her shoulder and met his baby blue eyes behind his black, bold-framed glasses. Yeah, D?

Stepping back, Deacon opened the door in silent invitation.

With a small smile, she made a quick U-turn, walked into his room, and closed the door behind her. Deacon was already back on the balcony looking through his telescope into the diamond-speckled midnight sky. Walking out into the slightly cool spring air, she stepped beside Deacon and looked up.

Without words, he adjusted the golden telescope and gestured for her to take a look into the secret world it allowed one to glimpse. And this was not the first time Caly had stargazed with the steorrian. In fact, a lot of their solo packmate bonding time was doing just this.

What am I looking at?

The constellation of Orion.

Caly briefly took her eyes away from the beautiful starscape to look at Deacon with curiosity.

The corner of his lips tugged up with fondness for her continued genuine eagerness to learn about the stars and their world—the world that was still rather new to her. She refocused back on the starry scene in the telescope.

Orion is one of the most prominent and well-known constellations in the night sky, even in the human world.

I’ve heard of it before but I don’t really know anything about it, Caly admitted, still looking through the telescope.

This ancient constellation is known as The Hunter and can be seen from almost anywhere in the world on either side of The Barrier, Deacon explained.

Caly looked at him like she was having a total light bulb moment. She didn’t know why she never thought to ask before. Their pack was named Orion’s Order. The males were lethally-trained hunters that dedicated their lives to hunting the evil in the world of species.

Deacon’s lips curved as if he was reading her thoughts and picking up on her question. There are many different stories about Orion, The Hunter.

Will you share one? she asked, refocusing back on the zoomed-in snapshot of the twinkling scene.

It is said that Orion, The Hunter, fell deeply in love with Artemis, The Huntress. They hunted each other—not to kill but for sport. It was just who they were.

Like how predatory shifters like to hunt and play games? Caly compared, having lived with the twins and Blake, who were definitely fans of hide-and-seek type of games—especially when the prize at the end was claiming their females.

Deacon nodded. Exactly. In fact, Orion and Artemis were a part of the time when The Ancient Ones still walked the Earth.

Caly’s brows popped. Really?

Caly recalled how Alexina, the bookish ancient steorrian who watched over Blake like a loving aunt, had once dug up information that led to the theory that Caly could possibly have some distant genetic relation to Fulgur, Magneticus’ son of three generations passed. And Magneticus was said to be born of the first Elementals, Ignis and Terra, or Fire and Earth.

And, yeah, Caly may have had some crazy family tree situation going on.

Mhmm. Deacon nodded, slightly adjusting his black glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Orion and Artemis’ hunts would go on for years. When one found the other, the game would just start over again. And whoever was previously the hunter would then be the prey. In their last game, Orion was the hunter and Artemis gave the best chase she ever had in all their existence of playing.

"Orion wanted to finally claim Artemis as his and end the game. But when he caught her and made his move, Artemis was scared. She had never given her heart to another and didn’t want it to be used as a weakness. Orion showed her that they would be stronger together and that he didn’t want another—she was his and always would be. Finally, Artemis decided she was going to accept Orion as hers.

"But there was another who had his eye on Artemis and wanted her for himself. She had previously rejected him and since he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone to have her. He challenged Artemis to a hunting game and she just couldn’t pass it up—she was The Huntress after all. She accepted the challenge with confidence that she would best the male because the challenge was to hit a target in the distance. So far in the distance that they both couldn’t see it as more than just a tiny dot. But that didn’t matter because she never missed her target. So, she knew she was going to win the game. And she was anticipating how she would tell Orion about beating the male who foolishly challenged her in a game of the hunt which she and Orion dominated.

She allowed her arrow to fly through the air at the target and she knew she hit home. When she went to retrieve her arrow, she fell to her knees in pain because her arrow shot straight through her beloved Orion’s heart."

Caly gasped, staring wide-eyed at Deacon in shock.

Fueled by fury and a mission to avenge her love, Artemis vowed she would hunt the male who challenged her and tricked her to the ends of the Earth until her arrow went through him. But what Artemis did not know is that Orion was healed and lived. But even though he physically healed from the wound, his heart was still broken because he took her arrow through his heart as her rejection. Still, he went to pursue her because he knew she was his. But when he went to go after her, he found out that she was hunting another male and no longer pursued him.

