by C. R. Jane
Daxon released him, and Daniel whipped around, shoving into the crowd and vanishing in seconds.
“Shit, he was terrified,” I said.
Daxon stepped up to me and cupped the sides of my face, studying my face. “Did he hurt you?”
“No, he’s just angry and in pain from losing Eve.”
“That doesn’t warrant him blaming you, sweetheart. I heard him accusing you, and he’s lucky I didn’t rip his tongue out instantly. If he’s smart, he’ll keep the fuck away from you for good.”
A shiver ran up my spine at the sincerity of his threat as I had no doubt he’d have hurt him if I wasn’t there. Normally, I’d admit such protectiveness made me gush, but for Daniel, I couldn’t help but feel pity. Maybe it was knowing that Eve adored him, so he couldn’t be that bad, right?
Daxon drew me to him, and he kissed my brow. “It’s my fault for losing you in the crowd.”
“It’s fine,” I said and spotted Rae waving at us from near a large, purple tent. “Come on, let’s go and have fun. I don’t want to let this ruin the night.”
“Agreed.” His grip on my hand grew firm, and he carved a path for us through the crowd to reach my friend.
When we emerged, Rae and Miyu waited for us near the tent’s entrance. Blinking Christmas lights ran around the frame of the tent, looking semi-festive. Above the doorway hung a sign with the words ‘The Guardian Angel,’ and I almost rolled my eyes at the name until I saw the excitement on Miyu’s face.
“I’ve heard she’s really good, and this year, I want to try her out,” she said.
“You go, babe,” Rae murmured. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
“I don’t think so,” she retorted, gripping her hips. “I’ve booked us all into a group session.”
Daxon groaned behind me, and I grabbed his arm, then we followed Miyu and Rae inside. The llama in my arm proved problematic as it somehow wedged itself and me in the doorway of the tent. It took Daxon to tug on him to free me, and suddenly, I felt like one of those oversized cats stuck in a dog door flap on the YouTube videos.
Bursting free, I stumbled into the tent, Daxon behind me setting the llama near the tent wall.
A single, flickering candle lit up the tent, filling the corners with shadows, casting light against a crystal ball sitting in the middle of a round table taking up most of the room. It was only the four of us, and I glanced around as Miyu took a seat, Rae doing the same.
“Are you sure you got the right time?” Daxon said. “Looks like no one’s here, and this is probably a sign to not place your faith in hocus pocus.”
Miyu looked slightly hurt by his comment, and my chest tightened as she had every right to believe in anything she wanted if it made her happy. And if wolf shifters like us existed, who said witchcraft and magic couldn’t exist too?
“Come on, try and be open-minded,” I muttered and took a seat alongside Miyu. It didn’t take Daxon long to join us, and he flopped into the seat next to me. We all stared at the empty fifth chair, and I glanced around, not seeing another door leading into the place. Layers of fabric in various shades of purple and black covered the walls. A rusty looking chandelier dangled from overhead and appeared slightly tacky in an attempt to add some character to the tent. It failed miserably, along with the heavy scent of sandalwood incense.
Miyu was whispering to Rae, and her excitement had her bouncing her knees. It shook the whole table, even the crystal ball in its metal cradle.
“Will she be asking us questions?” Daxon’s hand was suddenly on my thigh and inching up higher. My breath hitched at how quickly my body reacted to him. How a blaze kindled deep in my gut and dove to where my craving for Daxon awakened.
“Maybe,” Miyu answered when it seemed I’d forgotten how to speak. “But you can ask her a question if you want. I figured we could do one where she just senses if there are any spirits around us, maybe they have messages for us from beyond.”
Daxon’s eyebrows shot upward with an overexaggerated response. “I’m not interested in what any of the dead have to say.” He laughed at his own joke that none of us really got.
Rae sat back in his seat. “The quicker we get this over with, the better.”
“Agreed,” Daxon said, while his fingers inched higher still. I closed my thighs and stared at him, but he simply smirked evilly and pulled my thigh to the side, his hand quickly diving between them before I could respond.
