The Enchanted: Council of Seven Shifter Romance Collection

by Juniper Hart

  “Thank God you’re here,” she said to them, with Cruz hurrying after her. “Someone was screaming bloody murder. Did you hear that? You better go investigate!”

  Smothering a laugh like two naughty teenagers, they scurried off to her suite, ignoring the baleful looks of the hotel staff. When they collapsed back inside her room, Sage took him back into her arms and grinned wickedly.

  “Now let’s do that horizontally,” she breathed, and Cruz could do little else but oblige her.

  5

  “What the hell do you mean, you’re sick!” Dayna screamed in her ear. Again, Sage found herself jerking the phone away from her lobe, wincing. She should have expected such a reaction from her friend.

  Why is she always so damn loud? She’s going to shatter my eardrums one day.

  “I have been looking forward to this for a month!” the punky brunette ranted, and a flash of guilt ripped through Sage as the truth of Dayna’s words smacked her in the face.

  She’s right. It’s selfish to blow her off like this, but… this feels so damned right. I can’t leave him now. She could feel Cruz casting her a curious look, and she smiled apologetically, sauntering into the bathroom of the suite. She only half-closed the door, wanting to keep her eye on the handsome stranger she couldn’t seem to get enough of.

  “Sorry, Day, I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t fly if I’m sick, and if we go to the island, we both know I’m going to need all the strength I can get,” Sage lied, feeling her face flush with humiliation. “I just don’t think I can go to Ibiza with you.” She didn’t like lying to Dayna—or anyone else, for that matter— but there was no way her friend was going to understand that Sage was blowing her off for a man. She could barely believe it. Who was she, and what had happened to the real Sage Aubin?

  But if there was anything she’d learned in the last day and a half, it was that Cruz was not just any man. He was a thousand men rolled into one hot package she wanted to keep forever.

  There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Are you lying to me, Sage?” Dayna asked softly, and Sage’s cheeks stained pink.

  How the hell does she do that? she wondered in awe. She’s good.

  “Of course not,” she replied indignantly. “I have the flu. Stop making me feel bad for having the flu.”

  “You know,” Dayna said conversationally. “I haven’t really stayed in touch with my roots all that much, but I’m old enough to know that bears don’t typically get the flu.”

  God damnit, Sage. Why couldn’t you come up with a better excuse than that? She knew why—because Cruz was saturating her mind and overtaking her body. There was no room to think about anything else but this creature who had so abruptly and so perfectly swooped into her life.

  “Maybe it’s food poisoning?” Sage offered weakly. She heard how insincere her voice sounded, and she knew Dayna was undoubtedly onto her.

  “I’m clearing customs in ten minutes. I’ll be there in half an hour.” Dayna hung up before Sage could object.

  Dammit. I guess I should have expected that. She opened the door to the bathroom and grimaced at her new lover, disappointment touching her gut as she looked at him. The thought of sending him away, even for a few minutes, was devastating. You really better get a grip on yourself. Whatever this is, it can’t last.

  “You have to get out of here for a while. My psychotic friend is on her way over. She doesn’t think I’m sick.” Cruz raised a dark eyebrow and smiled in amusement.

  “That is because you are not skilled in the art of mistruths,” he replied teasingly. Sage stared at him, open-mouthed.

  “Are you calling me a bad liar?” she demanded with mock anger.

  “I believe I am,” he answered. “I’m sure there are worse things that one can be called, and you’re so good at so many other things, I didn’t think you would mind.”

  Sage chuckled. He was not wrong; lying was not something which Sage had ever prided herself in doing well. She never had any occasion to stretch the truth. Even in her youth, when she had needed to hide her abilities from the mortals, Sage had found ways to sidestep fibbing. Trouble had never followed her, and she had always surrounded herself with people whom she trusted implicitly. She always told the truth.

  Well, almost always. She couldn’t help frowning when she thought about Dayna again.