Oh my god, Caly said with a sheen of tears in her eyes at the twists and turns of the story.

Deacon internally cursed the whiskey flowing through his veins. Because was it really any wonder why this was the story, out of the many stories about Orion, his drunken mind decided to share? No. Because he had his heart shot through with an arrow by a huntress—his huntress.

For the love of God, D, please tell me that’s not how it ends.

Deacon internally smirked at her invested interest. Unfortunately, that is how it ends.

What?! Caly’s tone was incredulous.

Deacon chuckled. I’m kidding. No, that’s not how it ends.

Chortling, Caly playfully slugged him in the shoulder. That’s not funny. Except, her smiling laugh said otherwise. Okay, so what happened?

Just as Artemis vowed, she found the trickster male and shot her arrow through his heart. And it wasn’t until she returned home that she found out that Orion was still alive. She couldn’t believe it and immediately went to see him. She intended to explain everything but he was already with another.

Are you effing kidding me?! Caly blurted out with animation. Deacon, I swear if this story doesn’t end well then just make it up because you know I’m a sucker for happily ever after. Caly sent an internal eye-rolling ode to Disney for that.

Deacon chuckled. One day, Orion saw Artemis crying by the river. He asked her why she was so sad. She told him that she weeps for what happened and what they should have been. Orion was surprised and confused. Artemis finally explained what happened. Orion shared his side and said that his heart had always been hers.

Wait, what about the female Orion was seeing though?

He half-smiled at Caly’s concern. She had always known his heart belonged to Artemis and eventually she found her own love.

Thank God that’s how that story ended. Caly laughed a little.

Unfortunately, Deacon had to force a returned smile. If only that was how his story ended with Starr instead of the disaster crash and burn before it even really began.

Caly saw right through the smiling mask and noticed his pained expression. I’m sorry about you and Elise.

Don’t be. It’s for the best. He winced, realizing Caly thought his reaction was about Elise. When in reality, he was still caught up on Starr, the fire elemental who had blazed right through his heart and left him as a pile of ashes. In reflex to the thoughts, Deacon took a much-needed healthy drink of whiskey.

Caly’s brows furrowed slightly at his response. You really believe that, don’t you? That it was for the best.

He nodded.

Then why— She cut her question off at the realization and suddenly wished she hadn’t opened her mouth. Shit. I’m sorry, D. I didn’t mean—

It’s okay. It’s not like it’s a secret or anything. He blew out a defeated breath. Hell, that’s why it ended between Elise and me.

I don’t know what happened between you and Starr but she’s an idiot. Too bad too, because I liked her, Caly said with a disapproving shake of her head. When Caly refocused her stormy gray eyes on him, Deacon saw the friendly warmth and sisterly love swirling in them. You’re an amazing male and any female would be lucky to have you in her life. She wrapped her arms around him in a sisterly hug. You know me and the pack are here for you, right?

He nodded. Thanks.

This conversation was getting to be too heavy and he didn’t want to park it here. So, he looked into the telescope and maneuvered it until there was another starry scene in view—a scene that told a story that didn’t stab at his already bleeding and broken heart. He also made sure the story had a happy ending for Caly, of course.

2

Ah, the sweet smell of… dirt, Starr thought wryly with her belly plastered to the earth like she was channeling a snake on a stealthy, slithering mission for its prey. Adjusting the binocular-like techy device, she zoomed in on her target: a bastard of a male who thought it was okay to sell innocent specians on the black market.

Fuck that.

Even if she wasn’t going to receive a fat paycheck for taking down the male, she still would’ve hunted him on principle alone.

Starr watched as the male moved freely around the living room in what he, undoubtedly, thought was a secret safe house. Ha. It may have taken months (and a few questionable tactics) but Starr had finally smoked out his location. Little did he know, he was about to be tagged, bagged, and dropped off like a pretty, gift-wrapped package on winter solstice to Species Intelligence Law Enforcement, AKA SILE.

Vampire, Starr deduced the subspecies of one of her target’s lackeys due to the cooler temperature reading from her device.

Shifter… Bear? she questioned the shifter species of another male, noting his stout and grumbly appearance. With my luck, he’ll be a hangry grizzly. She rolled her eyes, shoving back her last encounter with a certifiable a-hole grizzly shifter.

