Found and Forged Read online

  Found and Forged

  Ivy Asher

  Copyright © 2019 Ivy Asher

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author, except in cases of a reviewer quoting brief passages in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by Polished Perfection

  Cover Design by Nichole Witholder at Rainy Day Artwork

  For Jon Skelly.

  All the fucks in this book are for you.

  You are missed.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  36. Six months later

  Chapter 37

  Thank you so fucking much for reading!!!

  Also by Ivy Asher

  About the Author

  1

  “That. Do you smell that rotten cauliflower mixed with sour milk scent?” Torrez asks me, his big hand moving to the small of my back and his chest just brushing against my shoulder as he leans down.

  I shake away the distracting, dirty thoughts his proximity sends firing through my synapses, and focus on what he’s asking. I take a deep pull and try not to crinkle my nose as the sharp, potent tang of rot filters in.

  “Excellent,” Torrez coaches as he lowers his voice. “That poker face is a must, especially around other shifters. You don’t want to give away what scents you’re picking up from them.”

  I nod and turn my attention back to the lamia we’re questioning. His face is set like he can’t hear anything we’re saying and is simply waiting for the next question.

  “Do you promise not to hunt another Sentinel down or assist anyone else who may want to?” I ask, ticking through the list of memorized questions we’ve been asking the lamia of this nest for the past week.

  “I promise that all Sentinels will be safe from me,” he replies casually, looking me in the eye as if it will override the new dose of rotten cauliflower and sour milk that’s just permeated the air.

  I shake my head at the lamia and try not to breathe too deeply of the lie he just tainted the room with. In a flash of movement, I magic a short sword into my palm, and remove his head. Torrez and I both jump back to try and avoid the spray of blood, but it does little to stop us from getting splattered as the lamia’s body falls to the floor and then turns to ash.

  “Looks like shower number three is in order,” I grumble as Torrez pulls a handkerchief from his back pocket and hands it to me to wipe my face.

  “Mmmm, I can think of worse ways I could spend my time,” Torrez confesses, dropping his voice to that sexy rumble that he knows makes me wet.

  The memory of the last shower we took together pops up in my mind, and I lick my lips at the thought of the sexy wrestle fight that occurred and the new cracks we left in the surrounding stone walls. Who knew fucking and fighting for dominance was so hot? Torrez’s gaze dips to my mouth, and a knowing smile stretches across his face. I reach up with the handkerchief and clear his face of blood. He shaved this morning, and his face is smooth.

  “I want these stubble free cheeks between my thighs,” I tell him as I run my fingers over his strong jaw and up into his short black hair.

  He steps into me and grabs my hips. “I can arrange that,” he tells me.

  The scent of warm pine swirls around me, and his brown eyes light up with heat and promises of pleasure.

  “I can smell your want, Wolf,” I purr seductively as I deactivate the runes of my mate mark. Color blooms around me as my wolf eyes give way to my Sentinel eyes. The smell of Torrez and his desire fades momentarily until he bends down and nips at my shoulder, and my senses are once again filled with the clean woodsy scent that he exudes.

  “Mmmm, and I can smell yours, Witch.”

  A knock on the door pulls my focus away from the feel of Torrez’s soft lips on my skin. The door opens, and Bastien walks in. He takes one look at the ash on the floor and nods.

  “Another one?” he confirms.

  “Yeah, what’s that put us at?” I ask as I fight back the shiver that courses through me when Torrez nips at my earlobe.

  “Fifty-three. Which is not bad considering how long Adriel was hunting Sentinels and mind-fucking this nest.”

  I nod in agreement, but I’m momentarily lost in thought. Fifty-three lamia who couldn’t be trusted not to continue what Adriel had started. That’s one-fifth of the 267 that were in the nest, but it seemed like a lot of them were coming out of the woodwork just in the past couple of days.

  “How many are left?” I ask absently.

  Torrez’s hands drop from my hips, and he reaches back to cup my ass. He’s purposely making it harder to focus on what Bastien’s saying. I chuckle, amused with his efforts.

  “That was the last. We only had twenty left for today, and you two flew through them. You’re getting better,” Bastien compliments me as he taps his nose.

  I smile at the praise and release a tension-filled exhale. I’m glad to be done with trying to suss out who in this nest is still a threat.

  “The sisters are ready whenever you are to go through what they’re packing for you,” Bastien adds and leans against the doorway, pushing his long dark brown waves away from his face.

  I run my hungry gaze over his tall chiseled body. “I need to shower first, and then we can get all of that squared away.”

  “Dibs!” Bastien calls out, his hazel eyes eager and sparkling with humor.

  Torrez’s head snaps up, and he levels a glare at a now smirking Bastien.