His touch pressed against the seam of my heat, and despite it being over the fabric of my pants, it might as well have been skin to skin because he made sure I felt him. I squirmed in my seat, a moan slipping past my lips in response.
The way everyone looked at me left me mortified.
“Are you practicing for when the spirits arrive?” Rae teased, starting to make his own moaning sounds. I was certain my cheeks blushed as red as a tomato. Daxon just sat back, smirking his damn evil grin and enjoying himself.
Just then, part of the wall in front of us seemed to shift, and a figure emerged. A woman, maybe in her late thirties, joined us. She wore a purple corset that pushed up her ample breasts, along with a black skirt falling to her ankles. Her face was covered by a black lacy fabric, held in place by her hooded cape.
Hastily, I shifted in my seat and extracted Daxon’s hand from between my legs, forcing it on the table, pressed underneath mine. Of course, I wanted his hand between my legs, but with everyone so close, I didn’t want to be the person moaning randomly. Once was embarrassing enough.
“Welcome,” she said, her voice playful, like she was used to the theatrics she put on for her clients. She was beautiful from what I could see through the material, with a heart-shaped face and large almond eyes, lips red as cherries. “I am Angel, and it’s a blessing to read for you today. Take a few long breaths to clear out all negative thoughts.”
She leaned across the table and collected the crystal ball, which she set aside on a nearby table, then picked up a deck of tarot cards.
Once she took a seat with us, she started shuffling the deck, never removing her veil, which intrigued me further.
“Tonight, we will use my cards,” she instructed. “It’s a lot easier in a smaller group like this.” Her soft smile had a strange calming effect, and I figured this might be fun if nothing else. We were at a carnival after all, which wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.
“Close your eyes and think about one thing you want answered,” she asked, and I did as she asked, though my question came easily.
Will Alistair find me in Amarok?
The fact that my first question revolved around him disappointed me, but I’d also been unable to get Sterling’s appearance out of my head. I was surprised no one else had appeared. Maybe it was pure coincidence he’d found this town and me, and maybe word would never get back to Alistair that I’d been discovered.
“Once you’re ready, open your eyes.”
I opened my eyes, and in front of me on the table was a card, face down. There was a card in front of everyone else as well.
“Don’t turn them over yet,” Angel said just as Daxon did exactly that. “Oh, that’s okay,” she excused him. “We’ll do you first.
We all leaned over to view his card, which depicted an old man in a long cape, holding a cane and lantern, looking down. It appeared rather depressing.
“The Hermit,” Daxon said. “I don’t think so. Let me pick another card.” He leaned over, reaching for the deck, while the fortune teller quickly placed her hand over the pile.
“I’m sorry, that’s not how this works. Each card was meant for you and brings a message just for you.”
“What does his card say?” I asked, while the look on Daxon’s face told everyone he wasn’t happy with his selection. I got the impression he was a person who wanted only the best and always got his way.
Angel glanced down at his card for a long moment. “You’re a quiet soul, and I sense you’re hiding from your past, which makes it hard for you to get close to anyone. It’s hard for yo
u to connect with others.”
Well, only that last part could be true, I guessed. I didn’t really think of Daxon as reserved or a quiet soul. Everyone noticed when he walked into a room.
Daxon didn’t say a word, but his silence said it all. It only became more awkward as she kept going.
“You secretly want to be friends with everyone though, but you’re afraid you won’t be liked.”
A snort slipped out of Rae at the ridiculous things the woman was saying. The more she talked, the more clear it was that she was making up crap.
“What do you see in his future?” I asked, sensing Daxon had no intention of asking any questions, and I felt bad for the poor woman. Daxon’s hand fell back under the table and found the warmth of my leg, caressing me, distracting me.
“Loneliness,” Angel answered, and Daxon licked his lips, shifting in his seat, and I could tell it took everything he had to hold back a smartass comment.
Angel picked up on his disinterest and pivoted her attention to Miyu next, while Daxon’s hand squeezed my thigh slightly. He leaned in, his lips on my ear, whispering. “She has it wrong. I’ll never be lonely because I’ll never let you go. To keep you, I would sin, I would shed blood, I would die. Anything for you, sweetheart.”
