Chapter Three
“You’re up.”
Braden closed a photo-laden book called Herbs and Their Uses in Dynamic Potions. He was in a witch’s lair all right. He sat on the couch in her living room and glanced toward the spiral stone stairs to the right. Maeve had returned from wherever she’d been.
She hadn’t been around when he woke up for the night and he’d been tempted to start looking around, to gain his bearings and figure out where exactly he was. But his instincts had told him to stay put. Her small, black cat had followed him around, keeping him company. He’d found the feline’s presence oddly comforting.
Another shower had helped bring him to the present, fully healed and rested. Alfonso had checked in on him as well and made sure he’d been fed. But before doing anything, like exploring what was her extensive Landing complex, he wanted Maeve’s permission. He owed her at least that much since according to Alfonso, she single-handedly supported and sustained the lives of her rescues.
Her steps were quick and her blue eyes bright as she crossed to him. She was an intense woman.
He rose to his feet. “I am up and I’m glad you’re back.”
She smiled then looked him up and down. “I can’t believe you’ve been sitting out here? You must feel a lot better.”
He chuckled. “Much. I slept through the night and the day. I’m almost as good as new. I admit your infuser helped, even though I’m still concerned you’re using emerald flame in your potions.
“But Alfonso was here as well. He brought me a nice pork loin, very tender and well-seasoned. You’ve got a good chef.” He gestured behind him in the direction of the bedroom. “The bed’s been changed. Everything’s fresh.”
“That’s good.”
She seemed distracted. He knew her a little. Her mind was chewing on a problem. “So, what’s going on?”
“Kiara.”
“The only good witch in Elegance.”
She lifted a reproving brow. “I beg your pardon.”
He held both hands up, surrender style. “All right. I guess there are at least two of you. Did you see her while I was sleeping?”
She nodded, the serious frown between her brows deepened. “Just before dawn. I need to get her out of that place. Veyda tortured her again.” He watched Maeve put a hand to her neck. “This time, she burned her throat. Which leads me to this. Any chance you could lend me a hand? I won’t be able to do it alone.”
“Hell, yeah. But let me understand. Are you saying you’ve located Veyda’s compound?”
She clasped her hands together. Her knuckles showed white. “I found it a few days ago, but it’s protected by a powerful security spell that I’ve only recently cracked, at least enough to get in there by myself.”
“Was this before you hauled me out of the Graveyard?”
“A couple of days before.”
His mouth dropped open. Had he heard right? “You know I have a vested interest. Why didn’t tell me?”
She drew close. “Because there was nothing you could do about it. I had to figure out a spell first. I would have told you when we next met up. Then I found you in the Graveyard. So, here we are.
“And the truth is I couldn’t have given you a specific location even if I wanted to, only the cross-streets. Trust me, you would never have found it on your own because of the security spell. Before I figured out an antidote, that only partially works, by the way, I would arrive at the cross-streets then hit a wall of confusion. The next thing I knew, I’d be down the street, a mile away, with no idea how I’d gotten there.”
He tried to make sense of this. “You should have told me what you knew anyway. Veyda’s my strongest lead. I’m convinced it was her coven that killed Laura. So, what the hell. I thought you and I were friends.”
“Okay. You’re pissed. But what would you have done if I’d told you where it was, the cross-streets I mean?”
“I would have headed over there, checked things out for myself.”
“Bingo. You see, I do know you, Braden. And you would have gotten yourself killed because it seems to me Veyda wants you dead. You would have had no protection going in. We’re talking dark witchcraft, the kind that somehow allowed you to be lured into the Graveyard and nearly slaughtered. Or did you think you’d simply made a foolish judgment call after being a powerful alpha wolf leader for years.”
His mouth fell agape once more and wouldn’t close. A couple of obscenities rolled off his tongue. He ran his hand through his hair and turned away from her. “You’re right. I’ve been thinking about how I got out there and I can’t remember. Had to be a spell or something.”
She crossed in front of him to the large stone fireplace opposite the couch. She looked despondent. “You should have seen Kiara. Veyda’s been acid-burning her. She had a gaping, bloody wound on her neck. She was barely conscious this time and every witch sense I have tells me Veyda intends to sacrifice her.”