Starr identified a total of four guards. Idiot, she mocked him for his stupidity with a shake of her head. Surely, the sicko male that every SILE officer knew of would not think that a cabin in the woods and four guards would keep him safe.

And fine, the cabin wasn’t the typical one-roomed and off-the-grid log cabin. It was like a full-on cabin house with what looked like two stories and a basement. It looked nice too. Unfortunately, Starr would have to destroy it. Reason being? Too much bad juju. Starr found out that the target male didn’t always sell all of his merchandise. The pecker head was known to keep his prized possessions as prisoners and personal sex slaves for a time, only to sell them off like an old toy when he got bored. So, yeah. The house had to go because of all the unspeakable horrors that took place within those walls. It was the only way to release the horrible energy that was surely crawling through the cracks in the walls and threatening to infect the seemingly serene surrounding area.

Starr continued her surveillance and formulated her best plan of attack.

Stealth, she decided. She was not only outnumbered but she couldn’t exactly waltz up to the place like Little Bo-Peep, pretending she was looking for her lost sheep or some shit. Plus, the perimeter was rigged with an early warning system and they would know the second that she breached it.

How to get past it without setting it off?

As she continued her stake-out mission, contemplating the best course of action, something caught her eye in the surveillance device off in the distance. It was down the only dirt road that led to the cabin. But before anything could register, she immediately swung the zoomed-in focus of the binocular device back to the cabin.

What the…?

The cabin was suddenly under siege as if descended upon by a pack of wolves. It went from silent night to frenzied chaos in two seconds flat. Exterior lights flipped on and practically turned the black of the night sky into day, clearly illuminating the immediate surrounding area. Alarm bells were blaring. And flaming hell, guards were pouring out of the woodwork, like a swarm of killer bees that someone was stupid enough to take the dare and poke the nest with a stick. No, not someone, but rather…

Son of a flaming bitch! Starr exclaimed, catching a quick glimpse of one of the males who was a part of the attack.

Giant. Black hair. Piercing blue eyes. Tattoos. Yup. It was none other than Rhyker of Orion’s Order. So, the house was not under attack by a pack of wolves, but rather a pack of lethally-trained and highly skilled hunters. A pack who she pointedly kept her distance from. A pack who had stolen her hunt before.

Well, screw that! That was so not happening again.

Pushing herself off the ground from her stealth stake-out position, she palmed her knife and charged toward the house at a full sprint. She breezed right by a blacked-out SUV that suddenly skidded to a halt in the drive. Ah, that must’ve been what she picked up on in her peripheral view before everything went to hell in a flaming handbasket. She didn’t hesitate to crash the party of madness and mayhem where her knife and fist were like a fine greeting to the unfortunate friend of the host who thought she was an easy target.

Hey Starr, Rhyland drawled, his fists furiously taking on the grizzly. And, yup. Just as she suspected, the snarly bear looked hangry as hell.

Rhy, Starr acknowledged, slashing out with her knife with a follow-up combo swinging kick move to another guard.

Nice move, Black Widow, Rhyker tacked on, punching the lights out of another male.

They may have been outnumbered but quantity was not the victor over quality in this case. Each of them, including Starr, was a damn good fighter and could easily take on more than one at a time.

Why don’t you take notes, she quipped only to promptly grunt in response to a hit she took on her side. Cursing at the deep laughing response from the twins, she proceeded to take out the male who made her look like a fool. That’s for hitting a female. Her arm swung and hit home with the male’s face. And that’s for working for your bastard boss. She showed off the strength of her leg with a powerful kick to his chest.

As the male flailed backward into another male like a bowling pin taking out its brother, a thunderous growl roared from above and the ceiling shook as if the God of thunder himself was calling on a massive storm. Except, no, it wasn’t a storm, which was confirmed by several sudden crashing bangs on the second story.

I see the wolf king is here, she managed to get out playfully in between punching and deflecting two new opponents who thought they could gang up on her and easily take her out because she was a female. It only took her five seconds flat to knock them both out. Stupid males.

She thought she heard a grunted response from one of the twins but it didn’t register because all of a sudden, a male trying to make a break for it caught her eye.

