When Sparks Fly (Netherworld Series Book 3)

by Olivia Hutchinson

  “Jonah…” she said on a moan, reaching for him. He caught her hands and leaned forward, pushing her hands up over her head.

  “Be patient,” he told her, just inches from her mouth. He kissed her then, ravaging her mouth before pulling away and pressing his lips to her neck, then her collarbone and down to her breasts.

  He captured one puckered nipped in his mouth, tongue swirling over the peak. Her small moan encouraging, he released one to continue his assault on the other. His nipped the tender flesh with his teeth before releasing the heavy flesh with a pop.

  Ripping the shirt from his back, he tossed it to the side before descending upon her sweet spot. Moisture escaped her opening and he lapped it up, starved man that he was. She was saying his name, he arms reaching for him and finding his shoulders. Nails dug into the muscle as he ran his tongue over her slit and found that one small nub. He latched onto her clit, his tongue moving over the sensitive bud as he growled.

  He’d had to restrain himself that last time he touched her, but no more. The growls spilled out of him as he licked, kissed, and suckled her. He pressed his thumb against her opening and moved the moisture around, reveling in how slick she was for him.

  “Jonah!” she cried when he slipped his thick digit inside of her, loving how her body stretched. God, she was tight. Just as tight as the first time…

  “Have you been with anyone else?” he asked her after releasing her clit.

  “What?” she asked, breathless.

  “Have you been with another man since your first time?” He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.

  “No.”

  He was elated. She hadn’t had anyone else – would never have anyone but him – but at the same time, he knew he’d have to be just as careful with her as he’d been before.

  “Is that—Oh!”

  He cut off her question when he dove his tongue inside her opening. His cock throbbed almost painfully. Popping the button of his pants, his cock jutted out and some of the pressure was relieved.

  She writhed beneath his tongue and soon he was gripping her hips to keep her in place. He wouldn’t allow her to pull back. Finding her clit, he latched on again, knowing she was close. He’d make her come, repeatedly, before the night was over.

  He growled at the thought and sent her over the edge. Maggie arched her back and cried as her clit pulsed in his mouth, her swollen folds covered in her slick juice.

  Now she was ready.

  He shoved his pants off the rest of the way while she gasped for air, recovering from her orgasm. Jonah had no intention of letting her recover for too long. She reached for him again as soon as he slid his cock over her slit.

  Studying her face, watching her response, he pushed the crown of his cock against her tight opening. She winced, and he stopped for a moment. It took everything he had not to slam his cock inside of her and fuck her to oblivion.

  His balls tight, his cock aching, he growled. And his control slipped. With one smooth thrust, he buried himself inside her, her body stretching around him to accommodate his size.

  She cried out and he stilled, every muscle straining to keep himself in place. He gritted his teeth and waited for her to adjust. Bending down, he latched onto her nipple and suckled the peak. He reached between their bodies and found her clit, still throbbed and strummed her until she was writhing beneath him.

  “That’s it, baby,” he murmured against her flesh. Slowly, he started moving again and she grasped his upper arms.

  “Oh…”

  He loved every noise she made, every moan, every little whimper. He pulled out before sheathing himself inside of her again, burying himself to the hilt. Blood pumped through his veins, and he could feel his heart pound in every limb of his body. He gripped her thigh with one hand and rested his weight on his forearm as he thrust into her.

  When he shifted her leg, he saw the change on her face. That was the spot she liked and so he fucked it. He’d be damned if she didn’t come again. He needed to feel her pussy quiver around him. Needed to feel an orgasm he caused being torn from her body.

  He didn’t have to wait long.

  He buried his face in her neck when he felt the start of the telltale contractions. His mouth watered, her scent flooding his senses. She wrestled his own orgasm from him and before he realized what was happening, he was spurting his seed inside her, filling her.

  Teeth erupted from his jaw and he didn’t give a second thought to what he was about to do. Her skin broke easily, her blood filled his mouth, and fire filled his veins. His cock went from release to rock hard, and he moved inside her again.

