Bewitching Sloth

by Gross, Michelle

  Quick, think of something! I thought to myself.

  Oh, my God, I could hear Isabella inside my head. I can hear you.

  Do you feel that? My semi-erect boner was growing rapidly between her thighs, waiting for round two.

  She smiled rather lewdly, if you must know, and it made me the luckiest guy in the world. I’m smiling lewdly? She asked. And you love it like you love me.

  “I do,” I told her gently, so she could feel how sincere I was about her. Or hoped.

  “How is this possible?” she asked, then she placed her hand on her shoulder blade. “Is it the snails?”

  “There’s no other thing it could be,” I told her.

  Instead of freaking out like most people would in finding out you could hear another person’s thoughts, Isabella had the biggest smile on her face as she cupped my face and planted a kiss on my lips.

  “It’s nice to think that maybe fate’s been on my side a little after all,” she pulled back and said.

  “So, you’re happy?”

  “I’m so happy, Sebastian. I’m so glad I almost tripped over you sleeping on the floor.”

  I laughed. “Me too.”

  Thirty-Seven

  Isabella

  Sebastian nudged me forward with his palm as we stood at the bottom of the steps. I gave him a reluctant gaze over my shoulder. I blinked, then tried batting my eyes at him.

  “It’s okay, Izzie,” he reassured me, but I wasn’t sure.

  “She might not have meant it,” I tried to tell him.

  He shook his head. “Nope. She meant it. The witch knew about us, Harvest, and the choices I’d have to make. Everything. She doesn’t seem like the type to say something she didn’t mean.” Walking ahead of me, he latched onto my wrist and pulled me up the steps with him. “Come on, I’m right here with you.”

  Now, that did reassure me. I smiled and let him lead me.

  A week had gone by since Sebastian had come home for good. The last seven days had been complete and utter bliss. He still had to go into the human world every day, but now that things were somewhat back to normal, he took me with him. It was still strange to see him deal with death, but it felt like he was taking me on an adventure every day and I loved that. There was so much to being a Reaper and I suddenly admired them, especially my sloth. I never cared to learn about them before, but now I couldn’t imagine my life without this one.

  Nine months?

  I refused to believe that was all the time I had left with him. And Sebastian even saw the truth himself in his very bones with glimpses of the future, and yet, he refused to believe it too.

  He thought there might be a way for hope. I prayed he was right because I no longer wished for dreams. He gave me a beautiful reality, so I’d keep hoping for our future.

  “Isabella,” I stopped when I heard Melinda’s voice at the top. I relaxed the moment I saw the tranquil expression on her face. One could say she was somewhat pleased. “We’ve been waiting.”

  I looked to Sebastian just as he looked to me. He grinned. “Told you.”

  I smiled, and we hurried up the steps.

  The possibilities of a coven and sister witches greeted me every step of the way.

  _______

  “You’ve tamed the darkness, I see,” Melinda whispered as she seated us at a table. She had introduced me to several witches, and I found myself growing more and more excited.

  “Still deadly,” I told her as I held up my gloved hands. “But yes, no one has the power to control me any longer. Not ever.” I bit the last word out rather darkly.

  She glanced at Sebastian and nodded. “You did good, sloth.”

  “But not enough… In nine months—”

  “I am aware,” she informed him.

  “Then, you know of a way—”

  She kept interrupting him. “It’s out of your hands, you can do nothing else.”

  “I won’t accept that,” he hissed.

  “There’s always a way, you’re just not it. Your and Isabella’s fate was to start it, now there will be a chain of events that will happen from here on out, but even I don’t know what the outcome will be.” Melinda slid her hand across the table and placed hers over Sebastian’s. “But, if anything, I have faith that if anybody can prevent it, the Reapers can.”

  “Me too,” I said, casting a quick glance at Sebastian.

  “These are only rumors, so I don’t know,” Melinda sat back in her chair and straightened like she was about to say something good. Sebastian leaned forward against the table. “The entity that can cause plagues and calamities with the snap of his fingers also has the power to heal and nourish those same things.”

