by L. A. Boruff
I bury myself inside Callie, then pull back, marveling in the feel of her walls squeezing me, milking me.
Losing all sense of what I was doing, I move faster and faster.
Callie urges me on. “Faster,” she whispers. I oblige, then she still wants more. “Harder.”
I slow down to go harder, but fuck, it feels good. The impact of my groin hitting her ass as I move gives a jolt of pleasure straight into my balls and up my body.
I don’t have much longer before I lose it, so I press my thumb into her nub to help her find her orgasm as I do.
She screams out my name as she comes, exploding around me in a tight shower. My cum joins hers, soaking her, me, and the bed.
Oh, fuck. Fuck me, she ejaculated. Physical ejaculation is one of my biggest fantasies. It’s like she was made for me. Her attitude, her intelligence, her humor. And her body.
I hop up and tiptoe to the bathroom, returning with a damp towel and dry one. I wipe both of us down, pushing her hand away when she tries to help. I want to care for her, show her I appreciate her allowing me to take pleasure with her and her body.
When we’re both cleaned off, I fix the towel under us until we can wash the sheets tomorrow and curl around her again, but this time I don’t have to hide my erection. My dick has tucked itself against my body, tired and happy.
I wish the morning wouldn't come so soon. I'll have to share her again. That's the direction this relationship is going. It'll take me some effort to come to terms with it, but I think I can. Hopefully.
Chapter Fourteen
Callie
I take a deep breath and look around the room. The guys are all deliciously dishevelled, though thankfully only Hank's state is due to spending the night with a woman. Especially after the conversation we had last night, I don't think I'd like it if Will or James spent time with someone else.
I blow across the top of the coffee I brought with me, hoping I can cool it to drinking temperature and have the zing of energy it will give me.
"I found something last night," I tell them. "A spell that my grandmother said will unlock my power."
I'm glad Fran isn't in the room right now. She's sleeping off her grief, I think. I'm sure she knows more that will help us in time, but I want to give her the time she needs to heal.
Within reason. I don't think we have a lot of time. The solstice will approach faster than we want it to.
"Can we see it?" Will asks.
I nod and hand out three copies of the note I made myself, thankful I'd bought a three-in-one printer when it was on sale. It was loads better than having to write it out so many times.
"I've never seen this before," James says. He looks tired, and I want to ask if he's slept yet, but I'm scared of the answer.
"Me neither," Hank says. "But if the dowager thought this is going to do it, then it's going to work. You know she was powerful."
Will nods. "It'll work. But the question is, do we have enough power."
"My grandmother seems to think I'll need multiple witches for the juice," I admit. "And I can't help at the moment."
Will shakes his head. "Your magic is locked, that means no one can access it, even you."
I think back to the man I killed and repress a shudder. I hope he's right, or I truly am responsible for that.
Stop it, Callie. You were a child, you couldn't have controlled it.
"Then we need all the magic we can muster," James says.
"Which means you should sleep," Will scolds him. "You should have woken me."
James shakes his head. "You needed it."
"So did you."
"I'll live. I haven't had people trying to kill me for as long as you have."
I snort despite myself. "Can we focus so we can stop people trying to kill me?"
Hank leans forward, his eyes meeting mine. An emotion lurks there that I don't want to put a name to, but I suspect it's grown from the intimacy we shared last night. "Unlocking your magic is more likely to end up with more people trying to kill you," he points out. "Some because they want to please the king, and some so they can take your power for themselves."
"That's possible?" My eyes widen as I think about the consequences of that.
Will nods. "It's what we'll be doing with this spell." He waggles the paper up and down as he talks.
"Oh." That hadn't crossed my mind. I've been more focused on what unlocking my powers will do for me, which is selfish, I know, but so much is happening that I'm trying not to let any one of them overwhelm me.
"It's harder when you're taking it from someone unwilling," James assures me. A haunted look crosses his face, and I want to ask what he's seen that he makes him so sure of this. Whatever it is, I don't think it can be good. Of the three of them, I'm certain his past is the darkest, partly because he still hasn't told me much about it.
Give him time.
"That's reassuring, I guess," I murmur.
"It should be," Will affirms. "And you'll have us around to help you. No one will touch you."
I chuckle dryly. "And I appreciate it. But the three of you have lives of your own, families and jobs. I can't go everywhere with you." Though I hope they’ll volunteer much of it, I'm aware that I shouldn’t demand all of their time, that would be rude of me.
"Our priority is you," Hank assures me. "You can come to fires with us and wait in the truck. It won't be too bad. My and Will's families know about what's going on, you saw that for yourself."
I nod and turn to James. "What about your family?"
He grimaces. "They won't be harmed by the king."
My brows knit together. That was an interesting answer. And specific. What else is going on with him?
"So, the spell," Will says with a narrow glance at James. "Perhaps we should call Sugar and get her to cover the firehouse while we do it?"
"Or we ask her to help," James counters. "We felt her power when we were binding Fran's magic, it'd be awesome to have her helping."
Hank nods. "We trust her, and we should use our allies, or we'll lose them."
