by Emma Dean
“I’ve read a lot of books, and practice on my own a lot like Mika does,” Ethan explained.
He held up his hand and a cloud formed above it. Then he concentrated on that cloud and it drifted over to the pink flower. A few sigils with his fingers and soft rain fell over the plant. The pink flower unfurled the rest of its petals, almost like the rain was a relief.
“It’s beautiful,” Mika murmured.
“I want one,” Lucien stated, handing Mika a piece of cake and then Ethan. “Can you make me the same flower but a different color?”
She smiled at that, taking a bite of her cake as she waited to see what Ethan would do.
Ethan fidgeted again, his cheeks slightly pinker all of a sudden. “I could probably do a blue one. Blue or yellow would be easy enough considering they’re primary colors.”
They were adorable.
Mika poked Ethan in the ribs. “A golden one for Lucien, and a red one for Corbin.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Ethan bent down and kissed her gentle and slow.
There was no more tension between them, no more bitterness or fear. It was as easy as it had been in the beginning, more so if she were honest with herself.
“So, it’s almost the full moon,” Lucien stated. “And I know what I’m supposed to do, but are you sure it’s going to work? I have issues with some of the steps.”
“Same,” Ethan agreed. “How am I supposed to stay completely still during the whole thing?”
Mika dipped her pinky in the cake’s frosting and licked it off. “If you don’t, I could die.”
Neither of them looked happy about that.
“Fine, but if she doesn’t heal you, I’m going to find a poison that works on gods,” Ethan promised. “Now, I still have a lot of work to do if I’m going to turn this poison in with an antidote tomorrow morning. You two should skedaddle. It’s going to be super boring.”
“Hey, we haven’t even finished our cake yet,” Lucien protested. “You’re being a terrible host.”
Mika hid her smile. “Come on Lucien, let’s take our cake over to Wolfsbane House. I’m sure there’s a movie or something we can watch.”
The fox perked up at that. “Sure, I’ve got a few saved.”
She kissed Ethan goodbye and grabbed the empty plates and containers. “We’ll drop these off on our way.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ethan insisted, taking them from her. “I’m going to need a snack later. I’ll drop them off at the dining hall when I go back for some more food.”
“Thanks.” Lucien saluted him with his fork. “If you see Malachi before I do, tell him he still has my second-favorite sword.”
“Which one’s your favorite again?” Mika asked, carrying her own plate of cake.
They waved goodbye to Ethan and closed the door to his workroom behind them. The conservatory itself was dimly lit. There weren’t any herbology night classes this semester.
It was getting darker quicker these days and the sun was already setting, casting a warm orange and pink glow over everything. Mika breathed in the smell of all the various plants as they walked toward the closest exit.
She missed taking classes in the greenhouse.
“The one my dad made for me,” Lucien said, pushing the door open and holding it for her. “It’s the one I wear the most.”
“It’s very pretty.” Mika took another bite of her cake as they walked through the grounds towards Lucien’s house. “I have something I should tell you.”
“That Excalibur is amazing? I already knew that,” Lucien scoffed, nudging her with his elbow. “You don’t need to rub it in.”
“No.” Mika shook her head. “Not that. I wanted to tell you I’ve been going to the temple every night again.”
Lucien gave her a sideways glance as they approached the tree line. “Am I the only one you told?”
She shrugged, half-listening to the trees as they entered the forest. “The ravens are aware. I’m not sure if Corbin and Armad have talked about it though. I don’t really get to talk to him.”
It was strange knowing there was a raven out there watching her, but never seeing him. It made her wonder. Corbin had never been as invisible as Armad was. Why hadn’t he kept himself hidden like the older raven?
Mika could have easily forgotten his presence and then slipped up at some point, showing him exactly what the Council had wanted Corbin to see. But instead he’d always been where she could see him, pestering her and generally making himself a nuisance.
“You’re a conundrum, little witch.”
Mika stopped before they left the forest completely. She could see the original university building that housed the hunters now. “Why do you say that?”
Lucien sighed, and suddenly she wondered if this was going to be a real problem. “Just that you hide a lot of yourself away, and I still don’t really understand why.”
Mika didn’t know what to say to that, but she felt…conflicted. “It has nothing to do with my feelings for you.”
The fox chuckled. “That doesn’t help it make more sense.” He shoved the rest of the cake in his mouth.
She wasn’t hungry anymore. “Here, you can have the rest of mine.” Lucien took the plate from her and finished it off in just a few bites.
Watching him, she didn’t see any bit of the anger Ethan had had. Lucien looked completely unbothered by everything and Mika suddenly felt annoyed. “Why doesn’t it upset you like it does Ethan and Corbin?”
Lucien’s eyes flashed gold and he tossed the plates on the ground like he thought this might turn into a physical fight. “Are you calling my feelings into question?”
She crossed her arms over her chest defensively and glared. “I’m not, but if there’s something about me that’s pissing you off, I want to know what it is.”
Somehow, she always ended up arguing with Lucien the most. Mika sometimes wondered what that meant, if it was because they were both so stubborn and volatile, or if this was never meant to work out despite how easily he fit into her life in every other respect.