He drew close. “Hey. I’ll do what I can to help. You know I will.”
She glanced up at him. “Thanks.”
“There is something I’m curious about. You never told me how you came to know Kiara, only that she was your mentor and at times a therapist.”
She turned toward him and huffed a breath. “When I was abducted by Veyda and used my power to kill those witches, afterward I was left with a memory gap. I can’t remember what happened. All I know is that without knowing how I got there, I ended up at Kiara’s front door. That’s how I met her.”
“Kind of a strange introduction.”
“Very. But she took me in. Protected me. Taught me how to develop my security spells to withstand even Veyda. I owe her so much. I mean a month after the abduction she had me back here, at my house, long before it became Hard Landing, and I went to work hauling people out of the Graveyard. You know the rest.”
Braden took a step closer to the fireplace. “So, why are you telling me all this now?”
She met his gaze. “I’ve always trusted you. But ever since you ended up here, I’ve wondered if fate isn’t somehow involved. And things seem different between us. Know what I mean?”
He leaned his arm on the tall mantle. His lips twitched. “Well, we have shared the same bed.”
She chuckled, but her amusement dimmed quickly. He sensed how worried she was about Kiara.
“Look, Maeve. I owe you big time and I care about Kiara as much as you do. She always took the time to answer my questions about Elegance. Maybe if we put our heads together we’ll be able to get her out of Veyda’s hellhole.”
She held his gaze. “I’m working hard to find the right spell, but I’ll need some muscle going in.” She moved to sit down on the couch. She shared her effort over the past few days.
He nodded solemnly. “So, we have Veyda’s security spell to contend with. What about Veyda’s compound?”
“I don’t know much about it. I’ve only been on the west side with the row of cells.”
He thought for a moment. “It might be wise to start at the beginning. Why don’t you tell me everything you can about the night you were inside Veyda’s compound. Any physical details of the location will help as we put a plan together.”
“Okay. The biggest problem with my memory occurred at the beginning because I was drugged and spelled. I don’t even recall seeing the outside of her complex, only the inside of the killing room. That’s where I was when the spell or the drugs or both began to peel away and I became aware of my surroundings.”
He turned to face her fully, his back to the fireplace.
She shook her head. “The smell was like evil burning, I can’t explain it any other way. I remember I was facing west in a large room with high ceilings. The walls were all covered with red velvet drapes. The south end was the main entrance. On the opposite side were risers, where the witch choir chanted. There had to be at least thirty witches present all dressed in red velvet robes.”
“Were they performing, as in music of some kind?” He wanted as much data as he could gather.
“It was the most horrific sound. Like chanting but all in dissonance constantly. Something was in the center of the space, though I’ve blocked that part out. I can’t remember what it was at all. The only thing I knew was that Veyda was forcing my induction into her dark coven. I was horrified. I’d only been in Elegance Territory two weeks, yet I knew enough to despise what these witches did. Everyone knew about the human and alter sacrifices they made.
“Somewhere in there, I went berserk. My killing power lit up and in order to escape I killed those two witches. I produced the strangest glittering gold streams of power.”
She lifted her left hand and stared at it. “I haven’t used it since.” She took a moment to take a few deep breaths. “Veyda never bothered me again after that. I think I did more than kill those witches but I honestly don’t remember. The next thing I knew, I was standing in front of Kiara’s door.”
“Who were the witches you killed? Do you know their names?” He’d asked her before while his investigations. But it couldn’t hurt to pose the questions again.
Her gaze shifted to the empty grate. She shook her head. “I can’t even remember what they looked like. I can see a lot of other things, like the scarlet velvet drapes, the general beauty of that terrible room. It looked high-end. But I can’t recall the witches in any detail. Only that I killed two of them.”
“You don’t regret it, do you?”
“Not at all. I hate that I’ve taken lives, but there was so much darkness in that room. I could feel how many people had died there. I’m convinced, too, that it’s the same place Veyda has been torturing Kiara and the other women in those cells.”
