Page 8 of Anywhere

Here, though, I could feel the age on my skin. It was like the land screamed of the wars that had taken place and how they had ravaged certain strongholds more than others. My family was but one Faction in many, but we were one of the most powerful. Part of that was because, until recently, we’d always maintained powerful triads. All the main triads were broken now, with either one person or another dead.

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand why my father insisted I do this, but this was supposed to be my life. Turning into a miserable SOB in a suit was not how I wanted to spend my life. I had to leave everything I knew behind for this place, which was nothing more than a distant memory from when I was a small child.

“Din’t be worrin’. Ya will be fallin’ in love wit it ‘ere,” Illiam said, and I looked at the man from the corner of my eye. “Da place kinda grows on ya, if ya know what I mean. You’ll see. You’ll be singin’ a different tune in a few days, I reckon.”

I couldn’t be bothered arguing with the smiling face, but I highly doubted it. The car slowed about an hour later, and we turned into a driveway with massive bushes lining either side, blocking the place from sight. We pulled up to the largest wrought-iron gates I’d ever seen, and if that wasn’t enough to scream that this place stank of money and things that most didn’t want to know about, then the massive guards patrolling inside certainly did. I would’ve thought it was impossible to look imposing while wearing a kilt, but holy fuck, was I wrong.

Each of the guards had to be well over six feet. They wore leather armour on their broad chests and thick arms and had long swords at their hips. Massive axes lined their backs. All of them had their hair in either a mohawk or braided in an array of colours, while symbols were carved into their faces. Tattoos of power were visible between the leather armour.

A cold tendril slithered up my spine as we drove through the second gate, and I knew that this one was coated in power. Taking a deep breath, I could feel the call of the surroundings, and as much as I’d never admit it, this place spoke to me in a way that no other place had. It screamed home in my head, and before we were even parked, I could feel my body recharging from the excessive power usage on the plane. I shuddered and gave a little moan as I took a deep breath. I’d never felt anything like this before.

“Ya feel it, do ya? You all do. The call here is strong on da ancestral land,” Illiam said, then pushed open the door.

Stepping from the car, I had to grip the door hard as power coursed up through my feet and filled me with a sensation that caressed every part of my body. My cock was suddenly feeling very neglected.

What the hell was it with this place? I’d been near powerful objects many times, and I’d been on other cult lands and felt the pull of their power, but this was different. My body was soaking it in, like it was a strong drink and warm pussy, while I slit the throat of a sacrifice all at the same time.

No matter how this place felt, I could never see myself living in the middle of fucking nowhere. I was bright lights, booze, loud music, great shopping, and of course, I was a multiple-partner-a-night type. At twenty-four, I had no interest in settling down into a triad and helping maintain the family business. I was still young, and what about my singing career? It was just getting off the ground, and I was making it big. Other than the amazing brandy we made, I didn’t even know what the fuck else we did, let alone how to maintain it. I grabbed my guitar and put the strap over my body, so it laid along my back. It was the one thing that comforted me in this strange place.

It sounded like an explosion as the trunk—or boot, or whatever it was—closed. I jolted and snapped out of the seductive sensations. Illiam was already standing by the lower stair waiting for me to catch up when the front door opened, and four people walked out. Each of them looked as if they’d travelled from a time in the past. The two women wore dresses better suited to a ball, with their hair twisted up in braids that looked like snakes coiled on their heads with the ends trailing down their backs. It took me a second to figure out they were my cousins, Belle and Mari. They barely looked like the last photo that was sent.

The two men wore similar outfits to the guards but without the armour, axes, or face paint. The family kilt of maroon and black was wrapped around their waists with eight-hole shitkickers and basic black shirts. I recognized the one as my uncle from family photos, but I didn’t know the other and wondered if this was my number two. There was no pull or excitement as I stared into his pale blue eyes and hair similar to Illiam.

“Nephew, it be good ta see ya again,” Gregory said.

When I held out my hand, he laughed at the gesture and pulled me into a bear hug. Stepping back, he smiled as he gripped my shoulders with his large hands. What the fuck was it with this place that it made everyone fucking massive? I mean, I was no slouch at six-three, and I was fucking cut, but my uncle looked like he crushed logs with his bare hands before his breakfast.

“Uncle,” I said as he let me go.

“Naw, call me Gregory. We be family, me boy.” Uncle Gregory turned to Illiam. “Illiam, did all go well and wit out incident?”

“Aye, Master. All arrangements were made, and we saw no trouble. Master Adair has been nothin’ but pleasant. Da rest of da luggage be on route.”

I raised an eyebrow at the slight exaggeration about my attitude and suddenly felt a little bad that I’d been such a dick.

“Excellent, cannie ya see his tings to his room while I finish introductions?”

“Aye, Master, you dinnie even ‘ave ta ask,” Illiam said, way too cheerily.

Illiam picked the two bags up like they weighed nothing, jogged up the stairs then disappeared through the front door of the massive castle.

“I’va never found a better servant den dat man.” My uncle looked over his shoulder where Illiam had gone. “Dis is Belle and Mari, me daughters and yer cousins,” he said, smiling at the two girls who had been as still as statues.

“Our pleasure ta meet ya, Rook,” they said in unison, their voices tinkling on the breeze like wind chimes.

Leaning forward, I offered them my hand. Their touch was cool, soft, and as light as a feather before they pulled away.

“Liam, here, be yer personal servant picked specifically wit ya and yer needs in mind,” Gregory said. “He will do as little or as much as ya require and with out question.” Gregory nodded to the man that I’d thought was my second and was oddly thankful he wasn’t. Not that I was picturing a life here with my chosen. I wasn’t picturing a life here at all, but if I was forced to go through with this union, then I at least wanted to be attracted to the guy.

I raised my eyebrow at the wording of the sentence as my eyes roamed over the man looking at me like he was the cat and I was his fresh dish of milk. Was this to fill my time until the triad was formed? I had no idea and just gave the guy a nod.

I found it strange that my uncle was potentially offering me my own sex servant, when I was here to meet the members of my triad. I happily fucked whoever and didn’t give much thought to their gender. Then again, there was a good fucking chance I was simply overthinking the entire situation.

My eyes drifted towards the open door and the lack of anyone else coming out. Why the fuck was I annoyed that Rhys hadn’t come to meet me? I mean, I didn’t want him, and I certainly didn’t want to be here, but it still irritated the fuck out of me that he got to choose whether he wanted to see me, but I was forced to fly across the damn globe to meet him.

“If ya be lookin’ for Rhys, he’s no home,” my uncle said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I wasn’t,” I said casually, giving him a flat stare. Then what he said dawned on me. “What do you mean, home? I thought the McGregors lived at Glentruan Castle.”