League of the Unnatural:

PIKE'S PEAK

By

Mandy M. Roth

© copyright August 2006, Mandy M. Roth
Cover art by Mandy M. Roth, © copyright August 2006
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Prologue

Adira tilted her head enough to stare at the man she'd been in love with since before she fully understood what love was. Pike had his muscular arms tucked behind his head as he and Adira lay beneath the stars on a grassy knoll. He crossed one ankle over the other, stretching his six-foot six-inch frame out, making her palms itch with the need to caress him.
She knew she wasn't his type. Often, she heard her brother, Adam, talking with his friends when he didn't think she was near. They'd call her things like "late bloomer" and discuss how she would most likely grow into her powers in the future.
Rubbing her arm lightly, Adira tried to ignore the fact she was little more than all legs and arms. She'd shot up quickly, reaching five-foot ten but had, as of yet, to actually grow into her body. Her fears were that she might never really have the form of a woman. Lars, a friend and co-worker of Pike and Adam's, often tried to comfort her, explaining that people born with superpowers were often slower at maturing fully than normal humans. Adira only hoped it were true.
She tried and failed to tear her gaze from Pike. "Tall, dark and handsome" didn't do him justice. There was something about him that called to her on every level.
"Did you decide what you want for your birthday yet?" he asked, staring up at the night sky. "You do realize you're eighteen in about five minutes, right? I've been asking since you got home almost a week ago. Hell, I was bugging Adam about it long before that. This is a special birthday. I'd like to get you something you really want." He bit his lower lip and glanced out of the corner of his eyes at her. "I'm sorry I missed your last three. Adam sent you off to that boarding school and refused to tell Lars or me where it was. He worries about your safety, with what we do and all, so I try to understand."
"Yeah, the life of a superhero is hard work." Adira refrained from smiling even though she wanted more than anything to show how excited she was that Pike missed her while she was away. Her brother, Adam, had forbidden her from contacting anyone other than himself, going so far as to cast a spell over her to assure his wishes were carried out. Even now, as much as she wanted to tell Pike where Adam had selected for her to attend a university, she couldn't.
"We're not superheroes, Adira. Now, Lars tends to think he's one, but we're not," Pike said with a smile on his face. "Last I checked, I don't wear tights or don a cape."
She laughed at the mental image she got of him doing just that. "Darn good thing because I'm not sure I could look you in the eyes and not bust a gut."
The sideways glance he cast her held something she could easily mistake for interest. Gathering up her nerve, Adira prepared to cross the line with Pike. She could only hope he was receptive. "Has it been five minutes yet?" she asked, hopeful.
Pike glanced at his watch and put his arm back under his head. "Yep, happy birthday, Adira. Wanna tell me what you--"
She wasted no time, rolling over and onto Pike's hard body. The shock on his face was adorable. Giving into the desires she'd fought for so long, Adira bent her head and pressed her lips to his. Pike opened his mouth as his body stiffened. Adira was sure it was so he could protest and she knew better than to give him a chance.
Thrusting her tongue into his mouth, she sought his tongue out, finding it and moaning. At first, she thought he wouldn't kiss her back. When his tongue greeted hers, encircling it, she gave in to the urge to straddle his waist. His cock hardened beneath her at an alarming rate.
That will never fit in me.
Adira hadn't thought her plan out. All she knew when Pike had found her heading out for a late night walk was that she wanted him and she was tired of waiting to let him know.
Pike ran his hands up and under her t-shirt. His thumbs skimmed the underside of her breasts, making her nipples hard and her back arch. He growled and before Adira knew it, she'd been flipped onto her back. Pike's normally brown eyes began to swirl with amber and his breathing grew rapid.
"No," he ground out.
No?
He doesn't want me?
In a flash, he was off her and rushing with inhuman speed towards the woods surrounding Adam's property. Hurt and humiliation moved through Adira as she rolled onto her side and gave into the tears that wanted to come.