She shook her head back and forth several times. “I’ll never forget Kiara’s kindness to me when I showed up that first night. Do you know she hugged me? She wrapped me up in so much love I fell apart then and there. I sank to her entry floor and wept. And you know, I’m not a weeper, Braden. I never was until I landed in this horrible place. But that hug broke down enough of my walls to start talking. I owe Kiara so much.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, but he smiled. “It’s her witch magic. She did the same to me. Got me to talking.”
Maeve shifted her gaze to him, her light blue eyes firing up. “Not everything a witch does is about her magic. She’s just…gifted.”
“I agree. I was being—”
“Ridiculous?” she offered.
He chuckled. “No. I guess I was trying to be clever. I knew it wasn’t magic. I felt like I was talking to a friend. Much good it did. She urged me to go back to Savage, to pick up my life. But I couldn’t. Though Warren keeps pushing me to get my furry ass back to my pack, I can’t leave Elegance. I’m committed to finding out what happened to Laura, how she died that night.”
He considered her for a moment. He hadn’t told her earlier about her alpha-mate capacity, but if they were going to work together, she needed to know. Even as he watched her, his mating drive kept opening up. He’d shut it down several times already, but he wasn’t sure how easy it would be to control if they were going to spend a lot of time together in close proximity. “I have something I need to tell you.”
“What’s that?”
Well, she was a no-nonsense woman, so he said it flat out. “You’re alpha-mate material, even though you’re witch.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Kiara said something earlier about that. I told her I could smell your Madagascar scent. She said she’d heard that kind of scenting could indicate I might be able to bond with an alpha. Though I should say it makes no sense. I’m a witch. What would I have to offer a wolf pack?”
Okay, he liked this woman. “I don’t know. But Alpha Fergus recently bonded with a fae.”
“Right. But she’s a veterinarian. She could offer a bunch of wolves her surgical services, if nothing else.”
He chuckled. There was so much more to being the alpha female of a pack, but he didn’t go into that. He didn’t see the point. The last thing Maeve would want was to move to Savage and join a wolf pack. He’d heard her views on the violence of wolves enough times to know she’d be miserable in Savage Territory. “Mary’s a good, strong woman. Big-hearted and she’s changed Fergus’s life for the better. The pack will benefit from her leadership.”
He decided to switch subjects. “So, we’re agreed then that we’ll work together to get Kiara out of Veyda’s compound.”
She nodded and rose to her feet. “Yes, but we’ll need to understand the level of each other’s power and abilities. For instance, I have a few spell-tricks that would stop you in your tracks before you even got started.”
“And I’d have you flat on your back before you could blink.”
She tilted her head. “Do I smell a challenge, Officer?”
One thing he knew about Maeve, she meant what she said. But if he gave her free rein, she might set him on fire if her killing power suddenly lit up. She was a young witch and had resisted developing her powers the entire time he’d known her. The fact she’d killed a couple of witches while in a rage, made him wary about what she was capable of. “All right. Let’s take this down a notch. How about you show me what your witchy spells or you kill power can do without destroying me or your apartment.”
She smiled then laughed. “It’s probably best I take it easy, especially in my own home where I care about keeping everything safe. But I am competitive.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“All right, go to the bottom step of the stairs, like you’ve just arrived then come at me as though you mean to do me harm. But come fast. Use all your wolfness.”
Braden pivoted then levitated swiftly. The moment he reached the stairs, he didn’t give her time to even think. He swung back her direction in a blur of wolf speed.
He’d intended to grab her up in his arms and levitate her in a circle. Instead, he found himself on his back and on the stone floor. “What the hell?” For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was.
He blinked a few times. His recollection of what happened came back to him. He’d reached the bottom step then shot in her direction. She’d smiled as she’d waggled her fingers at him.
Her left hand.
Her killing hand.
A wave of energy had hit him and knocked him to the floor. Only ‘knocked’ wasn’t the right word. More like pressed him there. He hadn’t felt the impact of his body connecting with the stone at all.
“Can you sit up?”
He tried, but found it almost as difficult as when he’d first awakened from his coma. But it wasn’t physical weakness. This time, he could feel the spell on him.
He struggled and eventually came to a sitting position. She sat on the side of her sturdy coffee table, her knees crossed at the ankles.
He looked up at her. She wasn’t gloating in triumph.
“I always had the impression your abilities were undeveloped, but you’ve had some training, haven’t you?”
