Chapter 24
What a gorgeous sight. Savon swayed to the music as her brush illustrated a breathtaking scene filled with colors bursting from a man and woman in the throes of passion.
Her auburn hair was tied up in a messy knot, paint streaked across her arms and in the loose locks of her hair.
The heady scent of her desire hit him. Reds and purples seemed to flow around her as she filled in the scene.
He’d already heard about her run-in with Canagan. They could deal with that later. Hopefully, he could keep a cool head when he went there.
Savon bent, the shirt riding up, revealing her round ass under his shirt, and the scrap of panties she wore. He couldn’t resist.
Nate closed the distance, dropping to his knees as he pushed the fabric aside to lick through her core.
A moan escaped her lips, the brush falling to the floor with the palette as her hands landed on the edge of the easel. He flicked his tongue over her clit.
“Nate,” she moaned as he gripped her hips and feasted on her sweet nectar. “Wait…ah, fuck, wait.”
“Why?” he groaned.
Spinning, she fell to her knees and pushed him back, ripping his shirt open. Buttons flew and she pulled the undershirt off with the button-down.
“Sav, I wasn’t done.” Pulling the shirt over her head, he smiled at the paint on the cloth, her skin, in her hair. “You’re a gorgeous mess, love.”
Mischief danced through her eyes as she trailed her fingers down his chest and abs, leaving trails of color on the way to his fly. “Hope you don’t mind the paint.”
“Not as long as I get to help you clean it up.”
“Don’t want to be my next masterpiece?” she purred, shoving his pants down his thighs to grip his length.
“I’ll be anything you want,” he promised.
She bent, and he caught her face, crashing his lips over hers while she stroked his length.
Once she gasped for air, he whispered against her ear, “Need inside you too damned bad to wait.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and laid her back.
Her eyes latched onto his as she bit her lip. He sank into her tight sheath. Those gorgeous eyes rolled back with a sexy whimper.
Her hands landed on his chest, nails digging in. He found her end and slowly retreated, only to push back to the hilt.
Long shapely legs wound around him as one of her hands glided up and around his neck, pulling him down for a deep kiss.
The sweet spice of magic flavored her rose and lilac scent. There was nothing like it on Earth. Their pace meshed, speeding up. Her grip on his hair tightened as they devoured each other.
Everything he ever wanted, everything he needed, was right there with him. His love for Savon burned down every doubt and fear. Anything she asked, he’d do it, provide it, make it happen. He didn’t fucking care as long as she was happy and his.
Her walls rippled around him, pulling him into release with her. He couldn’t hold it back, no matter how bad he wanted to make it last.
Rolling to the side, he crushed her to his chest. “Didn’t realize how damned broken I was until you let me in,” he panted.
Leaning back, she met his gaze. “Didn’t think anything could ever mend all the cracks. But you filled in every gap.”
He trailed his hand up her stomach to cover her heart. “I know you heard this before, but next time you need air, let someone come with you, anyone. Please. Just until everything settles down.”
One corner of her mouth tipped up. “Promise.”
His brow arched. “Really? That easy?”
Rolling away, she climbed to her feet. “Yeah. Look, I wasn’t thinking. I went out, wanting air, to explore, to take myself out of my head. But I get it, and I don’t want to argue when I don’t plan to do it again.” She walked out of the room.
Nate rolled to his feet to follow. “Oh, don’t you dare walk away. You say you won’t do it again. I believe you. I’m used to more resistance from you.”
Her eyes danced when she glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah, well, you’re fun to tease, and I don’t resist on the serious stuff when I agree. Everyone was right. I should have called someone to join me on my walk. I hate it, but I don’t really want to put myself in that position again.”
“You won’t hear another word from me then.”
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the master bath, toward the shower, where she cranked on the hot water.
Nate turned to the mirror and smiled at the streaks of paint. “I like the new look.”
She laughed. “Yeah, well, Bran and Evangeline are coming to dinner, and I should probably go to the store, so I can make something good. Which means no paint everywhere.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. In the shower, he shut the glass door and placed her under the stream of water. “If you use brushes, why do you have paint all over your hands, your arms, hair, everywhere?”
