A/N - Hello everyone, I am aware that I haven't posted here for donkey's years but bear with me. I've still been writing constantly, just not posting :p This is a story a begun last year when I started reading the Immortals After Dark series. I love love love love love them and was so inspired to create my own whirlwind romance, I did!

I'm quite pleased with how its turned out so far, so I hope you like it to. If you do, or don't, please don't hesitate to leave a review! I would really appreciate it as they either boost my confidence or help me improve my writing!

Thanks again for taking the time out to have a look.

So without further ado, here is 'Ethelwulf'.

The events of this fanfiction take place after Dark Deeds at Night's Edge (book 5) and before Dark Desires After Dusk (book 6).

DISCLAIMER: I, unfortunately, do not own the Immortals After Dark series. That pleasure and privilege lies with Kresley Cole, the wonderful author that she is. The cover image belongs to 88grzes ( .com/).

Chapter 1

The sun blared overhead and Ethelwulf withdrew her aviators from her purse as she walked down the heated New Orleans streets.

"Damn, it's hot." Ethel moaned. Though being a Valkyrie she didn't sweat, she didn't like the sweltering heat. "It's days like this I miss Scotland."

Lachlain grunted his approval from beside his mate and said mate, Emmaline Troy straightened her sun hat with her leather gloves.

Though Ethel knew that Lachlain hated shopping with a passion, he also hated when Ethel and Emma were alone. He was always worried that Ethel would say something embarrassing about him to Emma and he couldn't allow that. So shopping trips like this were always supervised.

Ethelwulf was a Valkyrie/Lykae. Her mother was the powerful, Adolpha the Righteous and her father was Lachlain's brother and third in line to the throne, Heath McRieve. She shared most of the same physical attributes as her uncles and father. She was golden eyed and tanned-skinned with thick dark brown hair that curled erratically down her back but had the same delicate features as her mother and most Valkyrie.

Ethel was a couple of hundred years older than Emma herself, who was only seventy, but they were like sisters instead of cousins. Even though they were natural born enemies, they'd always gotten on and Ethel had been the first to accept Emma as one of her family, before most others in Val Hall, the Valkyrie coven in New Orleans.

The first few shops loomed into view and Ethel and Emma felt the tell-tale urge to acquire as all Valkyrie do. Luckily for the two females, they had both the Lykae and the Valkyrie's vast wealth.

When the females moved to enter the first boutique Lachlain groaned lowly.

"Listen, uncle." Ethel said patronisingly. "When I invited Emma to go shopping there wasn't a plus one option. You could've gone to the compound to see Uilleam and Munro or Bowen or something."

"Uilleam and Munro are out of town and Bowen's probably with Mariketa working. Besides, like I'd leave you two alone with my credit card." He smirked down at them both.

Emma punched him in the side playfully and Ethel said "dick," under her breath.

She'd been a mixture of pleased and horrified when she'd been told about her cousin and uncle's relationship. Lachlain had been imprisoned for one hundred and fifty years in unspeakable pain and Ethel was glad when she'd heard that he was alive but he'd taken Emma hostage because she was his mate and Ethel had a few reservations about that. She knew her uncle's hatred of vampires ran deep and she didn't trust that he wouldn't harm her. From what she'd been told, they'd worked it out between them but Ethel knew it must have been a tough job.

She'd grown up in the capitol of the Lykae, Kinevane with her uncles and father, until her father had left to avenge his family. When Lachlain had followed and disappeared, presumed dead, Garreth had taken Ethel to New Orleans where the other Valkyrie had demanded she remain with them. In the beginning, she'd despised them for it. She missed the pack and her uncles. They understood her need for physical touch and her animalistic traits. Her Valkyrie family didn't even try to understand her, they teased her mercilessly for being a 'dog' but she knew they loved her and respected her. She was often picked to go on errands of a warlike nature because of her Lykae strength and abilities. This made her a valuable addition to Val Hall and Ethel was pleased for that.

Furie had even given her charge of a group of younger Valkyrie during the battle of Fontain back in the 1800s. Ethel had been so proud of that, though her feats during that battle had been overshadowed by other Valkyrie. She hadn't managed to get into the Book of Warriors yet. Her mother, Adolpha the Righteous had been given that honour at just a hundred years old when she singlehandedly rescued the Vessel from a demon cult bent on impregnating her with their evil spawn to rule the Accession. Ethel longed to join her mother in the book and become a warrior that deserved a place with the infamous Valkyrie. Her Lykae uncles didn't understand her passion for becoming a warrior, the only goal that most Lykae had was finding their mate and living a healthy life within the pack. Ethel sometimes felt lonely and longed for a mate but the Instinct female Lykae didn't recognise mates. She'd have to wait and fall in love like most other females in the Lore.