“A little. Kiara worked with me as much as she could. But before she was abducted, she was really busy. She’d be gone for days at a time.”
“Doing what?”
“She didn’t tell me and I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to pry. I think she would have worked with me more but to be honest, I wasn’t ready.”
“I know. You still don’t like being a witch. But back to your abilities, can you do a repeat of what you just did to me?”
“Of course.”
As he rose to his feet, he decided on a precaution. “Maybe just use a quarter of your juice this time.”
“Sure. Why don’t you stay right where you are and let me know when you’re ready.”
He drew a deep breath. “Do it.”
She smiled then barely lifted her fingers of her left hand. The wave arrived a split-second later, lifted him up and carried him back five feet.
He settled his hands on his hips and shook his head back-and-forth several times. “I’m amazed. So, you can do this, just like Kiara. Yet neither of you can take Veyda on.”
“Unfortunately, no.”
Maeve had so much ability but a lot of it was undeveloped. She couldn’t levitate, either, something he now suspected she’d be able to do with just a little practice.
He considered the entire situation. “All right. Tell me more about what happens when you reach the compound.”
She then explained about some kind of spell-powder she used as well as Veyda’s purple and black rolling fog.
Braden considered all facets of the problem before him: Maeve’s abilities, how witches and warlocks could be-spell him, and especially her unique killing power that could be used to stop him. He needed more information.
He narrowed his eyes. “I want to experiment. You game?”
“Hell, yeah.”
Her enthusiasm stopped him for a moment. He admitted he loved it. He almost felt like they’d become partners without a word having been spoken. “Good. I’m going to shift into my wolf form and I want you to try your powers again. I want to see how effective you are against my fur-bearing form.”
“Let’s do it.” She adjusted her stance then lowered her shoulders. Yeah, she was game. She even looked more wolf-like, another sign of her alpha-mate capacity. When two people were compatible, they could take on some of the attributes of their mate. In Maeve’s case, the longer she was around him, she’d experience wolf qualities. Which in turn meant, he could expect to take on a few warlock abilities. It didn’t mean they would ever bond. It was just part of the process when a female could mate with an alpha.
He turned around once more and levitated toward the doorway. As he pivoted, he shifted to his wolf state and launched at her.
In the second it took to reach her, he saw her wave her hand. He felt the sudden swell of power hit him, but it seemed to pass straight through his wolf body.
With great care, he struck her down so that now she lay on her back on the stone floor and he was on top of her. He took care not to let her feel his full weight. Levitation rocked.
He looked at her through his wolf’s eyes and saw what he already knew to be true. She had a golden aura, something he could only see while in his wolf’s form. The gold shimmer around her was the most telling sign she was alpha-mate material.
Probably because he was in his wolf state, he felt the call of her deep in his bones. An ache formed in the pit of his stomach and sudden desire had him hard.
He watched her smile dim. But in its place was something he could now smell drifting from every pore of her body, a lemon-lavender feast meant for him.
But was she open to a physical relationship?
She reached up and grabbed the fur on either side of his neck. I’m willing if you are, Braden
Her voice in his head had him growling.
~ ~ ~
Maeve held Braden’s fur tight. She didn’t want to let go. The moment he’d pushed her onto the floor in his massive wolf state, desire exploded. Somehow, all that black fur and the sight of his fangs got to her.
She knew then he’d spoken the truth. Though she was a witch, she could bond with this Border Patrol officer and serve as his alpha female.
Slowly, he shifted back to his human form, a seamless process reflecting his decade in Five Bridges. She released his fur as it disappeared through her fingers.
His green eyes held hers tight. She couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to. He said, “I need you to understand what you’re getting into here. This will be without one shred of emotion. What happens here is strictly physical, very physical. I have no interest in you otherwise, despite your alpha-mate capacity.”
She smiled. “Got it. No strings and yes, I’m game.”
He leaped to his feet, reached down and plucked her off the floor like she was feather. He lifted her into his arms then carried her into the bedroom, slamming the door shut with his foot.
She’d been wanting this for weeks. Months, maybe.
He took her to the bed but before he let go of her, he pulled the covers back. Then he dropped her so she bounced on the mattress.
