Esmerelda: A Rogue Enforcers Novel by Darlene Tallman (phonics books TXT) 📕

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll find out what is happening and why Ice called.

Six months.

Six months as a mate. Six months with no further leads from Colton or any of the other Rogue Enforcers we know as we seek to find out who else was involved in Geralynn’s diabolical plan. Countless forays by the men in our group to track down somewhat nebulous leads which have continuously yielded zilch. Six months of me pouring over every last book I have to seek answers.

The only positive thing is, I haven’t been alone. No, I’ve had my mate by my side just about every single day except for the trips he and the others have made to ferret information from possible leads. Anything we gleaned from Geralynn’s former followers has been dutifully checked into, either by the men in our encampment or others within the rogues. Still nada.

“Are you sure?” Beast asks Colton, who called early this morning, waking us after another magical night. “Okay, yeah, we’re on it. Send me the coordinates and as soon as we get packed, we’ll head out. Thanks, man.” He disconnects the call and rolls into me.

“I take it we’re leaving?” I query, my eyes peering at the claiming mark he wears proudly, almost like a badge of some sort. It fully resembles a tattoo now, with swirls of color surrounding the ‘E’ that is in the center. Even that looks like a fancy, old-world calligraphy letter. When he shifts now, that spot is bare yet magic pulses from it with every breath he takes.

“Colton received a call from someone who says that they may have information,” he imparts, quickly kissing my nose before knifing up and stalking to the closet to pull out two bags. “C’mon, my sorceress, we need to get ready. He’s sending us in one direction while Leigh and Ice go in another to chase that lead down.”

“I hope it’s not another dead end,” I murmur. As powerful as I am, I’ve been unable to get a lock on anything related to Geralynn or her machinations. The people she had under her power told us everything they knew, but we’ve come up empty. Even the few witches in the group, who I’ve taken under my wing so they can increase their own abilities, have come up empty.

“It won’t be. I can feel it,” he proclaims, his fist touching his heart. “Now, Esme.”

I grin up at him. I’ve never been one for nicknames, yet my sugar bear calls me several depending on his mood. Charisma, however, still persists in calling me Essie, the vicious little vamp. I shake my head, still not believing that my best friend is a vampire of all things. Yet somehow, we click despite the fact that we’re so different. “Slow your roll, Beast, I need a shower first.” Yes, I can use my magic to cleanse myself, but our cabin boasts a phenomenal shower that I prefer to enjoy.

“Then you need to hurry, mate,” he instructs. My eyebrow raises as I lift my finger, causing him to levitate. “Esmerelda,” he growls out. “I’ll tan your pert little ass if you don’t let me down now.”

“You didn’t mind levitating the other day,” I remind him, smirking.

“Maybe because you were riding my dick? Could that be why?” he slyly retorts.

Shrugging, I lower him as I reply, “Maybe. Who knows? I didn’t hear you complaining then.” He chuckles as he reaches out and pulls me into his arms.

“Love you, my sassy sorceress,” he murmurs before capturing my lips with his own. After he kisses me breathless, he turns me around, pats my ass and says, “Now go and hurry, please.”

I grin all the way into the bathroom. While the water is heating in the shower, I pin my hair up so it doesn’t get wet, then strip down and enter the steamy spray. Nirvana in a tiled enclosure. I don’t waste a lot of time getting clean since I’d prefer to keep my mate in a good mood. The past few months have been hard on all of us, especially the men. When three hundred of Geralynn’s former enslaved followers came back with us after vowing their allegiance to Maverick as their new Alpha, as well as the twenty or so that thought I was to be followed, I thought his head was going to explode. Thankfully, Connelly was able to soothe his inner beasts, and once Paxton, Ice and Beast talked to him, he realized that the willingness of these supernaturals to follow us meant that our property would always be protected even if we weren’t physically here. The good thing is that with all the extra hands, building cabins to house everyone took no time at all. We’ve got a nice little colony of supernaturals that are coexisting in harmony which surprises me since typically, each species tends to stick to their own kind. However, our own original group is diverse, so it works for me as long as everyone continues to get along.

While those that came back with us aren’t part of the Rogue Enforcers, Colton gave the men the okay to train anyone who wanted it so that they could defend those left behind. I also put more protective warding in place, grateful that Tabatha was able to come and help me. Her powers rival mine which makes me glad we’re on the same team. Finished with my shower, I make short work of drying off, gathering our bathroom things for packing, then once I have them in hand, I walk back into our bedroom naked.

“Dammit, Esme, you can’t flaunt yourself like that,” Beast growls out.

“Sugar bear, we’re alone, what’s the problem?” Charisma was living with us initially, but there were several newer vamps in the group so she’s now living in another cabin with them, teaching them the things they weren’t taught by their former covens. Of course, they couldn’t be because Geralynn wiped out their families then enslaved them before those lessons could be