She was dragged back to the present at the image of all the beautiful clothes lined up before her. An attendant came to them with a large smile, her name tag read Bettie.

"Ethel, it's so good to see you again! And you've brought… friends." The woman trailed off as she stared up at Lachlain.

Emma frowned at the mortal and began to growl menacingly so Ethel grabbed the woman by the shoulders and steered her away from temptation.

"Yep, that's Emma and her husband. It's probably best not to stare, she gets a little jealous."

The attendant nodded with a blush. "Of course, I apologise."

"We'll browse for a little for now, yeah? I'll call you if we need anything." The attendant nodded, still a little dazed and went back to the cash register.

Ethel sighed and turned back to the pains in her ass. Emma was looking sheepish and Lachlain had the most annoyingly cocky shit-eating grin she'd ever seen.

"I can't take you two anywhere." She said turning to the closest rail of clothes.

"You'll understand when you fall in love." Emma said moving to the rail opposite her.

Ethel shrugged and withdrew a few dresses. Lachlain had moved to sit in a luxurious armchair near the changing rooms, the chair looked miniature compared to his size and he looked thoroughly uncomfortable. Ethel smiled at his discomfort.

"Speaking of falling in love." Emma said and conspiratorially moved closer to whisper. "What happened to that stunning smoke demon you were seeing?"

"Oh," Ethel said with a sigh. She didn't particularly like talking about her love life, which was virtually non-existent. "Rok is a fuck-buddy, Emma. There's no falling in love going on there."

"Uh huh." Emma said with a suspicious smile.

"Don't give me that." Ethel said as they went to the changing rooms to try on the clothes. "There's nothing going on."

Lachlain was rigid in his seat. "What's this about a smoke demon?"

"It's fine, uncle. No need to get all up in his grill. He was a scum bag so I ditched him."

Lachlain relaxed with a satisfied nod. "Good."

Ethel tried on the yellow dress she'd picked out and appraised herself in the mirror. Though she wasn't one of the most desirable of the Valkyrie in Val Hall, she could certainly see that she was gorgeous. She'd been told her sun-kissed skin looked like caramel and her eyes shone molten gold, like her uncle. She was taller than most Valkyrie at 5 foot 6 inches and overall was more muscular. Her stomach was toned and hard. Along with her height, her figure was unusual among the Valkyrie. Her breasts, though not small were not large enough to compliment her wider hips which meant that while most of her aunts and cousins had hourglass figures, she was a pear.

Ethel jumped when her phone began blaring out You're Insane by Escape the Fate and made Lachlain launch himself to action by her stall.

"Ethelwulf what the hell is that noise?"

"It's my phone, Scrooge! Calm down." Ethel called back taking her phone and answering, "Hey Nix, that's up?"

Emma laughed from her stall and explained briefly to Lachlain the song connection. Ethel rolled her eyes. For an intelligent Lykae King, Lachlain sure acted dumb a lot.

"Hi, honey." Nix said from the other end. "Just calling to let you know that I've had a bit of an Ever-Knowing breakthrough and need you back at Val Hall."

"Oh, yeah?" Ethel was surprised. "What's it about?" Even as she asked she knew there was only one thing important enough to call a house meeting this urgently.

"It's about Furie, dearling. I know where she is."

Ethel hung up and almost ran out of the store. Emma gave the clothes to Lachlain, told him to pay and meet them at Val Hall and followed.

They both jumped in Lachlain's Ferrari Italia and raced back to their home.

"Could she really have found Furie?" Emma asked in a shaking voice.

Ethel barely trusted herself to speak. Furie, the Valkyrie Queen had been missing for fifty years. There were rumours circulating within the Lore that the Horde leader, Demestriu had imprisoned her deep within the ocean to drown forevermore.

When Ethel had joined the Valkyrie in Val Hall, Furie had been the least tolerant of her Lykae nature and animalistic traits. Ethel knew that she found her classless, irritating and too touchy-feely. Despite Furie's disdain for her, the Valkyrie/Fury had taken the time to train her as a Valkyrie. Annika had once told her that Furie had a close bond with her mother, Adolpha. They were both ruthless and righteous. When Adolpha had chosen to marry her Lykae mate, Heath Furie cast her from Val Hall never to return.

That was why Myst the Coveted, Kaderin the Cold-Hearted and Emma of the Three were so apprehensive about Furie returning to the coven. They had no idea how Furie would react to their being married to vampires and a Lykae. Ethel was glad that she didn't have that to worry about. She'd only fucked around with demons thus far, never settling into a relationship. She'd accidentally blooded a Horde vampire during a battle once but she'd beheaded and burned him soon after so that hardly counted.