She would have been happy to get her clothes off, but he went to work like a madman. He tugged off her shoes and jeans, then flipped her onto her stomach.”
“You’ve got a beautiful ass, Maeve.”
Then his mouth was on her bottom and she sank into the bed. It had been well over a year since she’d been with a man. She’d missed this so much. She’d loved sex with Frank. How much she’d lost when he died.
Braden licked her bottom all over then stripped off her thong. He wasn’t kidding when he said it would be physical. She bounced with every toss and tug. She couldn’t help but laugh. She loved it.
When he had her completely naked, she glanced over her shoulder and watched him move like lightning as he got rid of his clothes. Since he was barefoot, he had no troublesome boots to contend with.
He got on the bed on his knees, pushed her legs apart and rubbed his arousal over her sex. You want my mouth on your neck, don’t you?
Yes. I want to feel your fangs.
How about this first?
She didn’t even have time to ask. He leaped backward again and dragged her hips to the edge of the bed so that her legs hinged right over the side.
Before she could utter a sound, his tongue was against her sex and taking long, wolf-like swipes.
His fingers dug into the flesh of her ass and she moaned.
You even taste like lemon and lavender. She heard him growl after these words hit her mind.
Is that what I smell like to you?
Oh, yeah.
She moaned. I love your voice in my head.
Using his hands, he spread her legs wider. She groaned heavily, knowing what would come next. His tongue penetrated her and she cried out.
“Oh, God, that feels so good.”
He began to thrust in a steady, familiar rhythm. He increased the tempo.
Her hips rocked. But he didn’t seem to want that because he pressed on her bottom with his hand to hold her in place.
His tongue went faster and was a thick, strong muscle working her sex. She grabbed the sheets and squeezed. Suddenly, the speed of his tongue-thrust seemed impossibly fast.
She groaned and at the same time an orgasm took her straight over the edge. Her whole body was one tense organ, holding onto the pleasurable sensations as he continued to pummel her. She shouted against the sheet.
He didn’t stop until her hips eased down and her legs relaxed against the bed.
She lay in a limp, satisfied state. She felt him stand up, but she knew what she wanted first and she knew he’d love it.
She flipped over and waved a witch hand at him, intending to stop whatever he had planned. But his eyes flashed. No, you don’t.
He morphed into his wolf-state and landed on top of her again. He pinned her to the bed then slowly reverted to his human form.
He kissed her. “Not gonna happen.”
“You don’t even know what I had in mind.”
“Tell me.”
“I wanted to suck something, a lot of things. Your neck for one, then your shoulders though I’d probably do some biting. I want your thick pecs in my mouth. Then the head of your cock. Any of that appeal to you, wolf?”
He leaned closed and latched onto her neck. He bit down, and her sex clenched all over again. Yes. All of it. Where do you want me?
When he released her neck, she said, “Here on the bed and on your back. Legs spread.”
He levitated them both and flipped midair. Very physical and arousing.
When he was on his back, she moved to the side. He was a feast in every respect. She slid her hand up his erect stalk. He was a big man and the thought of having all that inside her made her shiver head to toe. She couldn’t wait.
But she needed this first, to enjoy other parts of him. She didn’t know when she’d have the opportunity again.
Still caressing his arousal, she moved on her knees to reach his throat. Lift your chin.
When he’d given her enough access, she drew close. Maybe it was her alpha-mate potential, but she was feeling wolf-like. She opened her mouth as wide as she could then be bit his throat. Hard.
His cock jerked in her hand and a powerful groan left his mouth. She stroked him as she ground her teeth into his skin. His legs shifted about and his hips rocked. She could tell he was loving this. His response, especially the Madagascar vanilla flooding the air, was causing streaks of pleasure to fly up and down her sex.
She sucked on his throat and left his arousal to drive her fingers through his hair. She twisted until she had control of his head and pulled him sideways. She bit him again, though along the side of his neck this time.
His body flipped in her direction. But with the strength she’d gained from hauling the near-dead out of the Graveyard, she pushed him back. Patience, I’m not done.
She released his throat, drew back and met his gaze. His green eyes sparkled like emeralds. His pupils were dark and dilated, but golden rings rimmed the irises.