Oh no you don’t! She sprinted after him, dodging a male’s body that flew over her as the unfortunate aftermath of taking on one of the twins.

What the hell? she thought, swearing she saw a group of males suddenly freeze frame. But that didn’t make any sense. And she couldn’t linger since this SOB escapee was on the GTFO mission.

As the cool night air greeted her face with a chilling whip, her knife flew through the air with lethal speed and sunk into the escapee’s back. He faltered and it was just enough of a delay for her to tag him with an electroshock weapon. Convulsing, he fell flat on his face and she quickly grabbed for her high-tech cuffs and bound his hands and feet with swift, practiced efficiency.

Stay, she playfully commanded like she was training a puppy.

She had a feeling that the subdued, snarling wolf (at least that was what she pegged him for) didn’t appreciate her weird dog training sense of humor. Especially because the male couldn’t shift while bound by the special species cuffs. Smiling at her clever quip, she ran back to the party for what she guessed would be the last call and the final kick-ass hoorah.

The few final crashes reverberating from the floorboards above were like the last little bursts of a firework show before the brief seconds of silence ensued, signaling that the show was over and it was time to go home. And the sweet sound of footsteps down the stairs, accompanied by a chorus of struggling and subdued lackeys, confirmed that the crescendo of their bust had passed and it was time to Cupid Shuffle their asses out of there.

Blake came into view with the male of the hour who was struggling against his cuffs. Instead of being bound by both hands and feet in a sort of hogtie situation, the male’s wrists were bound behind his back with one set of cuffs and his ankles were bound with another set that allowed just enough slack for the prisoner to awkwardly shuffle around.

Here. Blake shoved the male at Rhyker as if he was passing a basketball.

Starr noted how the sicko prisoner wasn’t all that powerful without his money and mini army. And why was it that more often than not, the grimy males on her hit list were shorter than her five-ten frame? Like their short male complex had taken the reins and was on a mission to prove their power and worth or some shit.

Well, isn’t this déjà vu? Starr thought as Blake’s golden gaze appraised her unexpected appearance. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing. This was just how she met this pack of unconventional, hot-blooded males many years ago. It was just how she met… Deacon. As if unable to help themselves due to the subject of her thoughts, her eyes met Deacon’s baby blues and she noted how his black glasses had somehow miraculously withstood the hand-to-hand combat.

There was a beat of silence as everyone caught the ever-apparent awkward exchange between Starr and Deacon. Even the detained criminal noticed the awkward moment and had the balls to say something.

Someone has bad blood, the criminal sneered, somewhat amused at not only seeing the pink elephant in the room between Starr and Deacon but also, noticing how the giant mammal seemed to be growing as the seconds ticked by.

Thankfully, Rhyker’s response was to punch the SOB and knock him out cold—effectively muting the unwanted peanut gallery. And was it really any wonder that even the complete stranger picked up on the sticky thing between Starr and Deacon? No. Because it had always been like there was some sort of spotlight shining on them whenever they were in close proximity.

Starr swallowed. Looking at Deacon after all of these months felt like an old wound reopening after having spent all of its energy and effort desperately trying to knit the flesh back together and heal. Everything she swept under the rug suddenly grew legs and crawled back into that damned spotlight. All of her swirling emotions that she felt for Deacon crashed over her like a tidal wave. All of the memories of their countless flirty interactions and two passionate moments suddenly started playing in the projector at the forefront of her mind. It was like her subconscious had them cued up and decided that moment was perfect for the Facebook friends Year in Review mini recap. It was as if the Universe was amused with her silliness in thinking that the old sweep it under the rug thing would ever work—despite her best efforts to try and forget it all and pretend like it didn’t matter. And it was also kind of like the cosmic powerhouse was trying to make a point and deem it impossible for her to avoid the inevitable any longer. Because there was Deacon, the epicenter of the maelstrom sucking her in. Standing fifteen feet away. Staring at her.

Say something, she internally ordered herself, as if the command could magically poof the perfect words into her mouth. But before she could come up with anything, Deacon silently stormed out of the room—or the excuse for a room at least since it was practically studs and splinters after their fist-fighting rendezvous.

As if tied to Deacon by an invisible string, she ran after him. And wasn’t that quite the turn of the tables? Because he had always been the one to pursue her while she ran away—in the form of skid marks left by motorcycle tires as she tested the zero-to-lightspeed limits of the bike.