  “You snooze, you lose, Wolf,” Bastien taunts, and Torrez throws his head back and releases an irritated growl.

  I snicker at the exchange, and Bastien gives me a cocky wink that sends a zap of lust straight to my clit.

  “Don’t you start, Witch,” Torrez jokes, and I throw up my hands, palms out, in a gesture of innocence.

  “Hey, it beats roshambo,” I declare.

  “I liked that better. I keep forgetting we changed the rules,” Torrez whines, and I laugh even harder.

  “You liked that better because you won more,” Bastien playfully accuses. “And I don’t care what you say, I still think it’s because you can somehow smell what we choose before we throw it.”

  Torrez grins and shakes his head. “Pshhh, I’m just that good,” he announces cockily and then proceeds to pull his hand from my ass to make the universal sign for scissors and then blows on it.

  I slap his chest on a laugh and move out of his personal space. I step over the pile of ash and reach for Bastien’s
outstretched hand.

  “You’ve done me wrong, bro,” Torrez jokes.

  “Stop giving me those puppy dog eyes,” Bastien scolds and then guffaws when Torrez pokes out his lower lip. “Fair is fair,” Bastien defends.

  “Heartless,” Torrez calls out and grabs his chest dramatically. “At least let me watch if you won’t let me play.”

  My head snaps to Torrez, shocked. His smile grows even wider.

  “You know you’d like it,” he teases and gives me a brow waggle.

  I shrug because there’s no way I could honestly deny that.

  TGV strikes again.

  Like they can hear that thought, Torrez and Bastien both laugh. Or maybe it’s my lack of denial that they find so amusing. Bastien pulls me out of the ash-tainted room, and Torrez follows closely on our heels like the excited puppy he is. We pass a group of lamia in the hall, and they give us a wide berth.

  It bothers me that a lot of the nest still acts like we’re a threat and deserving of their fear. I suppose the ash dusting my clothes right now isn’t exactly the most comforting sight to them, but we’re not just killing all willy-nilly. We’ll be leaving any day now, and we need to make sure this nest isn’t a threat to us or the remaining lamia anymore before we go.

  Surprisingly, the lamia have taken to the members of the Volkov shifter pack that fought with us like they’re family. I don’t know if it’s a language thing or if their camaraderie finds its foundation in a mutual dislike for casters and paladin. Whatever the reason, they’ve welcomed each other with open arms, and the Volkov pack has pledged to protect the nest after the rest of us are gone.

  It’s one less thing I need to worry about or be responsible for, and I’m grateful for the alpha, Fedor—even though he hasn’t let up with the Brun love. I swear, if I have to hear him gloat about how amazing Brun is one more time, I’m going to lose it. At first he was just talking her up to Torrez, but now he sings her praises to all my Chosen. Fucking questionable taste, if you ask me.

  “Vinna,” echoes up the hall from behind us, and I turn to find Becket and Enoch.

  “Any luck?” I call out as they make their way closer.

  They both slow and shake their heads. I let out a frustrated huff.

  “We searched his quarters, the library, and anywhere else it would make sense for a crazy leech to keep books about Sentinels, but we can’t find anything,” Becket explains, and I look around the cave-hallway as if clues are written on the walls.

  “He could have been lying, Vinna,” Enoch offers with a shrug.

  “Maybe,” I finally admit. “I don’t know why he would; he seemed to know so much.”

  “He was probably just fucking with you. His brother was Chosen, so he could have learned a lot from him. We don’t know at what point Adriel went off the rails. He could have been getting the inside scoop for ages,” Becket declares.

  As much as I hate it, it’s time I accept that he’s probably right. There’s no point stressing over what are probably non-existent books.

  “This cave is massive. It would probably take a year to search every nook and cranny to be sure one way or the other. You’ll be around Sentinels soon. I’m sure they can teach you more than any book Adriel might have had hidden somewhere in this place,” Enoch tells me with a comforting smile.

  Bastien rubs small circles on the back of my hand with his thumb, and nerves burst to life in my stomach at the thought of other Sentinels.

  “Speaking of, when are we heading out?” Becket inquires.

  Bastien’s grip tightens on mine, but he thankfully keeps his mouth shut. If I have to dive back into the argument of why Enoch and his coven should come with us to Sentinel City, I’m going to punch him and then revoke his dibs for a month. Maybe not that last part, but definitely the punching will happen.

  “We finished with the last of the interviews today, so as soon as everyone is packed and ready to go, we can head out. I’ll check with Sorik and let you guys know.”

  Becket and Enoch both give me nods and head back in the direction they came from. Bastien tugs at my hand to get me moving, and I shove away my disappointment at not finding any Sentinel instruction manuals and remind myself of what Bastien and I were just headed off to do.

  I wonder if Torrez really will just watch or if he’ll join in on the fun?