Her gaze fell to his lips. She kissed him and when she parted her lips, he drove his tongue inside. Her turn to moan.
He did the same thing he’d done to her sex and began a strong pummeling of her mouth. She caressed his face and let him thrust swiftly until she was crying out.
She needed to cool down a little. A show might help.
Staying to the side of him, she rose up on her knees and stripped out of her t-shirt and bra. She then touched her breasts, tugging at her nipples. She watched his eyes flare, but he didn’t move. She felt the tension in him, though, like it took everything he had to keep from attacking her.
She settled her gaze on his shoulders as she massaged her breasts. When her mouth watered, she moved in his direction once more, angling across his massive chest and settling her mouth on his left shoulder. She took her time and let her tongue trace the contours, then she bit him.
She felt him jump again, then relax. An approving grunt left his mouth. She ground her teeth on him and reached for his cock once more. He was wet at the tip.
She crossed to his other shoulder and once more marked him with her teeth. She continued to fondle him.
Her body responded in kind and undulated against him.
She slid lower but used both hands this time to shape his right pec. She took as much in her mouth as she could and bit down first, just enough to feel his hips rock and another solid grunt leave his mouth. She sucked him hard. She felt his hand on the nape of her neck, pressing her, encouraging her.
She went to work, biting and sucking. His hand on her nape guided her, letting her know when he wanted more then less. In between, she stroked his cock.
He was breathing heavily when he gave her a downward push on her shoulder. She knew what he wanted.
She slid down his abdomen, biting as she went.
When she reached his cock, nothing felt better than taking the large head in her mouth. She placed a hand on the bed to the left of his hips and one to the right so she could rise up and down on his stalk, while she sucked. She got him good and wet. She rimmed him with her tongue and plucked at him with her lips.
His hips kept rocking up and down and his hand once more found her nape, gripping her firmly. She could have easily made him come like this.
But she wanted more. She wanted all of him. She wanted him inside when he released.
She slowed the up and down movement, then drew back. He seemed to understand since he let his hand slide away as well.
She sat back on her heels and looked at him. Her whole body felt as though it was alive only to him and for him. Nothing else existed.
She’d never been with a Five Bridges man before. Everything about being with Braden was new and strange yet completely exhilarating.
He leaned up on his elbow. “Have you ever been with a wolf?”
She shook her head. Her gaze once more made a slow journey over his shoulders, his chest, then back to his intense green eyes.
“Are you scared, though I’m not smelling fear right now.”
“I’m not afraid. I’m the opposite. I want this. I can’t make promises about the future, but I want this. Whatever you do, Braden, don’t hold back.”
He smiled a slow smile then the bed became a sudden whirlwind as he levitated and spun in the air. He slipped behind her during the same split-second, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to all fours.
She gasped and grunted. He’d put her in a wolf position and everything in her body tensed and trembled. Yet still not with fear.
She couldn’t believe how much she wanted to be with him, ached for him, in this exact way. She could only suppose it was that alpha-mate thing again.
He drew up behind her. He rubbed his thick stalk up and down her sex then teased her by placing the head just inside then pulling out.
She groaned and her hips arched. “Stop that. You know what I need.”
He had hold of her hips and finally gave her what she wanted. He was big, but he glided right in. He might have muttered a few euphoric obscenities as well. She heard a whole string of ‘F-f-f-f-f-f-f’, if not the rest of the word.
“Ditto,” she murmured.
As he began to thrust, that exquisite push-pull of sex, for a long moment, she couldn’t think. She couldn’t form even one coherent thought. She was all about the sensation as well as taking in his erotic Madagascar scent.
When her brain righted itself a little, she realized once more just how much she’d missed the physical connection of sex. Maybe this wasn’t making love like the tender, heartfelt times she’d known during her married life. But it was amazing.
She tilted her head up then arched her back. He pummeled her harder. “Braden.” Her voice sounded hoarse, like she was shouting into a strong wind. She wanted to say more, to tell him how good it felt, but no other words followed.
When his hips slowed, she felt him slowly lean over her back. He growled then drifted the back of his hand along her cheek.
His scent was really strong. She twisted enough to look at his hand. He was showing fur now which heightened his smell.