When he drew away, blood rushed to my head, my chest heaving for breath. His pupils dilated at watching my response, at how much I was falling over the edge for him. The things he said should have scared me, but instead, they made me shiver with a painful longing.
I must have lost myself in Daxon’s gaze, at the way his fingers found the heat between my legs once again, because it took Miyu poking me in the shoulder to awaken me from the spell that Daxon had placed over me.
I twisted back to face Angel, who was staring at me, smiling. “Are you ready for your reading, dear?”
“Definitely,” I said, clearing my throat and trying to get a hold of myself. It wasn’t ideal to spend all of your time in a haze of lust.
She shut her eyes, and almost instantly, a chill fell over the room as if someone had switched on the air conditioner.
Suddenly, Angel slumped forward, the front of her head banging on the table so loudly, I jumped in my seat.
Miyu yelped, and Rae reared back in his chair. Daxon fell deadly silent, not even his chest moved with his breaths as he watched the fortune teller with intensity. Every inch of him screamed predator, and while the three of us backed away from something unknown, he was the kind to run to the monster.
“Fuck, is she dead?” Rae asked.
“Don’t say that,” I replied. “Maybe she’s in a trance. One so powerful, she knocked herself out?”
Daxon snorted a laugh. “That would be hilarious if she did that, seeing she was full of shit.”
Miyu leaned forward, a hand reaching for the woman.
“Not the best idea,” Daxon warned.
“We need to know if she’s okay. What if she’s having a stroke or some kind of allergic reaction?”
“To what?” Rae asked. “Rune’s reading?” He laughed, amusing himself.
“Well, when you say it like that, it doesn’t sound good,” I said.
It didn’t stop Miyu, who poked the woman in the shoulder.
In a flash, Angel snapped back upright, and Miyu screamed. I flinched, my heart drumming in my chest as I tensed in my seat. Daxon never moved, he just tilted his head, watching her, and sniffing the air like he was searching for danger.
Something was wrong. “Why are her eyes white?” I murmured, and Miyu’s gasp filled the silence.
Angel lifted an arm and pointed a long, slender finger in my direction. “Rune.” The voice that came from Angel’s lips did not belong to her. It sounded darker, deeper, and croaky, like it belonged to a much older woman.
“Monsters follow you in the shadows, but something darker, something more sinister resides within you. It will bring death and destruction to your feet. But you have the power to bring peace to the war you’ve unleashed. If you embrace it, what lies inside you will rule all.”
Angel’s words flatlined, and she fell forward, once more hitting the table with her head with such force, the whole thing shook.
“What the fuck was that?” My breaths came out in gasps.
“Damn, you got the best reading out of all of us,” Miyu said, pouting, while I somehow suspected whatever we’d witnessed came from a place of truth.
Daxon was on his feet, and he took my hand. “We’re leaving now.” Before I could even check if Angel was all right, he grabbed my llama and whisked me out of the tent.
“I think that was real,” I said while Daxon swiveled to stand in front of me.
“Everything about her was fake, and she put on a good show, that’s all that happened. If she pretended to make yours appear real, then the rest of us would believe our readings.”
I shook my head. “Did you see her white eyes, and she hadn’t even turned over my card.”
“Games. She smelled like just a human to me,” Daxon said. “And we’ve wasted enough time there. I want to spend time with you alone.”
He had a point on the theatrics of her reading. Rae and Miyu soon joined us.
“Is she alright?” I asked, to which my friend nodded. “Said she couldn’t remember a thing and seemed to act like nothing strange happened.”
“It was all a hoax,” Rae added, to which Daxon nodded, though in my mind, it felt strangely real.
We all pushed into a walk, making our way to the Ferris wheel, when I slipped in next to Miyu. “Hey, did you tell Angel our names when you booked us in by any chance?”
“Nope, she insisted on not wanting to know anything about us.”
A shiver crawled up my back. “Then how did she know my name?”