I watch the exchange with interest, feeling oddly out of place despite the fact this is all about me. At a loss for what else to do, I take a sip of my coffee, using it to feel more alert.
"Do we need anything to do the spell?" I ask.
"It'd be better for us if there are candles in the room," Hank says. "And a fire, we should use the other room."
I nod. "Natural light?" It makes a lot of sense if magic is a naturally occurring thing. "What does Sugar need? Is she a fire witch like you three?"
They exchange glances before amused smiles break over their faces.
"Wait, what did I say wrong?" I ask, looking between the three of them and wondering who will break first and explain where I messed up.
"Sorry," Will says after he stops chuckling. "I promise we're not laughing at you. We're just not used to someone who doesn't understand the differences in types of witch. Not everyone’s the same, and only Hank is the fire witch. I'm a fire mage."
"Isn't that the same thing?" I ask.
This time, none of them smiled, probably because they realize how bad my ignorance is.
"I'm going to go call Sugar while you explain," James says, rising to his feet and leaving the room.
I get the distinct impression that he's trying to avoid the current conversation, but I don't say anything about it. If he wants to keep his secrets, then he can. I'm sure he'll tell us when the moment is right.
"Mages and witches aren't the same thing," Hank says evenly, ignoring James' weirdness. He must always be like that, then. Probably the British stiff upper lip. "Their magic comes from a slightly different place, one from nature and one from the person's energy." He glances at Will when he says that.
Ah. Will must be the kind that needs someone's energy. That's why James let him sleep, he needs it.
The man in question saunters back into the room moments later. "Sugar will be here in five minutes. She says she's happy to
help."
I swallow, both relieved and nervous about the upcoming spell and the idea that my magic may be unleashed soon. What am I going to do with it?
I push the thought aside. I have my grandmother's grimoire, and I can study it more closely when we've successfully unlocked my powers.
"I'll grab the candles. You do whatever you need to." I get to my feet, hurrying out of the room and leaving my mug behind.
I head straight for the kitchen, knowing I have at least one packet of tea lights in the drawer there. There's also some birthday candles that had been left when I moved in.
"Note to self: buy more candles," I mutter under my breath. Apparently, dating fire witches—no, fire beings, means needing lots of things that can have flames. I can work on that.
"We don't often need candles," James says, making me jump.
"Sorry, I didn't realize you were behind me." I pause in my candle mission to look at him. "Are the others okay?"
He nods. "They sent me to help you. They're under the impression that we need a moment alone. Something about some fun you had last night." He smirks, a knowing glint in his eyes.
A blush rises to my cheek. "That is none of your business." I cross my arms in front of my chest.
James's gaze slips down, but he rights it quickly. "It is if what you asked last night is what you want." He steps forward.
I don't move. I could pretend I don't remember what he's talking about, but somehow, I think he'll know its a lie. Besides, I don't want to lie to him. I asked him if he'd be a man for me, and he'd said yes. I wasn't asleep or drunk enough to forget that kind of declaration. He'd been so sweet.
Instead, I nod.
"Good." He leans in and kisses my cheek, before turning away and searching through my drawers.
"Is that all I'm getting?" I demand, uncrossing my arms and putting my hands on my hips. Wow, I'm doing all the cliche things right now.
"I'm sorry?" he asks, looking at me with a smirk on his face.
"You were all sweet and helpful last night, and now all I get is a kiss on the cheek?" I would not feel bad for wanting more.
"I don't think this is the time for more than that. I don't know about you, but a quickie on the kitchen counter isn't how I want our first time to be."
I hadn’t meant we should jump straight to sex, geez. "But a kiss is still off the table?"
"Ah, I see." He pulls out the tea lights and sets them on the counter before turning back to me.
He steps in close again, and I can feel the heat of his body. I wonder if there's a reason he's so hot. Are they all like this?
And what kind of witch am I? There’s no way to tell. I'll worry about unlocking my powers first and then learning about them. But before that, I want to kiss James.
"I hear you've been saving the best for last," he quips.
I chuckle. "Not having kissed you yet, I can't confirm or deny that."
He reaches out and tucks a strand of blonde hair behind my ear, then cups my cheek in his hand. James leans in and brushes his lips against mine. He kisses me tenderly, and I melt into him, our bodies close but not quite one. This isn't about passion, it’s about so much more than that. Just like it is with Will and Hank. All three of them are special to me, and at least I've now discovered it's possible to have three mates, I'm going to make the most of it, and try to make it work.
A slamming door breaks through our kiss, and we pull apart.
"So, did you save the best for last?" he asks, his voice gravelly and teasing.
"A lady never tells." I pick up the tealights and head to the room they want to use with James trailing behind me.
A fire is already roaring in the fireplace, and a couple of candles they must have found somewhere are already burning. I’d never seen them before. Maybe Sugar brought them.
"It's too hot in here," Sugar moans. “Hey, girl.”
I waved my fingers at her.
"You're a dragon," Will counters. "How can you be too hot?"
"Ice dragon," she points out. "The key is in the first word. Give me an ice bath over a fireball any day."