“I’m not interested in arguing,” Lucien told her, eyes glowing gold. “I’m just saying, you don’t need to be so secretive all the time.”
“I’m not being secretive,” she snapped, hating the way he always riled her up. “I just don’t feel like I need to share every single shred of my life with all of you.” Mika turned, annoyed at him and at herself.
Why did she always feel like she needed to defend herself with him?
She stomped through the forest, trying to burn off excess energy the adrenaline gave her before she destroyed more trees.
Suddenly, Lucien was in front of her, using that superhuman speed foxes possessed. “I’m not saying you should have to. You can tell me or Corbin without us needing to be there for whatever it is you do.”
“Do you tell me every single tiny thing you do?” Mika demanded. “Do you text me every time you watch a new show, or spar with Malachi without me?”
His smile was slow and crafty. “I can. I could also text you every time you make me have a dirty thought, or every time I lie awake at night thinking of you as I masturbate. Would you like that?”
Instantly her cheeks heated.
Mika didn’t know what to say to that. Her mouth hung open slightly until she realized and snapped it shut.
Lucien’s eyes glowed in the dark forest and her heart pounded, her stomach clenched in anticipation. Mika wanted him, badly. She wanted to remind him she wasn’t some weak witch.
Maybe she could make him beg.
They stared at each other and her breathing grew rapid as she tried to think of something—anything to say.
“Fox got your tongue, little witch?”
25
“Why do you always try to shock me?” she demanded.
Lucien prowled forward and got into her space. “Maybe I like that I still can.”
Mika felt the need to retreat, stepping back to keep that space between them. Her back
hit a tree and Lucien leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of her – effectively caging her.
Part of her wanted to shove him back and run, and another part of her wanted him to do whatever it was he’d thought about during those nights he’d dreamed of her.
“You’re missing the point.” Mika sounded breathless and she hated Lucien a little for that. “The point of my question was that I don’t expect you to share every single thing you do with me. We’re not married. We’re not even living together. We’re dating, Lucien. All this other crazy shit about blood witches and their foxes aside, we’re two people who just happen to be dating.”
His smile turned feral and Lucien leaned in even closer. Mika had nowhere to go, she had nowhere to run and part of her relished that. Secretly she loved these games, and Mika loved that she never really knew what Lucien was going to do.
“We could always change that,” he whispered.
“Change what exactly?” Mika’s heart dropped into her stomach as she desperately tried not to overthink.
“We could get married.” Lucien ran his nose along the line of her jaw, breathing her in. “How do you feel about Lucien Park Marshall? I would like to keep my ties to my pack, but I would take whatever name you wanted to give me.”
Mika could literally feel the blood drain from her face. “You are not proposing to me right now.”
His husky chuckle made her knees weak and Mika had to take a shuddering breath to keep herself from saying or doing something absolutely ridiculous.
“Technically, I did not. The rule is, I have to tell Ethan and Corbin before I buy a ring since they want to pick one out too. I’m simply suggesting, you could propose to me. It would circumvent that rule quite nicely.”
Mika was speechless.
She stared up into those gorgeous golden eyes and simply could not believe the turn this conversation had taken, let alone the fact that the crafty fox had found a very clear loophole.
“Did I finally manage to make the magnificent, magnanimous, marvelous Ms. Mika lose the ability of speech again?” Lucien asked.
His warm voice sent a shiver down her spine when his lips brushed against her throat. The scrape of his teeth made her gasp and suddenly she was wet and desperate.
“I’m not going to propose to you!” Mika winced as her voice got a bit screechy at the end. She cleared her throat. “I’m only twenty, and I have no plans to get married at all.”
Those sharp canines bit her shoulder gently. “Are you saying that because witches weren’t monogamous?”
“Yes.” Why did she have to sound so defensive?
His fingers slid under the waistband of her pants and Mika pressed her hands against his rock-hard chest to keep him back, but it ended up ruining every plan she’d had. Mika couldn’t keep herself from running her hands down his chest, feeling those hunter muscles. The fabric was soft and tight and she bit her tongue to keep from licking her lips.
“Weren’t you planning to marry Matthew at eighteen? We’re two years past that already. So, the age excuse is lame.” Lucien pulled back so he could study her face.
She felt her cheeks heat again and Mika was so annoyed she pushed him despite how greedy her fingers were getting. “Who told you that?”
“Matthew told Corbin; Corbin told us.” Lucien grinned and reached for her again, large hands holding onto her hips. Then he slid his hands under her shirt, callouses scratching against her skin.
Mika pushed him again, but he didn’t move this time and she just ended up even closer to him. Looking up, she inhaled sharply when his hands went up her back under the shirt. It took nothing but a flick of his finger to undo her bra.
“Who exactly is us?” Mika demanded, annoyed he was turning her anger into nothing more than a pile of turned on goo.
“Me, Ethan, and Malachi. He told us one of the times he was training us.” His thumbs brushed her ribs and then the undersides of her breasts, but Lucien didn’t make a move to take her shirt, or the bra, off.
“You boys gossip worse than any female I know,” Mika snarled, pushing him hard this time.