When they arrived at Val Hall there were sports cars of every shape, make and colour littering the drive in front of the house. Ethel and Emma shared and bewildered look.

"She must have found her." Ethel said getting out of the car.

"I wish you'd just let me trace you places." Emma said with a sigh. "It's so much faster and Lachlain wouldn't keep losing his cars."

Ethel shrugged dismissively. She wasn't really listening. She was far more interested in getting into Val Hall as quickly as damn possible.

The large lounge was full of Valkyrie, there were even a few witches. Mariketa the Awaited with Bowen her mate, Carrow the Incarcerated and Elianna. The chatter was loud and excited, obviously the 'meeting' thing hadn't happened yet.

Nix stood in front of the flat screen TV that was paused on the part of the Avengers Assemble where Hulk beats Loki to a pulp. Nix smiled widely as Ethel and Emma entered and shook herself from head to toe.

"Oh, this is exciting." She said finally. "Now to begin…" Her gaze went vacant and the whole room gave a collective groan.

Cara the Fair, Furie's twin sister threw a popcorn kernel that landed directly on Nix's forehead. "Tell us the news, Nix the Ever-Knowing. You were talking about Furie."

Nix shook herself and a bright smile spread across her face once again. "Of course, Furie! I know where she is!" The room cheered and hooted and Nix beamed with happiness.

Ethel could see Kaderin hugging her vampire husband close and noticed that Myst's eyes were glistening. This all meant a lot to them. Furie was their comrade and Queen and to think that she was hurting was almost too much to bear. Ethel gave Emma's hand another squeeze and Emma winced.

"Little too tight, Wolfie." She teased patting Ethel's hand. Wolfie was the nickname that Regin had given her the second she'd moved into Val Hall. Being the only part Lykae Valkyrie could get pretty annoying.

She apologised quietly. She sometimes forgot that she was stronger than most of her Valkyrie family.

"There is a little problem." Ethel turned to Nix with a frown. Problem?

"What kind of problem, sister?" Cara's voice was strained and she was gripping the hilt of her sword tightly.

"I don't know where she is."

The room erupted into shouting and cursing until Cara shrieked. "Silence! Let Nix speak!"

Cara was more patient with Nix than the younger Valkyrie because she knew that no matter how crazy she sounded, she was always right.

"Thank you, Cara." Nix said sending a glare around the room. "Anyway, as I was saying. I know where she is and I don't. Do any of you know of the Reapers?"

"The Reapers?" Emma asked, confused.

Ethel spoke above the din to answer both questions. "They're brothers, assassins and mercenaries. They work with the Horde."

The room gave a collective gasp. Nix nodded and smiled at Ethel proudly. "Well done, Wolfie. The brothers are notorious and have never been seen by an immortal, until now. I've seen one." She tapped her brain proudly. "Good ol' Nix the Ever-Knowing has done it again!"

"You're saying that the Reapers know where Furie is?" Ethel could see that Cara was getting impatient with Nix now. She could see where she was coming from, it was her twin sister after all.

Nix nodded again. "I've suspected for some time that the Reapers were hired to imprison Furie, like they did Lachlain."

Emma stiffened and Nix turned her dark gaze on her with a gasp. "Oh, sorry! You didn't know, did you? Demestriu rarely did his dirty work. The brothers were often hired to complete difficult tasks. They had no issues with working for the Horde vampires." Nix said with a disdainful sniff. Most in the Lore had no dealings with the Horde, even the most evil of creatures. The Horde were considered below even the most low-life Lore creatures.

"I know the location and appearance of one of the brothers. But I suspect that is because he's let his magickal guard down. I don't know why but we have to assume it's a trap of some kind."

"Just one of the brothers?" Ethel asked loudly, over the din of the other excited conversations. "What about the other one? I thought they always worked together?"

Nix eye's glittered with mischief and excitement. "Yes, they do. Interesting that one brother has revealed himself to seers like myself and the other has not. Methinks the poor lamb may want to be found."

"Then he's inviting death." Ethel concluded. Her determination grew. "We have to find him before someone else does. They'll kill him."

"Exactly!" Nix cried jumping up and down with excitement. "We need this male to find Furie. He's our last chance and he basically covered himself in chocolate sauce for us!"

The other Valkyrie exchanged sceptical looks as Nix obviously imagined this assassin with chocolate sauce over his naked body.

"I'll go."

Ethel turned with surprise to see Lachlain squeezing through the doorway. Emma moved to his side and said, "So will I."

They smiled encouragingly at each other until Nix said a firm, "No."

"Why not?" Emma stepped forward baring her small fangs.

Nix shrugged acting completely nonchalant, "'Cause I said so."