  Sage and Cruz had spent the past thirty-six hours in her suite, ordering room service, talking, laughing, and making wild, unabandoned love as if they were the only survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Sage was sure she had never felt so complete in her whole life, and she wanted to relish every moment they had together. But she was not a fool. There was no way they could sustain the passion they had ignited, no matter how much she wanted to believe they could.

  I wish we could stay like this forever, Sage thought with a twinge of regret. While their conversations had been animated and anecdotal, they both carefully avoided discussions of an overly personal nature. She could sense that whatever it was that was bothering him was not a matter he wanted to talk about.

  Sage was a hundred percent certain he was not a criminal. He was kind. There was just something elusive about him. They didn’t even know each other’s last names. Sage wasn’t convinced she even knew his real first name.

  She was no babe in the woods. She knew the time they were sharing was fleeting, and that once she left Madrid on Saturday morning, she would likely never see Cruz again. It was why she wanted to spend every spare second she had with the stranger.

  Even if it means blowing off Dayna this time, she thought. She’ll have to get over it.

  It was not the first one-night stand she had experienced. Her job wreaked havoc on her biology, and there were days when Sage would happily have had sex with the first busboy she saw delivering room service. She loved sex and apologized to no one for it, but Cruz had awoken something different in her, something she had never felt before.

  I am blowing off a trip to Ibiza to lie in bed with this man for another day. Ibiza is the sex capital of Spain. Again, she wondered if someone else had overtaken her body. You know full well that Cruz has. Mind, body, and soul. This one is your mate.

  “I will leave you alone to lie to your friend,” Cruz said as she zoned back in. The look of him with pants on was almost foreign to her at that point. He hadn’t worn clothes beyond a robe to accept room service deliveries since Tuesday night.

  He is gorgeous, Sage thought, staring admiringly at his silken black hair and scruffy face. And clearly successful. That suit likely cost more than I make in a month. I wonder what he does for a living. If he’s connected to the Council, he’s probably someone really high up, but high enough to wear suits like this? I bet he’s got his own company.

  Even though she did not ask, as if he were reading her mind, he sighed.

  “I have some business to attend to anyway.” The look in his dark eyes told her that he had been neglecting something important, and the realization gave her a frisson of pleasure. He was also blowing people off for her. And not just any people. He was blowing off the highest members of the Enchanted for her. It was the highest form of flattery she could imagine.

  “But you’ll come back?” Sage heard herself ask, her heartrate increasing, concerned he would say no.

  “Oh, yes,” he assured her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Unless you would prefer I didn’t?”

  “I would be disappointed if I gave up a trip to Ibiza to sit here alone,” Sage replied coyly, and Cruz laughed. He leaned over the bed and deposited a long kiss on her parted lips.

  “In that case, I will return. Perhaps I will give you a ring before I do, lest your friend insist on remaining.” Sage nodded, the bubble in which she had enshrouded herself slowly deflating as reality settled back in.

  “Good idea,” she answered, smiling slightly. She enjoyed his British colloquialisms, indicative of high-class education. He is obviously educated, likely from an English college. Maybe he�
�s royalty.

  Sage had met many wealthy scholars in her work, but none like Cruz. He did not have an air of pretentiousness or an iota of conceit. Sage did not regard him as much of a playboy, either, despite their lusty connection.

  He almost seems sensitive. Maybe when he comes back, I’ll ask him for his story. Or maybe I like it better that he’s shrouded in mystery. She wondered if she wasn’t putting him on a pedestal, considering she barely knew him. It wasn’t like she had any real insight as to who he was. She had not asked him where he was from or where he lived.

  Something tells me that I will learn everything there is to know about him before our time here is up. I don’t think we will be able to stay apart. Maybe when I am in his home city on a layover, I can spend some more time with him. I might actually consider a relationship with this one.

  The thought was stunning for her, though it didn’t scare her as much as it should have. She watched as he headed toward the sitting room, leaving her wrapped in a sheet on the bed.

  “I will try to get rid of Dayna quickly,” Sage promised. “I’ll wait for your call.” Cruz offered her a tender smile and continued buttoning his top button. “Don’t forget your jacket!” she called, pointing at his dark blue garment. Cruz glanced indifferently at it and shrugged.

