New Vyr (Daughters of Beasts Book 5) Read online

  NEW VYR

  (DAUGHTERS OF BEASTS, BOOK 5)

  By T. S. JOYCE

  Other Books in this Series

  Novak Grizzly (Book 1)

  Beck Bear (Book 2)

  Ash Bear (Book 3)

  Grim Christmas (Book 4)

  New Vyr

  Copyright © 2018 by T. S. Joyce

  Copyright © 2018, T. S. Joyce

  First electronic publication: January 2019

  T. S. Joyce

  www.tsjoyce.com

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  Published in the United States of America.

  Cover Image: Wander Aguiar

  Cover Model: Tyler Halligan

  Contents

  Other Books in this Series

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

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  Chapter One

  This wasn’t how Vyr Daye’s happily ever after was supposed to be.

  He pushed open the door of the mansion but could tell Riyah wasn’t here. The creaking of the door echoed, and the place was dark and cold.

  Inside of him, the Red Dragon moved in discomfort. It wasn’t because this place was dark like the shifter prison he’d almost died in. It wasn’t because of the cold that made the dragon slower and weaker. It wasn’t because he wasn’t greeted by his Sons of Beasts Crew. Again.

  It was because he still couldn’t push into Riyah’s mind. She’d kicked him out of her head months ago and hadn’t lifted the veil for him to feel what she was feeling. Not even once. Not even when she slept.

  That distance made his dragon want to burn everything.

  Being an Alpha was supposed to be so different.

  Being open about his dragon with the public was supposed to be different.

  Happily ever after was supposed to be different.

  Vyr had ruined everything.

  The worst part? He was always going to ruin everything. Monsters had destinies just like everyone else, and sometimes good people got caught up in the fate of demons. And sometimes it broke them.

  Vyr set his duffle bag on the scuffed wood floors and flipped on the light.

  Nox was sitting there. Vyr startled hard, but kept his face blank. He was getting better at showing no emotion. Just like his father, the Blue Dragon, Damon Daye.

  “I can’t sense you anymore,” Vyr murmured, frowning. Maybe it was another hallucination. Those happened more frequently now. “What have you done?”

  “Not me, Sky-Lizard. Riyah’s protecting us now.” He pointed to his head. “No trespassing in the old noggin’ anymore. Not after that war with Rogue Pride.”

  “It wasn’t a war with them,” Vyr growled, feeling utterly betrayed. By Nox. By Riyah. Fuck. Softer, he said, “I was only after the Tarian Pride.”

  Nox snarled up his lip, and his eyes flashed bright blue for a moment. And then he forced a smile and a laugh while shoving a present across the coffee table. It was in the shape of a book and wrapped in paper with tacos and Santa hats. “I got you a belated Christmas present.”

  “The assload of coal you dumped on the front lawn wasn’t sufficient?” Vyr asked.

  “Just so you don’t get joy out of opening your thoughtful gift,” Nox said, standing and stretching his back. “I got you a book called How Not To Be A Possessive Dick For Dummies.”

  “That’s the most offensive gift I’ve ever been given,” Vyr said, allowing a small internal smile but nothing more.

  “Thank you.”

  “Wasn’t a compliment.”

  Nox shrugged up his shoulder and made his way toward the hallway. “Hey, Vyr?” he asked, turning just before he disappeared.

  Vyr dragged his gaze from the present. “Yes?”

  “You know who still believes in you?”

  Vyr couldn’t name anyone, so he answered with a head shake.

  Nox thumped himself on the chest and gritted his teeth. “Me. Nevada. Candace. Torren will never quit, even if you succeed in burning the whole fuckin’ world.” Nox swallowed hard and gritted out, “And Riyah. She’s still here, man.”

  “Protecting my own Crew from me.”

  “So stop giving her a reason to protect us. This is the way it was always going to be—”

  “No, this isn’t okay—”

  “It is! You know why? Because you’re the real End of Days, right? It was never Kane who was going to claim the world. It was always you. Guess who called that shit from birth? Me! And Torren! And we picked you anyway because we believe in you. It was always going to be up and down. Good, steady times punctuated by rock-fuckin’-bottom and your control slipping. But you know what you learn when you’re at the top? Nothing. And you know what you learn at rock bottom?” Nox snarled up his lip and his eyes flashed brighter. “Everything.”

  Vyr’s eyes burned, but he didn’t know why. He’d cried twice in his whole life. Once the day he thought the New IESA had killed his dragon. And once on the worst day of his life, six months ago. What was wrong with him? He only knew one thing for sure. “I’ve failed her—”

  “Shut the fuck up. None of that self-pity shit here, Red Dragon. Riyah knew what she was getting when she chose you. And so did the rest of us. Remember that video you made us? When you needed us in that prison? When you needed us to be there for you? You said, ‘Come. Here.’ And we did. No questions asked, we came for you.” Nox jammed a finger at Vyr. “You owe us. Come. Here.” He swallowed hard, his eyes rimmed with moisture that fell to his cheeks, and he ran his hand down his face roughly to dry it. “Come back.”