Chapter One

League Headquarters--eight years later…

"I'm not wearing those," Pike Kinsley said, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the swivel chair. He took another look at the dark blue tights Lars was holding and scowled. "Do I even want to know where you got them from?"
Lars dangled them high in the air, laughing from the gut. "Oh, come on. Why not? Did you miss the memo? All superheroes wear tights. Think of it this way," he grinned, "chicks will know you're sympathetic to their plight--you know, the whole trying to keep their pantyhose from running thing."
"I'm not a superhero." Pike growled, hoping the threat of a pending shift would cause Lars to simply vanish. He didn't. "If I eat you, will you finally shut up?"
"He'll most likely come back at you like a bad pepper or something," a soft, familiar, feminine voice said from the other side of the room. "Any way you look at it, indigestion would be sure to follow."
He swiveled in his chair, unable to believe the idea of tights had even been brought up at all, let alone while females were present. The second his gaze landed on a tall, buxom brunette, he forgot about the tights and focused instead on how good she'd no doubt fit on him. His cock hardened instantly, longing to be in her. Swallowing hard, he maneuvered a bit in the seat, hoping it wasn't obvious how into her he was.
The lift of one eyebrow told him she was onto him.
She was tall for a female, around five-foot ten. Every inch of her was toned but not to the point she lost her curves. It was perfect. She was perfect. She was also standing in a place whose location wasn't readily disclosed to anyone outside the immediate group. She most certainly wasn't part of the League. If she were, showing up for work on time wouldn't be a problem for Pike. Hell, he'd come a day early and hopefully "in" her if she were part of the League.
Lars stopped defying gravity long enough to stand on the floor and give a small bow. He was known for playing the role of the jackass and seemed proud of the title. That being said, Lars seemed serious about respecting the female before him. That was odd to say the least. "My lady, I have missed you so."
Pike's insides clenched. The hot chick was Lars' girl?
"Lars," she said with a smile. The navy catsuit she had on fit like a second skin as she moved.
Lars, a six-foot two-inch guy with a head of shockingly blond hair, arched a sandy blond brow and grinned as he glanced in Pike's direction. "May I introduce, Pike, dickhead… erm… I mean ,'savior to all mankind.'"
Another growl escaped Pike as he shot a threatening glance at Lars. He was dangerously close to wrapping the navy tights around Lars' neck and choking the life from the man.
"Hmm, Pike, interesting name. Once you hear it, you wouldn't dare forget it." She entered the oversized boardroom, sashaying her way towards Lars, keeping her blue gaze locked on Pike the entire time.
There was something familiar about her eyes. Pike looked her over once more, positive he'd remember a body like hers. "And you are?"
The only response he got was a sexy smile. It was enough to leave his cock digging painfully into his black jeans. Unable to help himself, he chanced a glance at the tights now lying discarded in a puddle on the floor.
Thank the gods I didn't put those on. The entire room would know I'm sporting a hard-on.
Lars put his arms out to her. "May I have this dance?"
"There's no music, asshole," Pike bit out, wanting desperately to pummel a man he'd long considered both a friend and an ass.
Lars gave him a knowing smile. "My dear? If you would be so kind."
She clicked her fingers and the room filled with the sounds of sex mixed with a thumping beat. The second she began to dance slowly, moving her hips to the music, dancing around Lars, Pike jerked to his feet. He grabbed his cock and narrowly avoided coming in his jeans. The only other time in his life he'd been this close to coming without being in a woman was the night he'd made the biggest mistake of his life--the night he chased Adira away.
Adira. The very thought of her set Pike on edge. He'd wanted to take what she'd offered--her virginity--but knew it wouldn't have ended there. Something in his gut told him that one sample of Adira would never be enough and he wasn't a one-woman kind of man.
You would have been for her, jackass.
He coughed, doing his best to play down the fact he'd nearly come and to ignore his inner voice. The shit-ass grin on Lars' face told Pike he was being toyed with. Problem was, there wasn't a damn thing Pike could do about it. He was left no choice but to stand by and watch as the object of his desire rubbed against Lars.
Pike's fists clenched as the need to release the beast he carried within grew. Gritting his teeth, he tried and failed to force his gaze away from the spectacle. The female slid down the length of Lars and splayed her fingers over his groin. Lars put his hands in her hair, directing her erotic dance.
The beast within him won, surging forward and nullifying Pike's restraint. He charged Lars with the intent to kill him, friend or not. Never before had Pike been this out of control. The female glanced at him and smiled, putting her hand up and blowing him a kiss. Instantly, it felt as if he'd run smack dab into an invisible mountain. He pounded against the nothingness and snarled at Lars.
