Infinity Chronicles Book Two Read online

  Infinity Chronicles Book Two

  A Paranormal Reverse Harem

  Albany Walker

  Albany Publishing

  Copyright © 2019 by Albany Walker

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Art Design By Maria Spada

  Editing Done By Elemental Editing & Proofreading

  Created with Vellum

  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

  About the Author

  Also by Albany Walker

  Chapter 1

  The room is dark when I wake up. I can hear the slow steady breathing of someone behind me. Immediately, I know it’s Ares. He has this way of wrapping me up in his arms while we sleep, and I’m becoming familiar with. I let my eyes fall shut, enjoying how safe and warm I am with him beside me.

  A creaking sound has my heart rate jumping, Ares doesn’t like anyone in his room. He barely tolerates his brothers—the other three of our Infinity—in here, but with Mia still making excuses to stay here, we’ve been holding up in his room together.

  I hold my breath, waiting for the noise to come again. Ares shifts behind me, his nose nuzzling my shoulder.

  A shuffle, maybe a footstep comes next. Reaching my arm back, my hand lands on Ares’s upper thigh, and I push against him, trying to wake him up without speaking. He barely stirs, so I dig my short fingernails into him. Ares wiggles a bit, causing the fabric of the down comforter covering us to shift.

  The room is too dark for me to see anything. Ares prefers it this way, he can see clearly even in the dark, so he keeps his room pitch black to help him sleep.

  I think there’s someone moving around in the room. It could be one of the guys using the bathroom, or getting a drink. But I don’t get the sense it’s one of them. Over the last week I’ve grown closer to all four of my guys, and I’m sure I would immediately realize if it was one of them. There’s only one other person it could be.

  Giving up on waking Ares, I lean forward and reach out for the other side of the bed. I remember Dante being next to me when I went to sleep. Keeping my movements slow, so I don’t make too much noise, my hand lands on an arm. I walk my fingers up to Dante’s shoulder and give him a small shake. He grunts and scoots over a bit, giving me more room. Now I can barely reach him. Damn it.

  I haven’t heard anything, but I still feel like there’s someone else here with us. Slowly I turn, first on my back, then I roll into Ares, tucking myself as close to him as possible. With my hands between us I reach up and tap my finger over his heart. My head is tucked up under his chin, so when Ares pulls me closer, my face is almost buried against his chest. I have the urge to bite him—why the hell isn’t he waking up?

  With more insistence I tap and rub over his chest. “Hmm,” he groans rolling onto his back.

  Angling my neck, I put my lips to his ear and breathe the words, “Someone in the room.” Ares stops breathing, his head turns toward the door and then scans the room. His body goes rigid seconds later.

  He flips the covers back, covering my head in the process. I don’t move, I understand he did it on purpose. “Mia, what are you doing?” Ares’s voice shows no sign that he was deeply asleep just moments ago.

  I knew it had to be her, there’s no one else in the house, but I didn’t want to believe she would come in here uninvited. And I know she wasn’t invited.

  In a whisper she replies, “I thought I heard a noise, I got scared to be upstairs by myself.” We’ve crossed paths a few more times in the last few days. I think she’s getting suspicious of me being around so much. I’ve seen the way she watches the guys and how they react to me. They’ve been careful to make it seem like I’m just a new friend from school, but I don’t know if she believes them.

  Ares lets out a huff, “It’s an old house. I’ll walk you back—”

  “Can’t I stay with you tonight?” Mia interrupts, her voice insistent, but she still manages to sound timid. I’ve never seen her flirt with Ares, but when she looks at him, especially when he doesn’t realize she is, her eyes go all soft and she gets a little smile on her lips. And she’s always finding reasons to be close to him, to touch him.

  “The guys are all in here.”

  “I don’t mind,” she tells him quickly. “I know you guys are a package deal.” Her words come out like she’s trying to make a joke, and maybe she is. But it feels like she’s trying to imply much more, but that might just be my jealousy talking.

  “How about we go get a drink, you’ll see there’s nothing to be worried about,” Ares mutters, trying to sound consoling and I feel the slightest bit of persuasion in his tone.

  “Shut up already,” Dante grumbles, reaching over to me so his hand lands on my lower stomach. I flinch at the contact then relax as he continues around to my hip. He makes a big deal of flopping around a bit to cover the noise he’s making as he pulls me close to him.

  “Scoot over,” Milo fusses.

  “See? There isn’t even enough room,” Ares adds. I know the others are making a bigger deal than it is, so she won’t ask to stay. With the two king-size beds next to each other, there’s plenty of room. Half the time we all end up on one bed cuddled together like a pile of puppies. Inevitably someone gets hot or uncomfortable at some point and we spread out throughout the night.

  A sliver of light penetrates the darkness of the room. I barely peek out of the covers enough to see Ares guiding Mia, his hand on her back, out into the hall. “Will you stay with me then?” her question sends a spike of anger through me. My territorial feelings for the guys have only amplified.

  “Come on, let’s let them sleep,” Ares replies without answering her question.