One shoulder lifted. “Sometimes it’s easier to mix the paint by hand.” She glanced up at the ceiling. “I drove one instructor nuts when I did that. And I don’t do it all the time, but the colors needed something more.”
“I love how you see the world. You bring it to life.” He ran his thumbs over her cheeks. Pink burst through the white and violet surrounding her.
Her eyes hooded. “Hmm?”
“Didn’t realize I’d get a little of your ability through mating.”
Her brow furrowed. “How so?”
“Started seeing colors around people after making love to you.”
She chewed her lip. “Yeah, that might take some getting used to. Let’s hope you don’t get the rest of the crazy.”
“You’ll help me figure it out.” He reached down, grabbing the body wash. “Now, let’s get cleaned up. I’m going to enjoy scrubbing you down.”
* * * *
Bran paced the small basement where Clay was passed out in a silver lined cell. Nate put his bones back together, sewed him up. Then Nate tore him open to get answers, only to put him together again.
This time, Nate made Bran hold Clay’s intestines in place while he patched Clay up. And considering what the bastard wanted to do to Savon, he had no problem with the torture, just never expected Nate to go there. Ever.
“Bran, what’s going on?” Evangeline asked from behind him.
“Fuck. I need to clean up. You still coming to dinner at Savon’s?”
“Yeah, but why are you so pale?”
A laugh escaped. “Starting to wonder if I know Nate. He ripped Clay open to get answers. Literally.”
Evangeline snorted. “You did beat Clay until half his bones were broken for threatening Savon. Considering what Clay wanted to do to his mate, I understand Nate’s actions.”
“Yeah, I do too. Can’t help wondering if this sends him down the same path as Killian.”
“Not in the least. Killian acted on impulse, inflicting pain because he got off on it. Nate used his knowledge to get answers. He could have done far worse and left him to rot.”
“Might have been better to let him rot,” Bran muttered. There was something off about Clay. Bran could sense it, but there was no obvious proof…yet.
“Maybe. But Nate might need Clay later,” Evangeline offered.
“Yeah.” Bran scrubbed a hand over his face.
“He’s not Killian. Nate wouldn’t have tortured him if he didn’t think it was the only way to get answers.” She nodded to the door. “Let’s get you cleaned up and head to Savon’s for dinner. I’m curious how she pulls it off.”
Bran snorted. “Yeah, me too.”
* * * *
Canagan couldn’t find Clay. He’d disappeared. No one she trusted knew where her lover had disappeared to.
Accalia and Faolin were curled up under her porch. And after getting a taste of Savon’s magic, she couldn’t bring herself to harm her loyal companions. They’d been right to flee.
Things were finally moving in the right direction. She convinced a healer to repair Nikolai. Letting the bastard rot was tempting, but he was her only hope of possessing the Wolfssengen Pendant. She needed it to break the bond to Killian, but it would also pull the wolf from her body, leaving her fully Sylvan Fae again. Then she could go back to the Sylvan Forest and seek revenge against her family, who sacrificed her life for their own.
A car traveled up her driveway, parking next to the Land Rover. Meridian climbed out, her pale blue eyes sparkling in the too bright sun, her short blue, wispy hair blowing around her pixie-like face. “You truly want Nikolai Svette revived?”
“Unfortunately, he may be the only one to break the wards protecting the Roantree property. My quest ends there.”
The Paineater nodded, a smirk on her lips. “And you’re sure you’ll find what you’re looking for there?”
“At least where to find it.”
“You realize his mission is to find the pendant and bring it back to his masters.”
“Yes, but I’ll kill him before he gets the chance.”
A shudder rocked through Meridian. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Canagan did too. “Let me suggest you take his ability to drain magic. I only need him long enough to get answers from Savon, or bring her wards down. And I don’t want him draining her, or us. The magic he siphoned before will run out soon. Let him use the rest up dealing with Savon and die.”
Crystal blue eyes narrowed. “He may not overpower her if he can’t.”
“Taking from Savon would make him too powerful. Sever his ability to drain magic and he dies before he can take revenge.”
“Bring me to him.”