  Sebastian frowned. “Is that supposed to mean anything?”

  She smiled at him. “If the end starts again, why wouldn’t you want someone that can heal what will be brought onto the world?”

  She had a point. Sebastian sat and stewed. “That doesn’t help us, there are only two entities it can be. Fear’s power is, well, fear, so of course, it’s not him. If it’s Harvest, it’s pointless, to begin with.”

  “His power is harvesting the power of others,” I said quickly. “I’ve never seen him start a plague. If he could, he would have wreaked havoc all over the place already.”

  “You’re right, so that leaves…” His eyes flashed toward Melinda. “Jackal? No one’s even seen him for how long?”

  “And why would he help us?” I asked. “He’s probably just as bad as Harvest.” I shuddered at the thought of him being worse.

  Sebastian stood. “Well, it won’t hurt to try. I’ll talk to the others tonight.”

  “You’re welcome to stay longer, Isabella,” Melinda told me as I got up.

  I gave Sebastian a smile. “Stay and do your witchy business. I’ll stop by when I’m back from the human world,” was his response to my smile.

  Running up to him, I placed a kiss on his lips and watched him fade away. When I turned, I caught sight of Melinda’s rather odd smirk… was that an impish rise in her eyebrows.

  I just wondered what she was looking so mischievous about?

  “So, what do you want to do first?” she asked me.

  I grinned. “Everything.”

  Thirty-Eight

  Isabella

  “Careful,” Sebastian whispered as he led me by the hand.

  I felt the heat smacking me in the face and smiled even though he had me blindfolded. “Is that the sun?” I asked him. There was a breeze, but it was just as hot as the heat. There was also a smell I couldn’t place. I liked breathing it in though.

  “Is it?” he asked me. “I’m sorry there’s no sun in the Underworld. I know how much you love it.”

  “What are you talking about?” I shook my head and grinned. “I get to see the sun every day when we’re in the human world with your Reaper duties.”

  “I know, but this time you’ll actually get to enjoy it.” He stopped, which made me more impatient.

  “Can I take the blindfold off now?”

  He laughed. “Go ahead.”

  I pulled our hands apart so I could reach up and yank it off, then I gasped. Sebastian took me to a beach. I was at the ocean. I inhaled the sea breeze, which was salty, clean, and warm with a hint of a fishy smell creeping in here and there. So, this was what the sun and water smelled like when they met the sand here every day. “So beautiful,” I murmured as I gawked at the water. I tore out of my shoes, then yanked my socks off and lowered my feet in the sand for all of two seconds before it started burning. “Hot, hot!” I hissed, and he chuckled.

  “Come here.” He patted a place on the blanket he laid out for us. I jumped onto it, kicking sand on it in the process. “Didn’t you know better?” he asked, and I shook my head. “Well, is it everything you hoped for?”

  Feeling sweet, I declared, “You’re everything I hoped for, but this,” I took in the waves dying out before they reached the sand and sighed happily, “is good too.”

  “Good.�
� He opened his legs, and I twisted around so that my back rested against his chest as we gazed at the beautiful waves crashing against the sand and the birds squawking as they flew in the distance. “I’m already feeling jealous of the air you’re breathing and the way you keep taking it all in like you love it.”

  I snorted, and he wrapped his arms around me where I felt safe, protected, and loved.

  He kissed my neck. “A hundred years from now, when I’ve shown you every part of the ocean, we will come back here and start the process all over again.”

  His words stole the air from my lungs. Not only were they beautiful, they were a promise to never give up hope. In his embrace, I could never doubt him.

  Gripping his arms, I tilted my head back to look at him. “You plan to keep me that long?”

  “I plan on keeping you forever.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Then my sleeping sloth kissed me and did I tell you how great he was at it?