  “He’ll be back,” Dante offers, rocking his head against the pillow.

  “I don’t understand why we can’t tell her who I am, she’s not even an Infinity.” My tone is whiny even to my own ears.

  The bed shifts, I hear a thud as someone bumps into the edge of bed. “Shit,” Ollie curses. His hands slap the wall until he finds the panel for the bathroom door. He flips on the light, not even bothering to close the door as he pees.

  “She’s not one of us, but she’s been working with Ares for years,” Dante mutters, his voice even deeper than usual from sleep. I still don’t get why that matters, but I’m going to ask Ares as soon as I get a chance.

  The water runs for a second before Ollie stumbles back to bed, dropping down on Ares’s side, leaving the light from the bathroom casting a dim glow into the room.

  Ares has claimed dibs on that side of the bed and insists I sleep next to him. He says his room, his rules. The other guys haven’t put up much of a fight, instead they shift around taking turns sleeping on the opposite side.

  Ollie cuddles in close to me, spooning my back. His hand lands on my hip, if Milo was on the other side, he’d reach past me to him. There’s a closeness between the two of them that exceeds the bond the four of them share.

  I lie awake, waiting for Ares to return, though I’m surround by the others my thoughts are consumed with what he might be doing, and wondering when he’ll be back.

  Eventually I fall asleep before he returns. When I wake up again, it’s to the alarm from Ollie’s phone. The room is dark again and it seems Ares must have returned at some point. Ollie shifts. “Milo,” he croaks, “snooze.” Milo doesn’t even acknowledge him as the light keeps flashing and the alarm keeps blaring. I climb over Ollie, knowing it will be easier to get past him than it would be to get past Dante and Milo for the phone. My feet hit the carpet, and I become chilled immediately. I’ve taken to sleeping in shorts and a t-shirt, otherwise I get way too warm. Shivering, I find my way to the phone, letting the flashing light be my guide.

  Hitting the orange snooze icon, I drop the phone next to Ollie as I make my way to the bathroom. He’s always in charge of waking up the others. Milo is usually the easiest, and Ares is the hardest with Dante falling somewhere in the middle.

  I’m so happy I don’t have to wake up Ares, much like my experience last night, he tends to ignore you or be a grumpy butthead when he’s woken up.

  With shuffling steps, I walk toward the bathroom. I’ve gotten over my hesitance to use the well-appointed room. Pushing into the door I squint and rub my hand over my eyes. The light is still on, even though it’s not bright, it’s still too harsh on my eyes.

  “Good morning Cara,” Ares purrs. I freeze, my back going rigid. I didn’t even think about him not being in bed.

  With my hand thankfully still over my eyes, I spin on my heels to face the door. “I’m so sorry. I should have knocked. I wasn’t thinking.”

  Ares chuckles, his footsteps on the tile coming up behind me. Ares is obsessed with my neck, and whenever he touches me it’s usually there. So, it doesn’t surprise me when I feel his palm on the column of my throat. Water drips from his skin landing on mine, he’s just out of the shower. I swallow as Ares applies a scant amount of pressure, tilting my head back. “No need for apologies.” My mouth falls open as he breathes the words into my ear. While I’m attracted to all the guys, Ares exudes an air of sexuality that makes my knees weak.

  His front meets my back and the dampness from his skin seeps into my clothes, making me shiver hard. I feel the fabric of the towel around his waist brush against the back of my thighs. I sag with the knowledge, not sure if it’s in disappointment or relief.

  With his right hand still on my throat, his lips find the sensitive spot where my shoulder and neck meet. He traces the water droplets that have fallen from him onto me with his lips, pushing tiny pecks against my skin. My body goes pliant in his hold, my eyes falling closed as I let my arms drop to my side. Assuming my reaction is acceptance of his ministrations, Ares nudges my head farther to the right, exposing more of my neck to him. He plants open mouth kisses along the column of my throat until he’s right under my ear. His breathing is a little ragged as he pulls in a deep breath.

  “Can I kiss you Cara?” We haven’t kissed since that day in my camper and it feels like so long ago, but in reality, it’s only been a few days. I nod, my mouth dry. I’ve wanted him to kiss me like that again for too long.

  The feel of his teeth on my shoulder has me gasping, but not in pain. It makes me shiver in a way that has nothing to do with being cold. Ares works his way over to my lips. I don’t think it’s possible for him to really kiss me, standing behind me like he is, but I’m proven wrong. Reaching for him, I tangle my fingers in his inky hair. Feeling the soft short hairs on the back of his head, I glide my hand up and grasp near the top where it gets a little longer.

  Ares’s hands move to my shoulders, and his lips leave mine as he turns me to face him. His eyes are heavy as he peers down at me, his lips still damp from our kisses. “Kiss me,” he murmurs, not a demand, but I obey anyway. Lifting up on my toes, I close my eyes and brush my lips over his. Ares keeps his hands on my shoulders and arms, but his grip tightens on me. I let my mouth open a bit more and pull his full bottom lip between mine. A huff of hot minty air falls from his mouth. I have a second where I want to pull away, embarrassed I haven’t brushed my teeth yet, but then his tongue licks under my top lip and I don’t care anymore.