  “I’ll get it when I return,” he replied easily, and Sage thought her heart would explode with happiness.

  He’s really coming back, she thought with childish giddiness. Her glee was short-lived at the shadow that clouded her mind as the door to the room closed behind him. If I’m this reluctant to let him go now, how am I going to feel on Saturday morning? she thought worriedly, shoving the thought aside. Nothing was going to stop her from enjoying the drunken bliss she was experiencing. Except maybe Dayna, she thought wryly.

  “You don’t look sick to me,” Dayna snapped, pushing her way into the suite. She eyed the chaos suspiciously, and Sage realized her mistake immediately. She’d been in such a haze after Cruz had left, she hadn’t even stopped to consider the mess they’d made. There were wine glasses and scotch tumblers side by side, open bottles of both sitting on the coffee table, and two empty breakfast trays by the door. She had kept the “Do Not Disturb” sign firmly in place, calling up for fresh linens but keeping out the cleaning staff.

  Wow. Good one, Sage, she thought, swallowing a groan of dissatisfaction.

  “Who else is here?” Dayna asked, stalking about the room like a bloodhound on the trail of a killer. Sage sighed, another lie ready to spring from her lips, but she immediately stopped herself.

  This is how it starts snowballing out of control. One lie after another. Just tell her the truth. She can handle it. She might be miffed at first, but she’ll be happy for you. And if she’s not, too bad. You’re happy. When was the last time you did anything like this, anyway?

  The answer was never, of course. She would never have believed that she’d be sitting in a hotel suite, waiting to hear from the man she was certain was her mate, even if she’d given up hope of ever finding him.

  But everyone finds their mate. Isn’t that what Dad told me all those years ago? He told me that I would find mine, and that I could never let him go when I did. And now I’ve found him. Letting him go was going to be another matter altogether.

  “No one else is here,” Sage replied, flopping onto the sofa, tucking her bare toes beneath her buttocks.

  “Well, someone was here,” Dayna retorted, leaning over beside the wing chair. When she rose, she held a pair of men’s underwear between her nails. Her face crumpled into a sneer of disgust. “Really?” she asked. “Is this really what I think it is?”

  “What?” Sage demanded with fake innocence.

  “Please do not tell me you’re blowing me off for a man, Sage.” Embarrassed, she shifted her gaze toward the floor, but Dayna flung the shorts at her. “Seriously? What the hell is this?” she shrieked. “A man? Are you out of your mind? Are you high or something?”

  Sage shrugged sheepishly and raised her head to meet her friend’s eyes again.

  “I met a guy…” she said hesitantly, glancing up at Dayna, hoping for a glimmer of sympathy. Dayna’s brown eyes flashed with annoyance, and she ran a hand through her dark hair.

  “A guy?” she echoed. “Are you hearing yourself right now?”

  “Yeah… he’s… I don’t know…”

  “When did you meet this guy?” Dayna questioned, spitting out the word as if it were acid on her tongue. Suddenly, Sage wished she had lied, remembering she had told Dayna about the passenger in seat K9.

  “At the hotel restaurant,” she stammered. “On Tuesday night.” She reasoned it was close enough to the truth.

  “I spoke to you on Tuesday. You didn’t mention a guy.”

  This woman is like the Gestapo. Imagine how ruthless she’d be if she honed in on her bear abilities. She really would be a one-man investigation. Look out, CSI!

  “I met him after we talked,” Sage muttered, shame rising in her cheeks. She didn’t need to feel guilty. She was in the right. And she was only half-lying. “Anyway, what difference does it make? You can still go to Ibiza. You have a million friends there, Dayna. You don’t need me to tag along.”

  Dayna looked at her and scoffed.

  “I am not concerned about Ibiza, Sage. I am worried about you at this moment. Since when do you waste your days off getting laid? You’ve had two days with this mystery man. It’s time to wrap it up.” She clapped her hands for effect. Sage felt a spark of irritation.