"Get away from her, now," he ground out as his teeth lengthened. Fur began to sprout on the backs of his hands, as it always did when the change into the wolf began. Claws emerged from his fingertips as a growl tore free of him. "Let go of me now!"
Lars put his hands up, signifying he was innocent. That was laughable. "Sit, puppy."
He snarled. Ripping Lars' head off would be almost too easy.
Almost.
"What the hell is going on in here?" a booming voice asked.
The music stopped instantly and Lars took a giant step back from the woman. Pike looked towards the entrance of the boardroom and curled his lip as he spotted Adam, an old childhood friend. "I'll tell you what's going on. I'm going to kill Lars and then I'm planning on," his gaze landed on the female, "fucking her until she can't move."
A ripple of power surged through the room, slamming into Pike and lifting him off his feet. Pain radiated throughout his body as the power blocked his ability to completely shift into the form of a wolf. Vaguely, he heard a female screaming and then as quickly as the magikal attack started, it ended. A familiar power cradled his body, easing him to the ground. The next thing he knew, the female he couldn't wait to be in was standing over him, staring down with wide, concerned eyes.
"Pike?" She dropped to her knees next to him and touched his chest gently. Fire seemed to flare from the spot her hand rested on him. She turned her head and stared past him. "What in the hell were you doing, Adam? You could have killed him. He's one of your best friends."
Pike tried to sit up but felt like he'd been hit with a ton of bricks. He knew better. It was worse than bricks. He'd been hit with Adam's power. Confused, he groaned.
Adam appeared next to him. The look in his eyes was anything but welcoming. "What was I doing? Huh? I walk in to find you grinding against Lars and then hear Pike talk about wanting to…" Adam paled. "I can't even say it. And you have the nerve to ask me what the hell I was doing?"
"Do not blame me for teasing Pike. He spent ten years teasing me and you never once said a word."
Ten years?
Pike stared at the woman, trying to figure out how and where he knew her from. He drew a blank. "I've never--"
She smiled, pressing her finger to his lips. "Think before you speak, Pike. You most certainly did spend ten years teasing me. You put gum in my hair on more than one occasion. You made me think you were going to eat me if I got too close to you. You hid in my closet and scared the living hell out of me. I get that we parted on rather," she centered her gaze on him, "odd terms but I didn't think you'd up and totally forget me."
Something moved over her face as she pulled back a bit. It was pain. The same look she'd had when he'd refused her all those years ago.
Adira.
He gasped, unable to believe the sexually-charged female with a body to die for and the face of angel was who she claimed to be--Adam's baby sister. "Adira?"
The wide smile that broke over her face made his breath catch. It was her but it wasn't. Gone was the child, having been replaced by a vixen. A vixen who still had vulnerabilities.
"No. It can't be. You're like nineteen or something. You're not old enough to…" His gaze slid down her. "Be in that outfit! Go put more clothes on this instant! Lars is here! He'll see you in--"
"Thank you," Adam said, nodding emphatically. "And where in the hell did you even get that outfit? It looks like you painted it on."
Lars snickered. "Yeah, it does. Isn't latex grand?"
Adam made a move to go at him and Lars shook his head. "I was kidding. I would never touch her beyond a dance, Adam." He pointed down at Pike. "Can he say the same? For a minute, I thought the brute was going to yell 'mine' and claim her as his mate."
Pike arched a brow. The idea had merit. It had been the primary reason he'd rolled off her all those years ago. The urge to tie her to him had been overpowering. It still was. "Ah, shit. Adam, hit me with another dose of your magik again."
"What?" Adira asked, sounding shocked. "Are you insane?"
"Maybe." He licked his lower lip as thoughts of spreading Adira out before him and kissing every inch of her delicious body assailed him. "Trust me, baby, it's for the best. I don't think you want to walk out of here married in the eyes of my people so let him hit me with his power."
Adam ran his hands over his face, shaking his head and sending his shoulder-length, dark brown hair everywhere. "Tell me you're not entertaining the thought of claiming my baby sister."
"Hit me again and I'll give you a definite answer."
Adam lifted his arms and a buzz filled the air.
Adira screamed and threw herself over Pike, leaving her breasts pressed to his face. He groaned as his cock reacted violently, threatening to come. "Not helping here, Adira."
She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Would you shut-up? Adam will kill you. You should have seen what he did to the last guy who wanted to claim me as his own."
"Last guy?" he asked, not bothering to hide the jealousy in his voice. "No man should have been within a ten-foot radius of you, let alone entertaining the idea of claming you!"