  It was too late when he heard her cry. He couldn’t stop fucking her, but he pulled his mouth away from her skin long enough to realize that he had to complete the bond. His teeth tore into the flesh of his forearm before he thrust the bleeding wound to her mouth. She didn’t hesitate, her mouth caught his arm and her moans filled the tent.

  He growled again and went back to her shoulder. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he thrust violently inside her, pounding into her.

  Jonah could feel her in every cell of his body. Heat pulsed off her body and he knew at that moment that she was feeling the same thing he was. The weaving of their connection. They’d never be apart again.

  MINE.

  Waves of pleasure racked through him and when she came again, he came with her, filling her to overflowing. She was still spasming when he slid his cock from her and released her shoulder. He wrapped her in his arms and licked the blood from her shoulder as she sighed, exhausted.

  He was never letting her go and by God, they’d never be apart again.

  Part of Maggie had no clue what just happened. Logically she knew they’d had sex. And she also knew they’d mated. How that had happened, she wasn’t entirely sure, but holy shit. Her pussy was throbbing still, even after orgasm after orgasm, and the taste of his blood lingered in her mouth.

  She’d never experienced anything like that before. Earth-shattering wasn’t even an appropriate description. Her body and mind were still reeling when she realized Jonah was touching her again, his fingers finding her cleft and stroking her clit again.

  “You’re killing me,” she strangled out.

  He chuckled against her shoulder. “No, baby. Not killing you, just about to fuck you again.”

  She couldn’t help the laughter that welled inside her. “It’s the same thing right now.”

  “Oh no, baby. It’s not. I’ll show you,” he whispered in her ear.

  She was laying on her side curled next to him when he lifted her leg. With one motion, pushed himself inside her and propped her leg on his shoulder.

  “I’m going to be sore tomorrow,” she said with a moan.

  He didn’t say anything else, but he did slow his pace as if taking care to make sure he didn’t hurt her. It was agonizingly slow movements that drove her insane. Her breasts felt heavy and she couldn’t help but thrust them forward, silently begging him to touch her there. He didn’t let her down. A large palm cupped her breast, feeling its weight, before tweaking her nipple.

  The steady build began inside her again and soon, his fingers were on her clit, rubbing the sensitive nub until her pussy clenched and her back arched. Her pussy milked his cock and a second later, she felt the hot spurts of his release, followed by a low rumbling growl.

  “I’ll have you again before morning,” he warned, putting her leg down and moving away from her.

  She was cold without him there, but he warmed her a minute later when he pulled her into the sleeping bag with him and zipped it around them. The small space wasn’t built for two, but there would be no telling him that. Besides, she liked being close to him.

  “Jonah?” she said a moment later when she heard his breathing start to even out.

  “Hmm?”

  “I love you, you know.”

  “I love you too, Maggie.”

  And she knew it was true. She felt it pulse throug
h their newly established connection and she reveled in it. Curling up next to him, she slept the best she had slept in eight years.

  Morning came too soon. Jonah delivered as promised during the night when he woke up. She woke to his fingers moving over her core which was quickly followed by his cock. Their confined space limited his movements, but he still found a way to drag her to the brink and shove her over before spilling himself inside her yet again.

  Pregnancy should be a cause for concern, but she honestly didn’t care. She’d birth a hundred babies if he wanted them. Besides, shifters weren’t the most potent to begin with. Although it hadn’t taken her mother long to become pregnant with her…

  She watched from the sleeping bag as Jonah dressed as soon as the sun started to rise.

  “I feel like I should be going with you,” she told him.

  “I know. I feel like you should be coming with me, but I don’t want to piss off the dragon.”

  She remembered Liam now that she realized it was the same boy she’d met as a child. She had no desire to come face to face with him again, eighteen years later. He’d scared her then, but Jonah had been there, protecting her.