  Pushing harder against his mouth I explore his lips with the tip of my tongue, kissing him deeper when he opens to me. I pull his tongue into my mouth and rub the underside in gentle strokes. The kiss slows, but my heart rate doesn’t take the hint.

  My eyes open slowly, dazed by his touch. I find Ares staring down at me, his eyes fully black and his lips parted. He leans down, capturing my lips again, and he controls the kiss this time. Nipping at my bottom lip, he plunges into my mouth and tangles his tongue with mine. Just when I think I’m catching on to his kiss he pulls back, coaxing my tongue from my mouth to kiss with the tips barely touching.

  I sigh, leaning my chest onto his. Ares slows his movements, turning the fervent need into a low smolder as he releases my lips, going back to open mouth pecks punctuated with little bites. Eventually, he places his forehead on mine and takes a few deep breaths. I gulp a few lungful’s of air also, trying to get my breathing and heart rate under control.

  “Did you need to get ready?” Ares asks huskily, his voice deep.

  I open my eyes, I’m not even sure how much time has passed, but it didn’t feel long enough. “Yes, we have school,” I answer dejectedly. I’d much rather stay here all day. He pats his hand over my hair, giving me a kiss at my temple before pulling away. I can’t keep my eyes from following his back as he fiddles with the black towel at his waist. The fabric pulls tight over his butt as he opens the sides, and then tucks them together, keeping his back to me. My mouth goes dry, and I wonder, if he turned around would I be able to see his mark?

  “I’ll let the others know you’re getting ready.” Ares pushes out the door, closing it behind him. My head falls back on my shoulders and I let out a low groan. How can he seem so unaffected? My legs feel like jelly, and my lips are all puffy, but he’s as cool as a cucumber.

  I use the bathroom and wash my hands and face. I’m still a little flushed, so I keep the water cold to pull the heat from my cheeks. There’s a knock on the door as I brush my teeth. “Come in,” I call out around a mouth of foam.

  Milo pushes into the room, his eyes sleepy and his hair all disheveled, looking terribly cute. “Almost done,” I announce as he walks over to me and leans his shoulder against the wall. Holding my hair at the back of my neck, I put my mouth under the faucet, taking in water so I can rinse and spit.

  When I stand up, Milo is watching me through the mirror as I use the washcloth to clean my face and wipe my mouth. “Everything okay?”

  His lips turn down in a slight frown. “You were in here a long time.” The heat I was hoping to erase from my cheeks flares back to life.

  “I was? Sorry.” I look away, unable to meet his eyes.

  “It’s okay.” Milo shrugs, his frown disappearing, but his lips form a hard line instead. When I turn to leave, he stops me by placing his hand on my arm. “I don’t mind.” Milo’s voice is soft. “Sometimes I get jealous though.” My head snaps up and I see he isn’t looking at me, he’s looking at the floor. “Ollie and Ares make it look easy, but I never know if you want me around, or if… if I could touch you the way they do.”

  I get a pang in my chest. Reaching out to grab his hand in mine, I reply quietly, “This is all really new to me. I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time. But I always want you… I mean, I always want you around Milo.” I want to slap my hand over my mouth for the slip. I didn’t mean for it to come out so forward, but in truth it’s what I meant. I want him to touch me, to be as close to me as the others, Dante too. I just don’t know how to show him that, or if it’s acceptable to feel that way.

  I think I have an understanding of what our relationship will be like, but it’s so foreign to me I don’t know how to deal with it yet. So, I just pretend that we’re all just friends, even though I know it’s more.

  “You d o?” Milo glances at me from the side, his head tilted.

  I nod eagerly. “Always Milo. I hate it when we’re at school and you guys barely talk to me, I feel so much lonelier than I ever did before, and back then I really was lonely,” I confess. He’s showing me a piece of himself and I feel like I should do the same in return.

  Milo places his other hand over our already joined ones. “I don’t like it either. I think we should just claim you.”

  My brows furrow, I’ve never heard any of them use the word ‘claim’ before regarding me. What does he mean?

  “I mean, I know we haven’t found your mom yet, but I bet Ares is close. He’s been working on it every day. I don’t think if the others knew we found you that it would make a difference at this point.”

  Wasn’t I thinking the same thing about Mia a little while ago? Maybe we should just make the announcement or whatever they call it to the community that our Infinity is whole. Anybody really interested in us would already know anyway. I’m never far away from the guys, they’ve even taken to coming into work with me. And when I say they barely talk to me at school, it’s a bit of an exaggeration. They do talk to me at school, we eat lunch together daily, but we can’t be like we are at home, and most importantly, Ares isn’t at school with us. I think that’s part of the reason none of the guys fight him about our sleeping arrangements. When I finally get to see him in the evening, after a long day of school and both of us working, he always looks a little run down. I feel it too, but not nearly as bad as he does because I’m with one of the others several times throughout the day.