She drew back and balanced herself on one arm. She caught his fingers, turning them so she could see the fur. It was black with silver streaks and so beautiful. She buried her nose in it and in response her sex clenched around his thick stalk.
He groaned and huffed at the back of her neck. He licked her nape over and over. He dragged his wolf’s teeth across her skin.
She let go of his hand and once more steadied herself on all fours. She was panting hard now, knowing what was to come. “Do it, Braden. Please.” Yes, she was begging. She needed his bite.
He pushed his cock in as deep as he could get it, bent over her fully and gripped her neck with his powerful jaw. He bit down so she could feel his wolf fangs.
She couldn’t breathe as he began to thrust. Tears flowed from her eyes. The sensation of being controlled with his shifter maw drove her toward ecstasy.
He slammed against her now and ground his teeth hard, just short of breaking skin. She never imagined she’d love anything so much as the feel of his teeth sunk deep. The sensation pulled on her sex and intensified the feel of his cock plunging in and out of her.
He could kill her if he wanted to.
He’d put her in a vulnerable position and his teeth were sharp enough.
Yet somehow, maybe because of her basic trust in him, all she felt was pleasure rising swiftly. She began to cry out. He bit down a little harder and though it seemed impossible, he thrust faster.
The orgasm was on her like a hurricane, rushing through her, flooding her sex with pleasure and yet driving like an unstoppable force up through her abdomen.
She cried out over and over as the orgasm rolled. It kept hitting her, just like the strength of his thrusts, and giving her one powerful wave of pleasure after another.
And still he held onto her neck.
When another orgasm struck her, he suddenly released her neck and rose up. His scent filled the air and he roared as he came.
Pleasure streaked through her yet again and flooded her veins with lightning pulses. She felt a profound impetus to use her magic.
She lifted one hand and pictured a forest. Suddenly they were both flying, though joined as they were, through pine trees at full-dark. He clamped an arm around her waist and held her tight.
She wanted to do this for him, for the man who had just taken her to Paradise.
~ ~ ~
Braden accepted the moment for what it was, a fantasy- journey Maeve had created with her witchcraft. He didn’t know how she’d done it, only that he was flying with her just above the treetops of an expansive forest. Stars shone overhead and the deep pine scent of the trees had his inner-wolf thrilling to the run.
He’d come hard within the witch and he’d given her a ride. Now she was returning the favor, giving back and then some.
He was still connected to her and whatever spell she’d cast spoke to his alter wolf, to the creature he’d become ten years ago. He was fully acclimated to shifting, to his fur, to the call of the wolf pack. What she had designed for him, suited him perfectly.
He could smell the pines and the dusty dry air that tasted of the earth. He had a deep burrow from his early days as a wolf that he went to often. That’s what the fantasy-spell smelled like, his habitat well below the surface streets of Savage.
He’d carved out the place the first few months of his alter life. It was sacred, a burrow he and his wife used to go to often.
He felt the wind on his face as he flew through the forest. The experience was so otherworldly, his soul became drenched in sensation, just as his body was.
The spell didn’t last long, however, yet long enough.
When he came back to himself he was still buried deep inside Maeve, both arms now wrapped around her. She was limp and satisfied against him. I’m going to move us.
Okay. Her voice was almost groggy inside his head.
Using his levitation and careful placement of his arms on her body, he turned them sideways and eased them down onto the bed. He didn’t want to disconnect from her.
He’d needed this. He hadn’t been with a woman since his wife died. He petted her hair, the curls tight beneath his fingers. She had beautiful red hair, like flames. “You’re the first. Since my wife, I mean.” He wanted her to know. It seemed important.
He felt her huff a sigh. She was fully relaxed beside him. “Same here. I honestly thought I’d never have sex again. It seemed as distant to me as the stars.”
“Why is your home underground?”
He felt her chuckle against him. “I can’t explain it. After my failed induction, I needed to be here. I think it was about healing first, then safety. I feel safe underground, though I never thought I’d say that.”
“I have a burrow I still use. I figured it was only a wolf thing.”
“I think it’s a Five Bridges thing. We have limited space here and we get new alters in every night. We either build up, or we dig in the earth.”