  Maggie smiled to herself at the memory.

  “I won’t be gone long,” he told her as he pulled on his boots. He crawled over to her and kissed her once before backing out of the tent.

  She would be ready to go once he got back. She didn’t waste any time getting dressed and deconstructing their tent. Sleeping bags were rolled up and would desperately need washing once they were back in New Freedom. She ate a pack of tuna and drank half a bottle of water before refilling it again and going back to both her and Jonah’s packs. He’d left his with her, no reason to take it with him on the short trip to see Liam.

  One second she was thrusting dirty socks into her bag, birds chirping around her, and the next second an eerie quiet surrounded her. She dropped the pack and looked around her, wondering what had changed when a distinct buzzing filled her ears. And it came from the east.

  No…

  Her shotgun sat on the ground, leaned up against her pack. She snatched it up and left everything else where it lay. Stealing as quickly and as quietly as she could through the trees, she hunkered down in the bushes. A small rabbit looked at her when she invaded his hiding spot and she held a finger to her lips. His nose twitched, but otherwise, he ignored her. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was hiding from the same thing she was.

  She kept the campsite in her line of sight, only a few feet away from where she hid. Praying that they’d pass over without noticing the packs, she stayed still and silent.

  They dropped down from the sky, landing on their feet by where the fire had been burning the night before. It would be unrealistic to think there wouldn’t still be more of them in the air. A female fae with red frizzy hair stood in front, two men flanked her.

  “Search the area,” she barked at them, pointing off into the trees. “Whoever was here can’t be far.”

  “Why would the dragon stop here? We’re not far from his territory,” one of the men asked her. He was tall and burly, but it was his teeth that freaked her out the most.

  She’d heard stories about the fae doing things to their appearance to make them appear more intimidating. She always assumed that it was to combat the general fairy stereotype, and it certainly worked. Their teeth were filed into sharp points that reminded her of a shark. Every time one of them spoke, she saw the glints of white and yellow again. They were disgusting. And just as terrifying as the stories made them out to be.

  “Roarke has claimed No-Man’s-Land and the dragon territory. This is our territory now and everyone knows what happens to trespassers,” the woman spat.

  She was evil. Maggie had no doubts about that. Fae, like every other faction of the Netherworld excluding witches, was patriarchal. The fact that a woman had risen to a leadership role said a lot about her. She didn’t want to know the reasons behind this woman’s rise.

  Forcing herself to stay focused, she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. Her eyes wide, she took in every step they took, every little thing they touched. They carried weapons. Knives were strapped to their hips and lethal bows and arrows hung from their backs. A male had his at the ready, arrow already strung on the crude bow.

  She gripped the shotgun with sweaty palms. They’d come looking for a fight and she wouldn’t hesitate to use her own weapon when they discovered her. She prayed they would just give up and leave, but she knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

  What she feared more than anything was Jonah walking into this. As much as she wished he was by her side, she prayed just as hard that he’d stay away. He’d been gone for almost an hour. Hopefully, he’d be gone for another.

  She wasn’t that lucky.

  The hike to Liam’s cave didn’t take long. It was just over a mile away from their campsite and the terrain was easy. The dragon had extensive territory, but the cave itself was close to the shifter border. He’d take occasional trips into town for supplies and often Jonah would stop by the cave for either a social visit if he was in the neighborhood, or in the case of Jimmy Schram, to ask for help.

  He hoped Liam would be open to help search for someone, even if Heidi was a human. Having him on their side would help tremendously. Jonah couldn’t shift into a bird, only another mammal, so being able to fly above the area was out of the question. Liam didn’t have that kind of restriction. The dragon would be able to cover three times as much ground as he and Maggie could, not to mention the other men.

  The dilapidated little shack came into view as the sun came up over the horizon. His gun strapped to his hip, Jonah adjusted his belt and left the weapon where the dragon could see it. He didn’t think Liam would get defensive since Jonah always carried his gun when he was in the woods, but he didn’t want the dragon to think he was hiding it from him either. It was courtesy.