Deacon, she called after him, picking up her pace to a light jog to catch up to him. Damn his storming-off stride was fast. And not only did he not respond or acknowledge her in any way but he just kept walking. If it was any other time with any other male, she might have guessed it was just one of those awkward moments where she thought she saw someone she knew and called their name but they ignored her and kept walking—and, yeah, that’s when she would conclude that they weren’t ignoring her on purpose and that they must’ve had earbuds in and not have heard her, right? Except, Deacon damn well knew it was her chasing after him.

Deacon’s feet didn’t falter as they carried him past the blacked-out SUV and stalked into the forest. And she kept on following like she was an unwanted clingy five pounds he was trying to lose… not that he needed to lose any weight because Deacon’s physique was fine as hell.

Deacon. This time, Starr made it clear with her tone that she wasn’t going to let this go and that she was going to follow him to the edge of the forest if she had to.

What do you want, Starr? Deacon didn’t mean for his words to come out so harsh and rough. It was just that seeing her again hurt. Hurt because of the sudden whiplash at the reminder of how the last conversation with Starr went where she made it clear she didn’t want anything to do with him romantically. And hurt because the truth of why it ended between him and Elise still lingered in the air.

At first, when he skidded the blacked-out SUV to a halt, he thought he may have finally gone crazy and hallucinated seeing Starr. But no. He hadn’t gone crazy because she was actually there. And then seeing her in fighting action had everything inside of him boil to the surface, including a primal surge of protectiveness like a charging bull that came out of nowhere. Sure, his pack’s mission was to take down the males while Blake went after the leader. But seeing males attacking Starr did something to him. He was suddenly on a personal mission to protect her and take down anyone who dared charge after her. It all happened so fast, the moments blurring together in a way that he barely had any time to consciously think through what he was doing. And he knew that Starr was a skilled fighter and could more than take care of herself. But in those few fleeting moments, it didn’t matter.

Star’s above, what was wrong with him? Why couldn’t his heart get with the program and understand that she didn’t want him? Yet, why the hell was she chasing after him right now? And no, he didn’t bother stopping his brisk pace—not like he knew where he was stalking off too. But he couldn’t stand still, not with her so close.

Starr recoiled at Deacon’s tone. But she knew she deserved it because of the way she ended it with him when she crushed him (and herself) in the process.

Deacon, wait—

Without warning, he whirled around and she barely stopped in time before plowing right into him. Face to face, their eyes locked and she saw the heated fire within the blue depths—a heated fire which had her stirring awake in response.

"Wait?" he scoffed.

The word must’ve had some sort of powerful energetic rebound effect because in reaction, she took a couple of steps back to put distance between them. But the motion only seemed to stoke the fire to a blazing inferno in his baby blues.

Starr, I’m done waiting.

His words had her inner fire surge… and not in passion. No, not even close. She was now burning with fury as the memory of the species bar, Spiked, swung a mean right hook and forced her to remember seeing him flirt with a female which quickly led to exchanging numbers and then leaving with said female.

She huffed out the most sarcastic and caustic noise. "Oh, you’re done waiting? It didn’t seem like you waited very long, Deacon."

Deacon’s expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief. "What are you talking about? We danced our little duet for years, Starr."

I was there that night, you know. She still very much had a sting in her tone as if he was lying to her and she was calling him out.

Deacon’s brow furrowed. What night?

The fire of fury sparked in her eyes. Spiked. When Deacon’s face twisted further in confusion, she added, The night you invited me to celebrate the closing of Cecille’s case.

She saw the second that recognition splashed across his face followed by ripples of shock. Yeah, that’s right. Her tone was full of prickly accusation. I saw you talking with that female at the bar.

Now wait one moment here, Deacon asserted, interjecting himself right into the middle of the fiery allegation. "Starr, when I invited you, you not only declined but you made it very clear there was never going to be anything between us."

And fine, she kind of did. In fact, her exact words were, Look, I don’t know how much clearer I can make this. There is no we. There is no us. There is no real chance.

She winced at the memory and how her words had felt like she sliced through her own heart. And she truly didn’t mean to have hurt Deacon. But in the end, she honestly believed that breaking things off before it went any further was best for both of them—okay, best for her.