She leaned away from him and grabbed some tissues. The movement was enough for him to glide out of her. As she took care of herself without the smallest hint of embarrassment, she rolled to face him, her hands settling beneath her cheek. “You’ve been here a long time. Are you happy here? Or maybe I mean, were you happy before Laura’s death?”
“Are you asking if it’s possible to make peace with what you’ve become, yes, absolutely. It took time, of course. I was so angry when my wife and I first arrived. We’d had a good life. We were trying for a family. Then suddenly, it was all over. Some alters bear children, but it’s rare. It didn’t happen for us.
“Our life in Scottsdale now seems like it never happened. It’s hard to remember when I wasn’t a wolf.”
She touched his shoulder, rubbing her fingers over the dips between the muscles. “Do you shift often?” Her gaze flitted to his, but she kept her hand on his shoulder. He liked the contact. It eased him.
“Every wolf’s experience is different. I find shifting is not only pleasurable, it’s necessary. There’s a longing to run I can’t explain. When you took me for a forest ride just now, in the spell you created, you can’t imagine how much it pleased my wolfness. But how did you know to do that?”
Her arched, reddish-brown eyebrows rose. “I didn’t know I could even do something like that. But the image that came into my head was of a forest and the rest flowed from there.
“It’s amazing, by the way, that there’s a forest now in Five Bridges, in the middle of the desert.” It had taken two decades for the Savage forest to reach maturity. He was grateful to his predecessors for planting it. He’d had full access from the time he’d arrived.
He pursed his lips then frowned. “Wolves need a forest to run in. The men and women who first arrived as alter shifters said there was more fighting among the packs than I could ever believe possible. A lot of it was because of a lack of proper running space.
“We have different troubles now, mostly with the drug cartels and their stranglehold on Five Bridges. Even with the disaster of the alter serums and being so closely related to the flame drugs, it’s inconceivable to me how people would continue to even get close to the drugs. I’m still iffy about your infuser.”
“I know. But it got the job done. The way I’ve come to see it is that drugs used medicinally can be a good thing. I use an extremely small amount compared to a typical hit of emerald flame. It’s the transport mechanism for my potions, an enhancer only of what’s in the recipe.”
“In future, keep the stuff away from me. I’m deeply prejudiced against it because in Savage, the cartels mass-produce emerald flame and twenty percent of our wolves get hooked on it.”
“I understand and I’ll do my best.”
“I appreciate it.”
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. He eased himself onto his side. He propped up his head with his hand and looked at her. “You have a beautiful profile.”
She seemed surprised. “Thank you.” She twisted her fingers around one of her tight curls.
He touched her hair again as he had earlier. “It’s really thick.”
“It is. Mostly, it’s a pain. I used to wear it very long when I first arrived. When I went berserk and killed those witches, my hair was like a lion’s main, only curly as hell. Afterward, I cut it all off. It was freeing in a way I can’t explain.”
“I would have liked it long but I don’t blame you for cutting it.”
“I think most men like long hair.”
He’d never thought of it before. Laura had always had long hair. He’d loved it. “Maybe we do.”
She sat up. “Well, that’s enough of that.”
He couldn’t help himself as he laughed out loud. “What do you mean? Chatting here with me? In bed? Some women beg for what I’ve heard referred to as ‘cuddle time’.”
“Look. I don’t know how it is we’ve gotten together here, but there’s something you should know. I’m a real doer. I don’t like sitting idle.” She planted her hand soothingly on his shoulder. “I mean, this has been really nice, but my to-do list is usually the length of one of Veyda’s spells. Also, we need to get after Kiara and get this figured out.”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” She slapped his shoulder which made him smile, then leaped from bed but turned to face him. He had a great view of her breasts. “I’m going to shower. I won’t take long. Then you can shower, too, if you want. But please don’t join me.”
Now he was curious. “Why not?”
She made a scoffing sound and swept her hand back and forth to encompass his body. “Because I don’t trust myself around you right now. If we were in the shower together, I’d forget all about my list and about trying to locate Veyda’s damn house for real so we can get Kiara out of there. Okay?”
“Sure.” But he chuckled again.
She turned around and headed toward the bathroom which gave him yet another great view of her ass. Only this time, there were no jeans to mar the perfection.