Lars laughed and Adira groaned as she gave Pike a light shove before moving off him. "Fend for yourself."
Pike rolled onto his side and watched as Adira rose to her feet with a grace he never remembered her possessing. As his gaze slid to Adam, he thought about a few of the things his friend could do. Entice, enthrall and seduce the opposite sex was a big one. Powers they'd cashed in on many occasions to gain valuable intel or entrance into normally locked facilities. Adam had once seduced an entire group of evil chicks, leading them away so the rest of the group could slip in, gather the information they needed and get out before anyone was any wiser. Of course, Adam didn't reappear for a weekend. He claimed he didn't want to blow his cover. It was more like he didn't want to stop being blown but no one called him on it.
"She has your powers?" he asked, groaning. "Great, if she can slap a magikal whammy on me anytime she wants, my cock will never go down."
Adira laughed.
Adam paled. "No. I mean, yes. She has powers similar to mine. Why are we even discussing this?" Adam pointed at Adira. "Why are you here? Who even told you where here is?"
She shrugged and sat on the edge of the long table. "Lars gave me the address and said I had to be here. I figured you knew."
Adam glanced around the boardroom, his gaze centering on a levitating Lars. "No. I didn't know."
Lars smiled sheepishly. "I was only following orders."
"Who ordered you to have Adira come here?" Pike asked, his fierce need to protect Adira consuming him, just as it always had. When she was younger, he'd laugh and joke with her but in truth, he couldn't stop the nagging feeling in his gut that he was to watch over her--keep her out of harm's way. When Adam had decided to send her away to an all girls' school, it had crushed Pike. He understood raising Adira was difficult for Adam since their parents had died. It wasn't like Adam had a lot of free time between missions. When the opportunity to have her attend a boarding school presented itself, Adam had no choice but to take it. Pike had little choice but to accept his friend's decision, regardless of how empty he suddenly felt. She came home briefly, spending only a week with Pike. He, in turn, used that week to make the biggest mistake of his life. He left her thinking he didn't want her when all he really wanted was to take her as his for eternity.
"I believe we can be of some assistance," a soft, feminine voice said from the other side of the room. The floor to ceiling screen on the back wall of the boardroom lit. An image of six figures sitting at a semi-circular table filled it. Each wore a silver cloak, leaving all but their lips covered. It was a sight he'd seen often over the years. The Tribunal, as they were referred to, met in a secret location and magikally broadcasted their signal to League Headquarters. It was best all the way around since evil seemed drawn to large concentrations of good.
Adam drew in a sharp breath. "Oracle, why have Lars bring my sister in?"
They'd taken to referring to each Tribunal member by nicknames since they didn't seem likely to offer up actual names. The Tribunal themselves, had began referring to one another by these names as well, no doubt to protect their identities. Oracle was the female who sat on the far left. The one who often spoke for the group. Warrior, a rather gruff, and clearly, alpha male would lend his two cents every now and then. For the most part, the remaining four, Conjurer, Force, Illuminator and Nature were silent.
"The time has come for our side to bring in new blood. To strike back. To protect humans as we were created to do."
"No offense," Lars said. "But, umm, we aren't exactly overflowing in the hero department here. Five of our teams are deployed around the world as we speak, leaving the four of us…Three if you take into consideration Adira couldn't fight her way out of a mud puddle."
Damn straight! And there is no way in hell you people are putting her on our team!
For once, Lars had a point.
Oracle gave a knowing smile before tipping her head. She waved her hand in the air and it suddenly felt as if Pike had been hit by a two by four in the gut. He slammed into the wall. So did Lars and Adam. Adira's brow furrowed as she stared around at them.
"Guys?"
"Adira," Oracle said, drawing Adira's attention. "We would like to thank you for bearing with us and not complaining when we used our powers to change your outfit as you entered the room. It was important they see you as you will often be--a sensual, alluring," all the Tribunal members looked in Pike's direction, "woman. I believe Pike would not have recognized you regardless because in his mind, your image was frozen in time--forever locked on the night you last saw one another."
Sure, why don't you tell her I loved her too much to tie her to me while you're at it?
Oracle laughed. "Perhaps I will, Pike."
He swallowed hard, forgetting that she possessed the gift of not only foresight but mind reading as well.
"My baby sister is not joining the League." Adam struggled against the Oracle's hold and Pike knew it was bad if his magikal friend couldn't escape. "End of discussion. Go home, Adira. You don't belong here."