Star’s above, Starr was there that night? Deacon thought, recalling how that was the night he had to force himself to go out, despite his heart being crushed by Starr. That was the night he tried to move on from her. That was the night he met Elise. But wait, was she saying that she showed up?

You’re the one who pushed me away. You’re the one who kept me at a distance. You’re the one who refused to let there be an us, Deacon continued.

Starr silently took the verbal blows one after another because she knew he was right in this.

If I had known you were going to show up that night— He blew out a breath full of emotions, his hand raking through his sandy blonde hair. And was he a fool for thinking that her showing up that night meant what he thought it meant?

Hell, Starr. What am I to think of this? Why did you show up? And why didn’t you call or text? He didn’t pause to let her answer. His questions and thoughts kept firing out as if he was emptying an entire gun clip. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming out? Hell, if I knew then I never would’ve talked to Elise that night. I only went out with her because you made it clear there was nothing between us. I was just trying to move on from you.

Starr shrank back with realization. Damn, that was Elise? And yeah, she may have done a little snooping around to know Deacon was dating the female. So screw her because she was not above digitally stalking an ex by any means. Even though he technically wasn’t her ex. Regardless, during her stalker search, a part of her thought that the female looked familiar and possibly could have been the same one she saw at Spiked that night but she couldn’t be sure. Her emotions were all over the place that night and it clouded her memory.

And again, he was right. She had made it abundantly clear that there would never be anything between them and that they would only ever be just flirty friends. She just pushed him away to protect herself. She knew there couldn’t be anything between them because it would never last.... he would leave her, because they always did.

Well, it looks like you didn’t wait very long to move on. Her tone was biting.

Deacon made a scoffing grunt, unable to take this incredulity. Yes, I did date Elise. But we broke up.

Broke up? Starr stood stunned as the words doused her inner flames somewhat and her world stilled on its axis.

We broke up because we’re not meant for each other. We broke up because I couldn’t stop thinking about someone else.

Oh, great. Now there’s another female in the mix? she thought, her fury surging inside of her once more. She needed to get the flaming fireball out of this situation pronto. And she knew it would be like this. Because it was always like this.

Why the hell are you even here to begin with? What were you thinking following him into the woods? she internally chided, looking around for her quickest escape route. But that was the thing, it was like she couldn’t help but gravitate closer to him. And couldn’t help but watch as her guards melted away. There was just something about the male that had always had that effect on her whenever they were close.

What happened to your never again plan? She kept up with her internal monologue, referring to the vow she made that night when she showed up at Spiked and saw Deacon flirting with Elise. Originally, her plan was to show up at the bar and come clean to Deacon that she was just scared at what was blossoming between them and so she pushed him away. But when she saw him with Elise, she decided to never put herself in that position ever again.

Starr, it’s you. I was never able to stop thinking about you.

Wait, what did he say?

Silence. Silence consumed the space for several seconds except for the rustle of leaves from a slight night breeze.

So, I am done waiting, Deacon broke the silence, taking a step closer to her. I’m done being the patient, nice gentlemale. He took another step. I don’t care how much time has passed between us. I want you. Another step. Alarm bells were going off in her brain. Hell, everyone knows I want you. Another step. More alarm bells. You flirt with me but go running in the other direction when it’s more than that. In fact, when it did become more than that, you ran so fast and made sure I wouldn’t follow. He closed the remaining step between them.

Shit. What was he doing? He was so fired up from the fight and seeing Starr again that he was utterly lost in the sudden eruption of emotions from being mere inches from the apex of his deepest desires.

This... He motioned between them, pausing to allow the palpable chemistry dancing between them to finish the thought for him.

She swallowed.

I’m done being the nice male, he repeated and before she could blink, he cupped her face and crushed his lips to hers.

Fireworks. There were fireworks going off in her mind and along her nerve endings like it was the Fourth of July at Disneyland. Wow, his lips were demanding and for Hellfire’s sake, how his kiss did things to her. Her lower belly clenched and little shocks of electricity rippled out with each caress of his lips, only to zap awake the most feminine of places.