  Jackal’s Pride

  Book Two

  SNEAK PEEK

  Maureen

  The Den was a filthy place, and by filthy, I meant relatively wicked and murderous. The giant building was clean but insanely hot. Sex, cage fights, poker, you name it. Everything conversed inside these compacted metal walls.

  Smoke filtered through my nostrils as Gavin blew a puff of his cigar in my face as I sat down at their table. “Deal me a hand, Rabbit,” I said, tapping my knuckle against the wood once.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be, I don’t know, saving the human world from the near disaster that almost freed the Devil?” Gavin’s green eyes devoured me as he flicked his cigar-filled hand. He was easy on the eyes—blond hair, baby blue eyes, and a straight nose with angular cheekbones that went well with his pale vampire skin and lean body—that was no doubt he was beautiful, but he was also the biggest sleaze-ball. I didn’t trust a word out of his mouth, let alone give him the chance with my body. Even so, I did enjoy unwinding from work by dropping in and playing cards or talking shit with his usual crew.

  After the last few weeks, I’d had and the super awesome news that I was destined to die in nine months—and counting down—along with everything good, yeah, I needed to step away from that part of my life and do anything else.

  “Where do you think I’ve been the last few weeks?” I hissed. “I need a fucking minute. Do you mind?”

  He leaned back with a smirk, holding his arms out in surrender.

  “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Maureen,” Rabbit told me as he dealt us our cards. It was just him, Gavin, and Newt. Rabbit was four feet, five inches of hairy man slash rabbit. I wasn’t sure what type of demon he was, but he claimed that he was cursed by a witch to live out the rest of his life as this tiny bearded man with whiskers and too much white hair. Newt was a slender, bald warlock while Gavin was a vampire which explained why he smoked a lethal number of cigars. He had no working lungs to worry about.

  “I know it is,” I responded as I dragged my fingers through my long brown hair.

  “Seen what’s new on the market?” Newt asked, and I arched a dark brow his way. Leaning his elbow on the table, he twisted his hand until his palm was up, then some sort of collar materialized in his hand.

  He stretched his hand out to me and I took the device. “You into collars now, Newt?”

  He smirked. “Always have, but this is something else.”

  We ignored the cards as I inspected the collar in my hand. The energy coming from it was off the charts, so whatever the hell this thing was supposed to do… it should do it.

  “The moment you link yourself to the collar, whoever you place it on will be within your control.” Gavin dripped his words with a smile. Yeah, I’d bet the idea was very tempting for him. I gripped the metal necklace in my hand as I gauged his reaction toward it.

  “How… ominous,” I said, then I glanced at Newt. “Why show me this?”

  “I asked him too,” Gavin answered instead.

  I glared at him. “Well, spit it out.”

  “Why else?” He laughed, then pulled out another one from his pocket. “Let’s make a bet.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you get tired of losing?”

  “This time, I’m gonna win,” his eyes skimmed over my breasts as he extended his fangs, “and I’ll finally climb in that ass.”

  “Never in a million years,” I told him.

  “What? Afraid of losing?” he goaded me, and damn it, pride was a bitch and she never said no. Gavin purposely used my own sin against me. Too bad it never worked in his favor because I never lost a bet.

  “Did I say no?” I growled.

  He gave a victory grin. “There’s that pride.”

  I was one more snide remark away from punching him in the gut. Taking a deep breath, I asked, “So, how does this one work? See who collars who first?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve thought about collaring you, but that would be my death. Your family would have a death warrant on my head the moment I did.” I smirked. Well… as long as he knew. “No, we pick a target and the first one to collar the target wins the bet.”

  “What are you two betting this time?” Rabbit placed his chin in his palm like he was bored. “And, obviously, we know what it is if you win.” He glanced at Gavin.

  “Maureen. In my bed. Like she should have been ten years ago when we first met.” I would have sat on Gavin’s face five nights out of the week if his personality wasn’t that of a vulture. He was nice to look at, but I had standards.

  I sighed. “No, thanks.”