I gape. She's a dragon? I try and spot scales, horns, wings—anything dragon-like, and come up short. She has nothing I'd expect a dragon to.
Why does an ice dragon battle fires? Maybe she’s really good at putting them out.
"If we get the candles set up, then we can get on with the spell and you can have a nice cold iced drink," Will promises.
"Alright, give them here." Sugar whizzes around the room, setting up tea lights and getting them lit.
Hank clears his throat. "We should stand in the four corners of the room with Callie in the middle."
Each of them nods and moves into one of the corners. I wonder how they know which one is for each of them, but now isn't the time to ask. It's only then I notice they've pushed the furniture back. I appreciate that. If magic is going to be unleashed in here, then I don't want to ruin the chairs. They're far too comfy, and I won't easily find similar ones.
"What do I do?" I ask.
"Read the spell," Hank says. "We'll start channelling magic towards you, then you say the words and hopefully, that's all we need, and it'll break the protection spell."
I nod and swallow my nerves. I can do this. I have to do this. There really isn't any other choice.
The four of them reach their hands toward one another as their faces turn blank.
The whole room hums, almost as if it’s vibrating. That must be their magic. A moment later, a surge of magic swirls around me. This has to be what they meant about channeling it toward me. It doesn't do anything to harm me, just spins and dances through the air. I frown, unsure how I know what I’m seeing when I can't actually see the magic. Or can I?
Something I can't name tells me it's time for me to say the words I need to. I trust it.
"One life has been taken,
For one life to return.
A price will be paid by someone dear
Willingly.
Holding nothing back.
And then the crime that was done,
Will be undone."
The words feel different from anything I've said before, and I can't explain why. They’re heavy, weighted with power. Hopefully, that means I've got it right. The power swirls around me but still doesn't touch.
Has it worked? I glance around at the four people standing at each corner of the room. None of them say anything. Perhaps they can't because of what they're doing. I'm not sure.
Will frowns.
Uh-oh, that's not a good sign.
He drops his arms, and the magic stops. The other three follow suit.
"What happened?" I ask. I can't feel a bank of power within me. In fact, I don't feel any different. "Did it work?"
Hank shakes his head. "We couldn't get through the dowager's spell."
"That should be impossible," Sugar says. "Things don't not work for people my age."
"How old are you?" I ask, suddenly very interested in her. It's not every day you meet a dragon.
"A few hundred years or so." She shrugs as if it's unimportant. "I stopped counting a long time ago."
Holy crap. A few hundred years? My jaw drops and a million questions run through my mind. I open my mouth to ask them, but Hank cuts me off before I can begin."As interesting as Sugar's age is, we should focus on what just went wrong," Hank points out.
"We need more power," James says reluctantly. "It's as simple as that."
"How do you know?" I ask.
"I could feel it, there's a crack in the protective layer around you, but it's not big enough to get our magic through," he explains.
"That's not good. A crack might be all the king needs to get a spell that'll harm Callie through." Hank's unease shines through his face.
"What do we do?" I ask, my voice squeaking. I don't like being powerless and vulnerable. I'm not a pushover by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm going to be useless the moment someone comes at me wielding a spell.
<
br /> "We can set another protection spell over you," James suggests. "One that focuses on the things we think the king will use against you."
"Okay, let's do that." I nod along with my words. "What do you need me to do?"
"I can lead it. I just need the others to lend me their power." He looks between the other three.
They each voice their agreement, not that there was any doubt they would.
"Close your eyes, please," James says.
I do. I bounce up and down, full of energy. I don't know what he's going to do, but I trust them all, I know it won't be anything that hurts me.
Magic runs down my body. I try to pick apart the feel of it so I can work out whose power was whose, but I didn't come up with anything. It was all one lump of stuff. I hope I get better at doing this.
The hold of it tightens around me, I assume its as a result of whatever James is doing. He isn't saying anything. Does that mean his magic works without words, but I need them?
I have so much to learn about the world around me.
"Done," James announces.
The magic lets me go, and I open my eyes, feeling exactly the same.
"Will it hold?" I ask.
"I hope so," he answers. "If not, we'll think of something," he promises.
"But first, let's try and get some more power and try to break the dowager's spell," Will says.
"Actually, can we have some breakfast first?" I suggest. "I'm starving." My stomach growls as if to prove my point.
"Alright, food first, planning later." Hank swings his arm over my shoulder. "The question is, do you have food we can cook, or do we need to order in?"
"Always order in," I say. "It tastes better."
"Let's not advertise where you live," James warns.
"I can go get food," Sugar offers. "Just give me the cash and—"
"Surely you have cash? You're a dragon, hoarding is what you do?" Will jokes.
"Yes. Hoard being the operative word. You can't hoard it if you spend it." She holds her hand out.
James is the first one to crack and places a credit card in her hand. We watch her walk out the door.
A shiver runs down my spine. We need to eat well with everything we have ahead of us. It isn't going to be easy, but I'm determined to be ready. We'll find a way to break the protection spell, and then I'll be a force to be reckoned with.