  Nox disappeared into the dark hallway. He’d changed over this last trip. He was angry now. Not normal Nox who was angry at the world but kept his sense of humor. This was a tired Nox. This was a side of him Vyr had never seen. Vyr’s fault. This was all on him.

  He needed to figure out a way to stop the Red Dragon from his plans and fix his Crew.

  In a hoarse voice, Vyr called out, “Where is she?”

  “Orchard,” was all the Son of the Cursed Bear said.

  Vyr rolled his eyes closed and sighed. Fuck.

  Chapter Two

  He was here. Vyr. Not her Vyr, because Riyah hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her Vyr in months. But the shell was here.

  She fought the temptation to let her walls down, but she couldn’t let him feel the sadness she did right now. Not when she was looking at the tiny gravestones on the
ground, in the very back corner of her very favorite place—her orchard.

  She knew it wasn’t the real him, and he would be like he always was—distant. But she still got excited to see him anyway, because she loved him unconditionally. She loved him to the stars and back, and her heart would feel that way until her last breath. He was everything.

  She pushed off her knees and smiled at the stones because that’s where she was at. This was the point in her healing she had reached. She could smile again, and it was a big deal.

  Power pulsed inside of her, but she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, focused on keeping the energy inside of her. This place was sacred, and it deserved better than her losing control and decimating it.

  Everyone thought Vyr was the danger. And he was. But he wasn’t the only one.

  It was the day after Christmas, and the snow was thick and crisp on the ground. She should’ve been cold, but she didn’t feel much anymore. The rows of fruit trees had lost all their leaves that autumn, and this place looked barren and cold to anyone else. But to her, this was home. Why? Because Vyr had made it for her. He’d bought this land, planted the trees, and built the giant shed for all the equipment. For the last two years, he’d helped her harvest the fruit and sell them at flea markets like she’d done with her mother as a child.

  Riyah was a witch, natural born, just like her mother was. Like Vyr was and his mother, Clara Daye. She could feel him getting closer. Vyr, Vyr, Vyr. She began to jog. His mind was open.

  Where are you? Riyah, where are you?

  She wanted to answer him, but she couldn’t lift the veil. Her feelings would set off his volatile dragon.

  She ran faster. There he was. She could see his aura long before she could make out his facial features. Muddy brown. No more purple. He hadn’t been a pretty color in months. No, he wasn’t her Vyr, but at least part of him was here.

  Long, powerful strides headed straight for her. She wasn’t imagining him, not this time. He was here. He was home. She pushed her legs faster. His red hair was mussed. Longer on top, short on the sides. He’d gotten a haircut somewhere while he was away. Bright silver eyes with elongated pupils. The Red Dragon. He was bigger than when he’d left. He’d put on seven…maybe ten pounds of muscle. It was obvious in his tight white sweater. His powerful legs were pushing against the fabric of his jeans as he moved faster toward her. His skin was so pale. It was as white as the snow he walked on. And the closer she got, the more exhausted his eyes looked.

  Instinct told her to stop. Experience told her to stop. He would reject her again. Dozens of little rejections, but she wanted him to let her in. And maybe, just maybe, it would be different this time.

  She didn’t stop. She ran right into his outstretched arms and held on as tight as she could. She didn’t cry. Riyah didn’t do that anymore. Her tears had dried up a long time ago. But her heart was breaking in a good way. He was actually hugging her. Holding her.

  And then he placed his lips right near her ear and whispered, “Why did you bury them here?”

  Riyah looked up at the sky and held him tight. He should hear this. He should talk about it. “Because you made this place for me. And they deserve your love, too.”

  “Fuck,” he choked out. His hands gripped her jacket, and he pulled her body so hard against him that it was hard to breathe. But it felt so good.

  “I miss you,” she murmured brokenly.

  “I’m here.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” she said, easing back. She cupped the red beard that dusted his jaw and searched those dragon eyes. “I miss you.”

  He held her gaze for a moment, and then she witnessed it—the shutdown. He made a clicking sound behind his teeth and looked off into the woods with that vacant stare she’d come to know so well.

  Anger boiled through her blood, and a little piece of her wanted to slap him just to remind him she was still here. “I exist, you know? I’m the one waiting at home while you claim new territory.”

  “You could come with me.”

  “I don’t support you giving in to the dragon. You’re addicted, Vyr. With every territory you allow your dragon to claim, you have less control over him.”

  “I never had control of him,” he said blandly.

  Her fury got the best of her as she stomped past him. She lifted the veil just enough to put one word in his head. Liar.

  Vyr yelled, and she heard the sound of him falling to his knees behind her. When she turned, he was hunched over, clutching his head. “Riyah,” he whispered. “What have you been hiding from me?”

  She lifted her chin. “I’ll show you when you’re strong enough.”

  “You’ll taunt me with a glimpse of it?”

  “Taunt you? You think I want to do this alone? I love you, Vyr. I love you!” A wave of power blasted out from her with the last word, and the snow blew away in a perfect circle around them. They were left in the center of a frozen field.