  “If I want to spend my time off getting laid, so what?” she asked defensively. “Since when do I answer to you?”

  A look of hurt passed over Dayna’s face, and Sage gritted her teeth, wishing she hadn’t been so harsh. She’s mad I blew her off. I didn’t need to be rude to her.

  “Nope, you don’t,” the raven-haired woman replied. “Sorry I bothered you. I thought something might actually be wrong with you.” She stalked toward the door, and Sage knew she should apologize to her friend, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She just wanted Dayna to get out so that Cruz would return, and although the knowledge filled her with shame, it wasn’t enough to make her call out to Dayna.

  When we get back home, we’ll be on the level again, Sage promised herself. Dayna can’t stay mad at me forever. We’ve had worse fights than this.

  Dayna pulled open the door to leave, but before she exited, she had to add her final thought.

  “This guy is no different than all the others. You can’t commit to him, and he is just looking at you like a quickie at the airport. Don’t get too attached, or you’re going to find yourself hurt,” she told her from over her shoulder. She didn’t wait for Sage to answer, storming from the room and slamming the door in her wake for effect.

  Sage shook her head. She was suddenly incredibly defensive. Dayna didn’t know what she was talking about. Sage knew exactly what was going to happen with Cruz. They were both adults. They would say goodbye and continue living the lives they had before they met one another. She forced herself to think only of the upcoming days and not the weekend.

  I deserve to feel connected to someone, even if for a short time. Dayna be damned, I intend to lose myself in this. Who knows if it will ever happen again? And he might want to see me in the future. He isn’t wearing a wedding ring. He might want to meet up again.

  Sage rose from the sofa and began to straighten out the room, waiting for Cruz to call.

  I’ll call Dayna tomorrow… or from the airport on Saturday before I leave for Sydney. She wondered if she was fibbing again, to herself this time.

  Sage wandered into the bathroom to examine her face, and she smiled. It was aglow with life, her cheeks flushed with color. The flecks in her irises seemed more predominant, and Sage felt genuinely happy.

  Amazing what good sex can do for your complexion, she thought, the aftermath of Dayna’s visit seeping away. She was reclaiming the feeling of headiness that Cruz had brought with him.


  She retreated to the bedroom and curled into the blankets, closing her eyes. Immediately, Cruz’s handsome face appeared, and a wave of warmth swept through her. What would it be like to wake up looking at that man every morning? The past two had been exhilarating. Other men would have annoyed her to the point of banishment after a night, but every moment she spent with Cruz was more incredible that the last.

  Maybe Dayna is right, Sage thought. Maybe I am growing too attached to this guy already. I’ll spend one more night with him and then send him on his way.

  Before realizing it, Sage had drifted off to sleep, a soft smile on her full mouth. She knew she was bound to dream of Cruz.

  When Sage woke, the first things she saw were bright red numbers, announcing that the time was three o’clock. She was terribly confused. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was the middle of the night or the afternoon. A quick glance out the window proved it was still daytime, and she exhaled in relief. Suddenly, she tensed again.

  Shit, did I miss his call? She looked at the phone to see if the message light was blinking. It was not. Sage was a light sleeper and highly doubted that she would have slept through the shrill ring on the hotel telephone, regardless of how tired she was.

  I wonder what’s keeping him, she thought with some concern. Shaking her head, she slipped from the bed and stretched. He said he had business to attend to today. It probably took longer than he expected.

  But as the hours crept by, a feeling of dread began to overwhelm Sage, and no matter how she tried to occupy her time, she was painfully aware of how the minutes dragged. By ten o’clock, she was filled with panic. Had something happened to Cruz? Had he gotten hurt?

  Sage forced herself to remain rational. She knew the likelihood of him being injured was slim. Bear shifters didn’t get hurt any more than they got the flu.

  I don’t even know what room he’s staying in, she realized. I don’t even know if he’s staying in this hotel! All I know is that he was having a drink at the hotel bar. He could have been heading into Madrid to be closer to his business. It doesn’t make sense that he would stay near the airport if he had to be in the city at some point during his visit.