Miyu paused, grabbing my arm. “I told you she was fucking amazing.”
That wasn’t exactly what I’d call it, but whatever had happened back in the tent left me covered in goosebumps. Something was very odd, like her voice and basically everything she’d said about me. None of the others seemed particularly bothered about it though. Hmm.
Miyu curled her arm around mine and dragged me forward. “We may need another session at the salon to discuss the monster inside you.” She giggled, and I felt kind of silly for taking anything that woman had said seriously. It was just a bit of fun from an obvious fake.
My life was already close to out of control, and I didn’t want to accept that Angel’s words were in any way a terrifying prediction.
“Hurry up, babe,” Rae called out, holding the gate to the Ferris wheel ride.
We both rushed over. Her and Rae climbed into the first available passenger car, while Daxon looked to be getting us tickets from the side booth.
I hastily jumped into the next metal car as it swung down, figuring I’d grab it for Daxon and I, but just as I flopped down in the seat, someone else emerged from around the carriage and slipped into the seat with me.
I startled at first, until I saw who it was.
“Wilder?”
“Hello, gorgeous.”
The man working on the ride hastily brought down the metal railing over us, and before I could even get my head straight that Wilder was at the carnival, we were moving upward, the carriage swinging under us.
I glanced over to Daxon, staring at us bewildered, his brow pinching, and under his arm was my stuffed llama. The situation wasn’t helped one bit by Wilder waving down at him. Then he turned to look at me, and striking green eyes were all I saw, so bright, they could shine in the night.
“Daxon’s going to be pissed you took his seat,” I said, still surprised at Wilder’s sudden appearance. Though my stomach fluttered at having his side pressed up against mine, his warmth like a blaze that heated me instantly, and when he placed an arm across the back of my seat, I naturally leaned in closer to him.
“I’m counting on it,” he said. “Plus, he hates heights, so he can sit this one out.”
“And I’m guessing you love them?”
Each time the Ferris wheel moved and stopped, it sent us into a back and forth swing that left me feeling slightly dizzy.
“I’ve attended this carnival every year that it’s visited town. I love any kind of ride.” He leaned in closer. “And by the looks of it, the fair is agreeing with you too.”
I pulled a face, then couldn’t help but grin widely. “It’s amazing. I can’t remember the last time I laughed and had so much fun. Being serious is so overrated, and I could easily come here once a week to forget real life.”
He laughed, the sound so beautiful to listen to that I’d gladly be in his arms as we swung around in the night air. We gradually inched upward with new people jumping into the passenger cars down below.
“How long have you been watching us?” I asked.
He raised an eyebrow and glanced down below to the expansive fair where people wandered around everywhere. I could see the food vans, rides I definitely wanted to try next, and where there wasn’t an insane amount of people. The vantage point was great for people watching.
“You’d be amazed how easy it is to find anyone from up here,” he told me, his breath unexpectedly on the side of my neck. I turned toward him, only to find he leaned in so close, our lips and noses brushed.
“I can see that.” My words expelled out as a breath.
That small innocent graze inflamed my desire and reminded me how the smallest touch drew us together. I felt the warmth of his fingers against my arm as they slid up to my shoulder and under my jawline.
I froze, thinking this wasn’t the best place to get carried away. I tended to lose my head around Wilder…around both of them. The memory of the last time we’d had sex stirred my arousal though, and the movement of his arm around my back brought me closer to him.
Desire burned through my body, and I grabbed hold of his hand to stop him before it went too far, and I couldn’t stop him…or myself. Goddess, I had become one of those girls, hadn’t I? Where I was with two men, and no matter how much I told myself it would end in devastation, I couldn’t back away.
I was too blinded by everything they made me feel, by them being constantly on my mind. I longed for another touch, for a kiss. They were my addiction. Even the way Wilder and Daxon looked at me unraveled me. They looked at me like they were starving. They looked at me like all they could think about was how to make me scream and the best ways to drag a climax out of me. How could I not be a goner around them? Fuck, they were ruining me. And even with my eyes wide open about where this all was heading, I begged for more.