  “How? If I keep…keep…”

  “It’s my loss, too, Vyr. I lost them, too! I lost…” She strode over to him, sank down onto his lap, and hugged his shoulders tight, daring him to try to escape her this time. “I lost them, but even worse, I lost you at the same time. You’ve made me go through this alone.”

  “You have Candace and Nevada.”

  “I need you.”

  “Torren and Nox are understanding.”

  “They aren’t my mates, Vyr! They’re my Crew!”

  “I don’t know how to do this!” Vyr yelled, hugging her so tight her ribs cracked. “I can’t fix it. I can’t protect you.”

  “Is that what this is about? Protecting me? From pain? You’re making it worse by not being here for me.”

  “Give me any person who would ever hurt you, and I would turn them to ash and devour them without blinking. I always knew my role. I was supposed to keep you safe, Riyah. And I was the one who poisoned you instead.”

  “Poisoned me?” she asked softly. “Vyr, you can’t believe that. For a while, I was their mother.” Oh, God, give me strength to just tell him how it is. “My two perfect boys.”

  “Perfect. They were gargoyles.”

  “Don’t call them that,” she snapped. “They were perfect. Who could’ve stopped them from shifting before they were ready? Who could’ve stopped their little dragons? Hmm? Had they lived, they would be just like you,” she said, her voice dipping to a proud whisper. “And I would’ve loved every second.”

  “They were born with wings, Riyah. They will always be born like that. Beaston said it’s the way the world has to balance us. We’re each too big. There’s too much power between us. Offspring—”

  “Don’t call them that.”

  A long rumble emanated from him. “Our children would end the world. But you’re my mate, and to me, you are the world. You want to be a mother, and you deserve to be a mother. I want to see you holding my child, and I can’t give that to you. This is the consequence of our power. You settled in so many ways the day you chose me.”

  “Vyr,” she murmured, running her hands through his hair. She smiled. “You still don’t see what I see, you silly man.”

  “What do you see?” Heartache tainted his voice.

  She pressed her hand against his pounding heart. “To me, you’re also the whole world. You think I don’t have those moments, too? The ones where I feel like I failed? The ones where I’m sad and I miss them and I feel like I let you down for not making you a dad?” She shrugged. “I know I can’t ever give you that either. But you won’t fix it by feeding your dragon power. You will ruin us and this Crew. And probably the whole damn world by the time the Red Dragon is done.”

  Vyr traced her lips with his fingertip. “You smiled. I haven’t seen that in a long time.”

  “You gave me that smile.”

  “I have an admission,” he rumbled, brushing her dark hair from her face.

  “Tell me everything.” She always said that when he had admissions. “I’ll keep your secrets
safe. Always.”

  He inhaled deeply. “When I’m gone, hunting new territories…I have a dream. Just one, over and over, every night I’m away from you.”

  Riyah wrapped her legs around him. This was the most he’d spoken to her in months. “Is it a dirty dream?”

  Vyr snorted. “No. I dream we’re on our bed, and I’m tracing your freckles.” He lifted his finger from just below her lips to her cheek and began to trace the dark spots she’d inherited from her mother. “And you’re looking at me with this little smile.”

  She sighed and leaned into his touch.

  “Yeah,” he said, staring at her lips. “A smile just like that one. And then your freckles move and change, then suddenly we’re on our backs on the floor of that prison, looking up at those stars you put on the ceiling. But the words don’t say ‘I’m yours’ anymore. They say ‘I’m theirs.’ When I wake up, my whole chest is on fire, and I wish it could be true. That you could be theirs. If you were with someone normal, you could have a baby.”

  “A witch baby.”

  “Be serious.”

  “I am being serious. My genetics aren’t exactly cream of the crop either, Vyr. Which is why I’ve come to a decision.”

  Vyr frowned. “What decision?”

  “I don’t want to try again.”

  “For another baby?”

  “I went to see Beaston.” She nearly choked on the admission and repeated it softer. “I went to see Beaston. And when I asked if I would ever be a mother, I pushed my way into his head. Oh, he knew what I was doing. He gave me this wicked smile and stopped talking out loud. I could see what he saw for me. I’d wanted answers, and he gave them to me. Thoroughly. If our children were to survive, no one else would. It would be the coming of the end, and no one could stop it. I saw in his head, Vyr. I was holding a little blond-haired baby on my hip. He had glowing green eyes, like his animal was already awake and watching. You were standing next to me, and all around us was fire. I don’t know whether that was a yes or a no on me being a mother. But I haven’t been able to think about anything else. I feel empty since I lost the twins. Like my tummy has a hole in it, and it’s so big that it ate up my heart, too.” She shrugged up one shoulder. “But maybe we are only meant to be really good to Torren’s son. You know? Maybe that’s our role. Maybe I can be good with being the best aunt to the new little Kong. Dane is so cute. And I still get to watch you be the best uncle to him. And to Nox and Nevada’s kids when the time comes. Between little Kongs and Noxes, we’ll have our hands full in this Crew,” she said optimistically.