Lucien took advantage of the momentum and yanked her forward so her entire body was pressed up against his and she could feel exactly how hard he was. “Mhm. We love to talk about you.”
She didn’t know what to say or think. This conversation had gone in so many weird directions. “You’re just saying all this to distract me.” Mika ripped open his shirt, buttons flying.
“Hey!” The fox laughed when she pulled the fabric to the side so she could run her hands up his chest before she buried them in his silky, shoulder-length black hair.
“Maybe I am,” Lucien admitted, yanking her shirt over her head, and then pulling her bra off. “But you were getting unreasonable and you know it.”
The air was just chilly enough her nipples were hard and Mika felt like she needed him more than ever and right now. Unbuckling his pants was frustrating and taking too long. Lucien pushed her back against the tree and loosened them slightly.
Mika watched as he pushed down his pants just enough to take out his dick. “Do you want me to tell you every teeny tiny thought I have?” she asked. “Every time I consider taking a bath instead of a shower?”
Lucien chuckled, showing his canines. The pearly sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight. Before she knew what was happening, he had her pressed against the tree and his mouth was on her neck. “If that’s what you want to tell me.”
Before things went too far, Mika hooked her foot behind Lucien’s ankle and pushed as hard as she could. He ended up on his back, glowing eyes staring up at her in shock and delight. Snapping her fingers, her bottoms disappeared.
“Is that what you want?” she asked as she climbed on top of him slowly, one knee on either side of him. “I’d like to make sure I’m not breaking any rules.”
“I want whatever you want.” Lucien growled as she settled over him, hands gripping his hips. “Just like this? Here in the forest?” he asked. “Mika Marshall, I didn’t expect you to be so kinky.”
She smirked and leaned down to whisper in his ear, making sure he felt her nipples brush against his chest. “This is my forest. I will do whatever I damn well please here and the trees will keep us safe.”
Those golden eyes flared with desire as she adjusted him. Slowly she slid down until he was hilt deep, stretching her in such a way she felt the sharp pleasure build fast and hard.
“And what if the raven sees us?” Lucien asked, watching as she started to ride him.
Mika threw her head back as she picked up the pace, feeling the orgasm right there, right on the edge after he’d riled her up so much. “Let him watch,” she murmured, leaning down to kiss him.
That night air on fur scent surrounded her and she bit his lip, hard. Lucien growled and flipped her over so fast she had no chance to react. Suddenly he was on top of her and taking her hard and fast.
Her nails dug into his lower back, urging him on. Twigs and leaves pressed into her skin, and Mika could smell the rich soil in the crisp night air.
All she could see was Lucien and his beautiful golden eyes. She held his gaze and dragged her nails down his back as that pleasure peaked. Mika turned and bit his arm to keep from screaming. The taste of his blood was as sweet as she remembered and Lucien lifted her up, holding her back so that she was sitting on his lap.
He buried his face in her neck and bit down on her shoulder. The sting was barely noticeable as she rode out the orgasm, holding onto him. Mika felt blood trickle down her back and moaned.
“Lucien,” she murmured, licking up his neck before biting his earlobe. “You’re so very good at pissing me off.”
His hoarse laugh made her shiver as he simply held her. “Same goes for you too, little witch.”
Mika turned her head, rubbing her nose against his as she just breathed him in. “I love you, even though you can be an asshole.” She kissed him, enjoying the softness of his lips before she slid off his lap.
“Why am I an asshole this time?” the fox asked, eyebrows raised and golden eyes twinkling as he pulled his pants back up. “There are so many times you see, I get confused.”
Mika laughed, feeling calm again, her magic lazy and relaxed. She snapped her fingers and murmured the incantation. Clean clothes covered her body, including a thicker sweater. She snatched up the shirt and bra from the ground and pressed them between her palms, concentrating on sliding them through space into her hamper.
“It’s hard to explain,” she murmured. “And it’s not any one thing.”
His arms wrapped around her and the warmth of his body on her back was soothing. Mika held onto his hands, gathering courage from his strength.
“You got over those three weeks quicker than the others,” Mika finally said, a little annoyed that he’d managed to drag it out of her. “I wasn’t sure why. You also seemed to be annoyed I liked to have time to myself – which I need given everything that’s been going on in my life.”
Lucien rested his chin on top of her head with a small sigh. “You needed time. I get that. I didn’t appreciate the wards, almost like you didn’t trust me to leave you alone, but I understood why.” Lucien’s arms tightened around her ever so slightly. “I don’t think Ethan and Corbin would have left you totally alone which is annoying and no doubt the reason you had them put up in the first place. Though I don’t think they would have tried to interfere with whatever it was you were doing.”
Her body relaxed even further as she processed his words. Mika laid her head back on his shoulder and breathed in that perfect smell of night air on fur mixed with the cedar from the trunk he kept his clothes in.
“I destroyed an entire level of my house,” she admitted. “I’m sure you all would have had issues with that.”
Lucien stiffened and then relaxed. “Probably,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t like to see you in pain, but I feel it every time I’m around you and I hate that there’s nothing I can do to take it away since you seem to want it.”