Stop before it’s too late, she thought, summoning the internal strength to pull back. But her attempts were futile because it was like trying to resist a gravitational force pulling her closer and closer on an inward spiral until she permanently collided with Deacon. Hell, it’s already too late and you know that. It’s been too late since the moment you met. You were just being a fool thinking you could run from this.

Her barriers cracked and she surrendered into the passionate wave of the kiss completely. She dimly remembered her back suddenly being pressed up against a tree while his mouth and hands never broke their connection with her. Moaning, her legs wrapped around his waist as if they were more than desperate to seal his hips to hers.

Without warning, he broke the kiss but his male body still very much remained pressed up against her, and their heavy breaths mixed with one another. As if time stood still, their eyes locked on one another for the longest moment and their conscious minds attempted to catch up and compute the last few passionate moments.

Yeah, it was definitely too late. That was the best kiss of her life—which said things because she never thought the other two that she shared with him would ever be beaten. Screwed. She was so screwed.

Deacon. She continued to hold his gaze, riding the coattails of the erotically emotional high, and close contact with his hard body. The sheer intimate intensity of it all swept her away and had her brain short circuit, allowing words she kept hidden to pour out of her mouth. I pushed you away and kept my distance because...

I’m scared, her vulnerable thought filled the split-second hesitation before she course-corrected to a less heart-on-her-sleeve confession.

Because of how strong my feelings are towards you. And I don’t even really know you.

Sure, they had known each other for years but she made it a point to never get close and keep him at an arm's length.

Since the moment I met you, I’ve felt a pull, she continued because apparently there was no stopping the lava finally spewing from her mouth after years of simmering. But I don’t get attached to others. I’m single and independent by choice in every area of my life and I like it that way. There was a heartbeat of hesitation. If we did this and it didn’t work out…

You would ruin me, she internally finished, unable to allow those words to form in the physical reality outside the protection of her guarded mind.

There was a moment where Deacon just stared into Starr’s dark brown eyes as if trying to glimpse the gold flecks that usually only flashed in the sunlight. As if hunting for those brief flashes would let him know that this moment was real and he didn’t get knocked unconscious during the fight and dream all of this passionate crazy up. He felt the curves of her body nestled up against his as if they were two puzzle pieces sliding into place. And the way their breath mingled with one another’s told him this was, in fact, real.

Thank you, he finally said.

What? Her brow furrowed in confusion at his response and suddenly, the vulnerability of her confession was threatening to pull her under. What was she thinking opening up like this?

Thank you for being honest and opening up to me. His tone was soft and gentle as if he knew she was a spooked horse on the heels of booking it the hell out of there.

With a visible swallow, her eyes looked around. The intensely deep eye contact was too much. Her vulnerable words were too much. This was too much.

You don’t think I’m scared of the possibility that this might not work out? That you might push me away and keep your distance? That my heart may get crushed by you again? His body pressed into hers ever so slightly and his words pulled her eyes back to his. But you know what? I’m willing to take a chance on us because I know what I want. Always have. I know how I feel for you. You’re all I can see, breathe, and think. Your starlight has me spellbound.

Frozen. She was frozen like those millions of twinkling stars shining in the midnight sky above. She couldn't think. She couldn’t speak. Hell, she didn’t know if she was still breathing. With a wave of desperation, she fought the urge to jump at what he said and cling the fuck on to him and never let go. But memories of the past assaulted her mind in protest. She looked away and pushed at his torso to let her down.

He acquiesced and the sudden feeling of the cold night air between them was only amplified by the fact that she knew she was pulling away. This was too much. This was crazy. This was going against everything she built her life on.

The silence continued to stretch between them.

Starr, I can see you’re pulling away. Deacon was preparing for the inevitable Starr-run-away move like she was a shooting star streaking away in a bright flash.

Except, no. This time he was going to be the one to walk away. He couldn’t keep doing this… whatever this was with Starr. And he couldn’t force her to face her fears. He laid all of his cards out on the table and maybe that was enough for him to actually move on this time. He gave her another moment to say something. When she didn’t, he turned and walked away.

You’re right, Starr blurted out on a tremulous breath. I’m scared.

Oh god. Do not cry, Starr. You’re a fucking badass hunter. Start acting like it, she silently told herself.

Deacon turned and closed the distance between them as if he knew that was the most vulnerable confession Starr had ever revealed out loud. His expression softened. "Me too. But I’m even more scared