  “Wolf,” Knox calls out as we turn down the hallway that leads to our room.

  We all groan simultaneously and turn to find Knox jogging up the hallway.

  Damn, he’s gorgeous.

  “Some Brun chick is asking for you. Something about needing help getting patrols organized,” Knox explains, and I growl.

  Torrez laughs, and I round on him. “Do I need to kick her ass again? What’s her deal anyway?”

  Torrez throws his hands up in a placating gesture. “She’s who Fedor sent. The quicker we get her sorted, the faster we can all leave,” he reminds me.

  “Get her sorted? Should have let me rip off her head when I had the chance,” I grumble and move my face away from Torrez when he tries to land an amused kiss on the tip of my nose.

  “Let her know I’ll be down to find her in an hour or…” He looks at me. “Make that two hours. I’ll come track her down when I’m done,” Torrez instructs, and my greedy vagina gives a greedy clench of excited anticipation.

  “Will do,” Knox replies. “Where are you guys off to?” he asks casually, but the glint in his eye gives him away.

  “To fuck,” Bastien announces and starts pulling me down the hallway again.

  I laugh.

  “Dibs on the next free moment she has,” Knox shouts after us.

  Bastien stops and rolls his eyes. “You can’t call dibs on possible future opportunities; you have to be there in the moment to call it. Those are the rules,” Bastien explains, exasperated.

  “Don’t know why we couldn’t just stick to rock-paper-scissors,” Knox grumbles. “No complicated rules for that one.”

  Torrez puts his fist out toward Knox. “Right! That’s what I was just saying,” he declares as Knox fist bumps him.

  “Pretty sure you were cheating though,” Knox tells Torrez, and now Bastien puts his fist out to Knox, ready for his fist bump.

  I chuckle and shake my head at the bro-out that’s happening right now. I squeak in surprise when Bastien slaps my ass suddenly and continues down the hallway. Knox follows us, and I laugh at the confused look Bastien gives him.

  “What are you doing?” he asks Knox as he continues to follow us to our room.

  “You said I had to be there in the moment to call dibs on the next opportunity. I’m coming so I can call dibs on the next opportunity.”

  Knox announces this like Bastien is an idiot for not making the connection.

  “Well played,” Bastien states with a head nod, and then we’re all back to rushing down the hallway.

  “Run faster,” Torrez calls out. “Someone else will come interrupt any second now, we need to mooove.” Torrez vocalizes the last word like some SWAT team commander on TV, and we all pick up the pace.

  Bastien throws the door to the room open and then stops suddenly, forcing the rest of us behind him to slam into his broad back.

  “What the hell—” I start but stop when the sisters’ smiling faces all look up from the backpacks they’re currently packing.

  “Perfect timing,” Birdie beams, and she flits over and extracts me from the muscle sandwich I was just enjoying. “We need to steal you for a bit, Vinna, so we can pick out the items you think will work best for this trip, and then we’ll get your pack finished and loaded up.”

  I look back longingly over my shoulder at the guys, and Lila giggles.

  “There will be plenty of time for ravaging later, Love. The sooner we get this done, the better,” she consoles me, and thank fuck I don’t blush, because the way she says ravaging would have done the trick otherwise.

  “You three are as bad as the Captain,” Knox accuses and then dives out the door to
avoid the hiking boot Adelaide throws at him with a laugh.

  “These packs are ready to go,” Birdie announces, pointing to four packs lined up against the wall by the door. “Would you boys use those strong muscles Vinna is always going on about, and carry those up to the vehicles?” Birdie bats her eyelashes at Torrez and Bastien, and they fold like cardboard.

  “The dibs still counts!” Bastien declares as he picks up two packs and walks over to me. He kisses me soundly and then bends down a little to look me in the eyes. “Paused only,” he imparts as he turns and heads for the door.

  “Just paused,” I shout at his back as he disappears out of the room.

  Torrez chuckles and shakes his head. “Greedy, greedy, greedy,” he heckles as he grabs the two other packs and turns to follow Bastien out the door.

  “TGV forevaaaahhh,” I call behind him and then laugh when I hear his guffaw echo back down the hallway and into the room.

  “You have excellent taste, I must say,” Adelaide tells me and then snaps a shirt at my butt. I squeak in protest and scramble away from her when it looks like she’s going to do it again. “That Torrez and Siah are just the sweetest, and you know how we feel about the boys,” she tells me as she adds her shirt weapon into the kind of pack hard-core backpackers wear.

  “Is it their sweet personalities that you’re a fan of or their sweet heinies that have been catching your eye?” I tease and chuck a sock at Adelaide. “Don’t think I haven’t seen that dreamy look in your eye as you ogle Siah.”

  She gasps in faux outrage.