Emma looked like she was about to argue but Cara stood and hushed her. She gave Emma a warning look and turned back to Nix. "Who must go?"

Nix' eyes immediately settled on Ethel and said in an important booming voice, "Reginleit the Radiant." Then her eyes moved over to Regin lounging on the couch upside down and said, "and Ethelwulf McRieve."

That decision hadn't gone down too well. Nix then explained that she couldn't send any of the Valkyrie in a mated pair because that would put too many people in danger, Emma, Lachlain and Cara had an emotional investment and so couldn't make reasonable judgements.

Cara had tried to reason with Nix but she'd been adamant that the mission rode on Regin and Ethel going. Anyone else and she foresaw the mission a failure and they're one chance of getting Furie back destroyed.

Cara shrieked and left Val Hall in her Porsche Boxter. Ethel could tell the car by the sound it made as it screeched out of the drive and out into New Orleans beyond.

All the Valkyrie went back to what they'd been doing, which apparently was watching the Avengers Assemble and having a popcorn fight.

Ethel brushed past Emma and Lachlain and dashed up the stairs, Regin followed close behind her. "Hey, Wolfie looks like it's just me and you on this little adventure. This should be fun."

"Only if we don't die." Ethel said with a smile at Regin.

Regin groaned and face-palmed. "Seriously, you've got such a weird sense of humour. Maybe we won't have as much fun as I thought."

Ethel laughed and shrugged as she entered her room. Her idea of fun was running through the bayou at night, watching films or training, though she called it play fighting, Regin's idea of fun was partying 'til the wee hours, playing pranks on the witches at Andoain and shopping. Granted, Ethel loved shopping too, just not as much as Regin.

The good thing about being part Lykae meant that Ethel wasn't as concerned about what she packed when she went on a trip. She loved sleeping under the stairs and didn't mind a bit of dirt or mud. Her aunts were always horrified when she passed up a warm shower for a swim in a lake but Ethel found this to be an advantage. She knew that right that second Regin was pulling out her Louis Vuitton suitcase and choosing which evening dresses to put in.

Ethel on the other hand took out her Kipling Hiker backpack and searched through her closet for sensible clothes. She threw on a pair of clean ripped jeans, white crop top and her lucky leather jacket. It was lucky because the vampire who'd owned it had been ripped apart by her and the jacket had survived with only a few spots of blood, therefore lucky.

She packed a few crop tops, she literally didn't own a whole shirt, and another two pairs of jeans.

Nix came strolling in and sat down at Ethel's vanity, "Emma and Lachlain just left."

"Were they upset?" Ethel asked packing the chargers for her tablet, phone and Ipod.

"Little bit." Nix said brushing her long raven hair with Ethel's paddle brush. "But they'll get over it. You've got a destiny to fulfil, Wolfie."

That made Ethel freeze. She glanced up into Nix's dark, mysterious eyes. "What do you mean?"

Nix shrugged. "It's a wonder, Wolfie."

Ethel rolled her eyes but something about what she'd said didn't seem right. Usually Nix didn't look so sane when saying weird things.

"You're faking the crazy." She said finally. Nix' eyes darkened with anger and Ethel winced. "Sorry, sorry I won't question it." She'd been on the receiving end of Nix crazed anger only once before. It wasn't fun.

Nix anger dissipated and her sunny smile was back. "Good, Wolfie. Make sure you pack for cold weather." Then she sauntered out of the room, probably to tell Regin the same news.

Cold weather? Ethel put in her warmest sweater but figured that she could get some warmer clothes when she got there. Where ever there is.

The sun was beginning to set and with the lower light Ethel was blinded by the glinting of gold. Her eyes were drawn to the ring sitting on her bedside table. Her heart constricted painfully in her chest. It was her signet ring, the ring of the royal Lykae family, McRieve. She usually wore the ring everyday but must have forgotten to put it on this morning. It was the only piece of jewellery she wore. Her father had given it to her as a present… and apology before he'd gone off to Russia in search of Demestriu. The two wolves on the ring reminded her everyday of her father. She missed him so much, despite the hundreds of years he'd been gone.

She still hoped that like Lachlain and Furie the Horde had imprisoned him somewhere waiting for his family to rescue him. She knew that it was selfish to think that. To wish that her father was in eternal agony instead of blissful nothing.

She slipped on the ring and zipped up her bag. Perhaps this Reaper knew where her father was and if so, he was doomed.

A/N: Thank you again for reading the first chapter of this (hopefully) sizzling new twist to the IAD series!

Please review whether good or bad! I'll try to reply to EVERY SINGLE ONE WITH LOVE AND HOPE AND STUFF THATS GOOD.

Chapter 2 will be on the way soon!