  “And, what do you want if you win?” Newt asked. Rabbit and Newt were the ones that helped keep things fair so that Gavin couldn’t back out of his bets when he lost—which was always.

  “What do you have left that I haven’t won already, Gavin?” His expression was icy as I smiled. Then it hit me. “Oh, I got one.”

  Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Let’s hear it.”

  My smile dropped as I leaned forward. “If I win, you’ll no longer be allowed to bet with me. This will be the last time I bet with you.” He knew I couldn’t turn down a wager. My pride wouldn’t let me. Nor would pride let me lose. Pride was a bitch, and she burned me up.

  “Now hold up—”

  I cut him off. “Afraid of losing for the hundredth time?”

  “Take it or leave it, vamp. She placed her cards and so did you,” Newt had my back.

  Gavin’s jaw tightened with anger. “Fine. Deal.” We shook hands.

  “Do we have a problem here?” Fear crept in between Gavin and me, and Gavin had the smarts to avert his gaze. But me? I glanced up and smiled at my so-called uncle we knew as Ryan. He was my parents’ best friend as well as Payne’s dad so that might as well make him my uncle. Although, I’d admit. I had the biggest crush on him when I was little. All of Fear’s evilness was somewhat thrilling. His wife was equally just as crazy as he was, and I came to this place all the time just because they owned it. I enjoyed their company a lot.

  “Not at all,” I told him.

  He nodded and gripped Gavin’s shoulder roughly until I could see the obvious pain in his eyes. “You should choose something other than vultures to hang out with,” Fear muttered, glancing down at Gavin, then he looked back over at me. “Want in the cage?” he asked, and I grinned. “Got it. I’ll holler when we’re ready for you.”

  My body thrummed with excitement at the idea of cutting loose in the ring. The only reason Fear even let me inside the cage was because he knew my ass was immortal, otherwise, there was no way he’d let me. He tore The Den apart one night I was here when his wife climbed into the ring. She was a total badass, and never had a problem, but one fatal hit and he would lose her forever.

  Once Ryan left us, I turned back to Gavin. “So, who’s our target?”

  Newt materialized a plastic jar full of letters. “I’ve placed the names of every strong name in the Underworld, including your siblings,”
his gaze roamed to somewhere behind me, “Fear, and even Harvest.”

  My teeth clenched together at the sound of his name. We were all off our game that night. None of us wanted to hurt Isabella, and even though I had been an ass to her and she had the god-awfullest touch known to mankind, I was happy that things turned out the way they had.

  Sebastian deserved love. The same kind of love that our parents had, and as much as I respected that type of love, I didn’t get it.

  My loyalty was to my family, which included Ryan, Molly, and even Payne. How did you trust someone you were fucking? How did one even trust themselves with a curse? I didn’t care to find out either.

  Okay, I was getting dramatic.

  And maybe I knew a little girl that thought differently long ago. So very long ago.

  “Just pull a name out already,” Gavin hissed.

  With a grunt, Newt complied and pulled out a name. He tilted his head and gave the card a funny look. “Hmm, this will be harder than either of you anticipated, because the name I’ve got hasn’t been seen or heard from far longer than any of us has even been alive.”

  I frowned. “Who?”

  “Jackal.”

  “Jackal,” I repeated.

  “The entity Jackal?” Gavin asked. “Is he even real or a myth?”

  Shit. I didn’t have time for this. Time was literally of the essence, and I roped myself into looking for an entity who hadn’t been seen in thousands of years. “You gonna help us find him?” I glanced at Newt, and he rubbed his bald head before grinning.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Newt was the best when he came to tracking spells. As a Reaper, I could literally find anyone. I just had to conjure up a name inside my head and there they’d be, but sometimes, demons could hide themselves and considering no one had seen Jackal this long, I knew I needed his help. The fact that he was an entity only made it worse because he had no death date in which I could track him with.

  “Maureen!” Fear called me for the fight.

  “Let us know when you find him.” I rose to my feet. “Fellas, I believe it’s time for me to go kick some ass.”