  He jumped up the steps and pressed the small buzzer that sat next to the rickety front door. The boards squeaked under his feet as he shifted his weight, his hands on his hips. It took several minutes before the door cracked open.

  “Liam,” he said, taking a step back to give the massive dragon enough space to step onto the porch.

  Jonah wasn’t a small guy, over six feet himself, but Liam was in another ballpark. The dragon’s human shape was almost seven feet tall and far broader than any man he’d met before, except for the dragon’s uncle Mordecai who had passed away a few years earlier. The McIntyre dragons were huge, and Liam was no exception.

  His broad chest was bare, standing before him in nothing but a thin pair of grey sweatpants. His black hair fell over his chest and he tucked it behind his ear as he surveyed his unannounced guest.

  “What brings you to me door, Jonah?” he asked, his Irish accent seemingly thicker than usual.

  Jonah launched into his story, not wanting to waste the dragon’s time. “I wish I could say it was to see how you were doing, but that’s not the case. You see I’m helping a friend of mine. She and her friend went hiking day before yesterday and her friend fell off the side of the ravine that leads into No-Man’s-Land. By the time she alerted me in town and we got down there, her friend was gone, and I smelled fae in the area. I was hoping you’ve either seen or heard something. The girl is about yay high…”

  Jonah held his hand up to his chest but dropped it as soon as Liam spoke. “I know who you’re talking about.”

  He couldn’t help the excitement that built in him. This was the biggest lead they had so far.

  “You’ve seen her? Is she alive?”

  “Aye.”

  “Wounded?”

  The dragon shook his head and Jonah wanted nothing more than to tear the information from him. It was worse than pulling teeth.

  “Did you see where she went?”

  “I have her.”

  His eyes widened. Liam’s admission was the last thing he’d expected. “She’s here?”

  The dragon didn’t even a
llow Jonah inside his cave and yet he’d been willing to let a human stay with him. He didn’t know what Liam was up to and he couldn’t wrap his head around it. This wasn’t the dragon he knew.

  “She was taken by the fae. I bargained for her back and now she’s here.”

  Why would the fae want her?

  “Bargained for her? Why didn’t they just kill her on sight? What did the fae want with a human?”

  “They believe she’s a witch.”

  Everything started to fall into place. What he’d scented on Maggie the night in the rain and could still smell on her when he was close enough. The magic. Anything magical would stand out to the fae like a sore thumb. He rubbed his hand over his head as he tried to figure out how to break it to Liam that he was giving safe-haven to a human.

  He decided to tell him outright. “I know for a fact that she’s human. I sensed the magic on Maggie, but when I asked her about it, she said that they had practiced magic with some other friends of theirs. I never would have believed that the fae would think they were witches because of it.”

  Liam was quiet for a moment, keeping whatever thought he had to himself.

  “She’ll stay here with me,” the dragon said finally. “Take your friend back to town and get out of the woods. The fae are riled and they’ll be coming soon enough. Their plans are already set.”

  Jonah didn’t know what the dragon was trying to say. Liam knew of the disputes between the shifters and the fae. He knew of the violence between them. He knew Jimmy Schram was dead because a couple fae decided it would be fun to pull a shifter apart and leave his pieces hanging around the woods. He needed the dragon to just spit out the information, especially if it meant that he and Maggie were in danger.

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because Roarke wanted me to join him.”

  Jonah’s jaw dropped. He never would’ve believed the fae king would request the help of the neighboring dragon. The fae didn’t like any of their neighbors, but it proved just how much they hated shifters. If that wasn’t enough, he didn’t know what Liam had decided. He wouldn’t blame the dragon for doing what was best for him, but he certainly hoped their relationship was one of friendship. He had always thought them to be friends. If he decided to stand with the fae against the shifters…he couldn’t believe it.