Fury's Storm

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Portland, Oregon

Onyx pulled into Calypso’s lot and behind the bar. Not that she thought that anyone who knew her would imagine her riding an MV Augusta F4 312. Mainly because no one who knew her would imagine her daring to defy club rules or believe she could afford it.

Climbing off, she bit back a groan as her stiff, sore muscles protested. But she managed a smile when Calypso, her mother’s best friend, opened the door leading up to the apartment above the bar.

Calypso shook her head as Onyx passed. “I know not all that blood is yours, but from the way you’re moving, I can tell some is.”

Not bothering to respond, Onyx hopped onto the counter beside the sink and stripped off her shirt, while Calypso pulled out her first aid kit. She felt the older woman’s eyes scanning the bruises covering her torso. Calypso’s lips pressed together, and Onyx steeled herself to endure a lecture.

“Honey, I know your bloodlines give you fighting skills, but taking so many matches so close together is overwhelming your healing abilities. You aren’t invincible.”

Sighing, Onyx tensed as Calypso swabbed antiseptic over the three-inch long gash just beneath her bottom rib. Calypso gave her a pointed look.

“See? The reason your shifter magic hasn’t already healed this is because you’ve got more serious internal injuries.”

“You aren’t telling me anything new,” Onyx finally admitted. “But I don’t know what else I can do. Vinny said word’s getting around about an undefeated female fighter. I’m getting challenged more, but the returns from each fight are dropping.”

“Hmm. People are smart enough not to bet against you anymore,” Calypso mused.

“Don’t sound so pleased. I made a lot more as the underdog than I do as champion.”

“Can’t help but feel like that tiny bit of common sense means there’s some hope for humanity.” Calypso threaded a needle and began stitching Onyx’s side. “But I’m not sure where your sense is. You wouldn’t be losing that much money waiting a bit between fights.”

“That’s not the only reason,” Onyx admitted softly. “It’s my other side. The pheromones just keep building up. Without fighting…”

She trailed off, knowing Calypso would understand. Her honorary aunt had helped her mother with the same issue for years.

Calypso finished stitching Onyx’s side and put the first aid kit away. Then she poured two fingers of whiskey into a pair of glasses and handed one to Onyx. Sipping from the other, she finally spoke.

“It’s genetics. Being a direct descendant of Inanna will do that to you, honey. Goes with the whole sex goddess territory. When your mama turned sixteen and her body began producing pheromones, we opened this place so she would have a way to burn them off safely, and totally under her control.”

“Wait, Mom worked as a dancer here?” 

“Not just worked here, honey. Your mama and I were partners. Her business sense was beyond anything I’ve ever seen, even untrained.”

Onyx stared. Why had Calypso never told her? Or even her mother? She hadn’t been so young when her mom died that she would have been oblivious. “How did I not know this?”

“It’s been a closely guarded secret. We hid behind a male persona while first establishing ourselves. Figured it would be safer. Then, when our punishments for infractions became known, I stepped out of the shadows. Let it be known I was a djinn. No one was game to mess with me since they saw the results. But your mama, while she was the brains behind this place, she didn’t have those same protections, so she stayed hidden.

“Several years after we opened, just dancing was no longer enough. Your mama needed something more to burn off the pheromones. Turned out, she needed a lot more. So, she married your father.” Calypso tossed back the last of her whiskey. “I think it was desperation on her part. Figured an alpha shifter would have the stamina to satisfy her needs on his own, rather than taking a different lover every night. Or multiple lovers. Shortly after the wedding, though, she came to me. Begged me to hide our partnership. By then, it was too late for her to get away from your father. He made her his Ol’ Lady. You know there’s no escaping that except death.”

Onyx did know. It was part of the “Brotherhood Code”. She wasn’t part of the Brotherhood—no woman could be—but she was forced to live by it, regardless. And becoming an Ol’ Lady was a fate she was desperate to avoid. Hence her decision to take up street fighting for money. Plus, fighting burned off those annoying pheromones, leaving her fully in charge of who she slept with. And when.

Until now. Onyx licked her lips. “So, does this mean the countdown clock is on? Will I end up married to an abusive asshole just to avoid prostituting myself?”

“First off, there’s no prostitution involved unless a woman chooses it. Not for your mama or you, or any of my dancers,” Calypso slashed a hand to emphasize her sharp words.

Onyx blushed. “I didn’t mean you, or this place. I know you provide a safe environment for the women who work here. I meant my sperm donor. Mom never let slip what she was and told me to do whatever it takes to keep Cain from learning about our lineage. If he or my brother find out… Cain might have kept Mom, but more than once he loaned her to someone outside the club to gain some advantage or alliance or something.”

“Fucking bastard deserves to be castrated,” Calypso muttered. Then sighed as her anger eased. “You aren’t your mama, honey. I only told you about her to give you information. Remember, knowledge is power.” 

Onyx nodded absently as her mind ran through countless implications and suppositions. Her lack of real knowledge about Inanna or her own body frustrated her, but her mother’s warnings and her own experiences kept her from seeking out answers. As long as she remained in the Blood Moon Pack territory, asking questions like these was too dangerous. 

“Mom made me learn to fight. Sure, I can protect myself, but it alters the sex pheromones into aggression, too. Helps bleed them off, until it doesn’t.” With a sigh, she met Calypso’s eyes once more. “Mom danced here to do the same thing, until it stopped working for her, too. You’re guessing that if I switch from street fighting to dancing, it’ll buy me more time, aren’t you?” 

“It’s a safe bet.”

“Great. So, I either dance for a bunch of drunk, horny men or turn the next street fight into an orgy.”

Calypso pursed her lips. “You’re lucky I enjoy your snark, honey. Yeah, basically, that’s what I’m saying. Good news for you is when dancing releases those pheromones the men get hot and bothered enough to spend more money. Plus, our policies will keep you safe from unwanted advances.”

Staring into what remained of her whiskey, Onyx contemplated Calypso’s words. The truth was, she had little choice. She had experienced an overload of pheromones once when she was young, and it wasn’t something she wanted to repeat. That kind of loss of control got dangerous. But there was one very good reason she had not started working for Calypso years ago. She glanced up.

“Too many Blood Moon Reapers are members here. You can bet the second they recognize me, they’ll tell Cain. My sperm donor will sell me to one of them in a heartbeat. You know that as well as I do. Only reason he hasn’t so far is because he hasn’t found another woman that he can stand long enough to make her a live-in servant in his house. So, I’m it.”

Calypso smiled. “Honey, I’m well aware of that. But you know I’ve got skills when it comes to makeup. We’ll get you some perfume to change your scent, a wig, and colored contacts. Add in a tiny bit of my magic, and by the time I’m done with you, not even your mama would recognize you. You’ll be safe enough working here until you figure a way to get free of the pack and MC club without Cain sending his trackers after you. Looking over your shoulder the rest of your life is no way to live.”

“Agreed.” Draining her whiskey, Onyx jumped off the counter. “In that case, you’ve got a new dancer. Now introducing Nyx, Mistress of the Night.”