Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

Heat spreads over my cheeks and chest, sending tingles straight to my pussy, and my panties are now soaked. He watches me with intent, and I wonder what it is. I’ve seen pictures of him, but they don’t do justice to the incredibly delicious man standing in front of me.

  What could this man do to me? The filthy thoughts that race through my mind have me squeezing my thighs together. I’ve not been with many guys, but I know what I like in bed. After Trey, I’d kept to myself, but deep down, I knew I had a dark desire for something different, which scared me. I’d tried to hide it, but something about the way Mr. Montgomery is looking at me dregs those feelings to the forefront, and I know I’m blushing.

  “Are you quite satisfied with your perusal, Ms. Craven?” His lips quirk into a grin, and he steps farther into the office. Gulping the embarrassment down, I nod, then shake my head, then nod again. Get a grip, Tali!

  “I’m sorry, I . . .”

  “I’m Kade Montgomery, your new boss.” He extends a hand toward me, and I quickly rise, slipping my small hand in his offered one. As his fingers, long and slender, grip me, heat shoots through my arm like a jolt of electricity. The hold he has on me is more than physical. It’s the way his gaze pierces me. As if holding me hostage with a mere look. His flesh is cool to the touch, and I wonder if he’s been outside. The winter is chilly. Perhaps he’s been out on the veranda I spotted as I headed toward the office earlier this morning.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Mont—”

  “Kade,” he murmurs as he drops my hand. He turns to the window, and I see his eyes flit back and forth watching the city below us. “Call me Kade.”

  Clearing my throat, I nod. “Kade, well, it’s good to meet you. Thank you for the job offer. This is something—”

  “I want to see you tomorrow evening.” His interruption halts my thought process as well as my words. I’m gaping at him when he turns to regard me again. “Is there a problem, Ms. Craven?” The deep growl comes from pink lips. A mouth that’s as sinful as the man himself. He’s my boss. I can’t have these thoughts. I need to be professional, but his tone sends shivers down my spine. It’s thick and decadent, like a dark malt beer.

  “I don’t understand,” I respond with my brows furrowed. I’m confused, wanting a response, but he doesn’t explain. He merely stares at me. The stone expression on his handsome face unnerves me.

  Maybe he’s a vampire.

  I giggle inwardly at my absurdity, but my mouth must give me away because he questions, “Something funny?” I meet his gaze, and his lips tilt into a smile. The first real smile I see on his handsomely rugged face, which in turn causes my heart to skip a few beats. He isn’t good looking in the average way; there’s a dark demeanor to him. His chiseled jaw, straight nose, and bright blue eyes are a contrast to his black hair and tanned skin.

  There’s something very frightening about him. But there’s also an alluring attraction that seems to spark between us every time our eyes meet. He wouldn’t want an average girl like me. Also, I’m his employee, an intern. That’s off limits.

  Unless he’s willing to bend the rules. Jesus, Tali, get yourself under control!

  “No, no, of course not, I’m just . . . overwhelmed.” The last word comes out breathy, and I have to admonish myself for being so needy around a man who’s paying my salary and giving me a chance at a career.

  “Tell me, Talia,” he huskily whispers my name, almost as if he’s tasting it, savoring it on his tongue. There’s so many other places I’d love to have his tongue. “Do you like being in Boston? Your file says you’re from Ohio. Have you been here long?”

  I try playing it cool, stepping closer to the window. I take in the view and inhale a deep breath. “Yes, Boston is a fresh start for me. I needed a change. Things I’ve been through, personal things, have been difficult for me to handle.” I’m not sure why I’m confessing this to him, but I can’t help it. Something about him almost begs for my honesty.

  Lifting my hand, I trace the pattern the condensation has made against the pane of glass, and I notice how I’m trembling. He sees it because he reaches out and grabs my wrist. “Do I make you nervous, Ms. Craven?” he growls. Literally growls. Like an animal, and the sound causes my body to react, to respond to him.

  “No, I . . . I just . . .” My whisper tapers off because for some reason I can’t lie to him, so I’d rather not say anything at all. Talking about Rhys will hurt, and I can’t afford to let my boss see me breakdown. His touch scorches my skin and heats the blood rushing through my veins. My eyes lock on his, and my heartbeat riots. He must feel it because his fingertips are on my pulse point.

  “Sometimes the truth is the only way to move forward,” he says as if he’s reading my mind, climbing into the depths of my despair and rummaging around, seeing all my broken pieces. The rough, demanding tone of his voice sends fear and lust skittering down my spine. Narrowing his eyes, he glares at me when I don’t respond immediately. My tongue flicks out and wets my lips, my throat as dry as the Sahara, and my skin tingles where his fingertips now circle my wrist.

  “Perhaps the truth is the only thing that could break someone completely. Maybe refusing to speak about things is the way someone shows strength, by not delving into the darkness of the truth.”

  I’m not sure where my words come from, but when I meet those blue pools, they’re filled with awe. He’s staring at me as if I’ve just told him I saved the world and I have a superpower. “Touché, Ms. Craven.” It’s then he smiles again. It isn’t a sweet, sexy smile, but instead a dark, dangerous one, and it makes me want to see it even more. Challenge him more. Everything in my brain is telling me to run, but my body is screaming at me, begging me to stay.

  “Besides, not everyone can understand another person’s truth. My story . . .” My words taper off again, and I cast a glance outside, needing to look away from his intensity. “It’s not one you’ll want to know.”

  “Perhaps you’re the one who wouldn’t want to know mine. We all have our” — he turns to face me fully, and I find I can’t not look at him — “demons to face,” he finishes sullenly. Almost as if he fights his every day.

  His gaze falls to my lips, then travels in a slow, heated ascent to my eyes. His hold on my arm tightens, and I feel a surge of excitement flow through me.

  “Demons can be defeated, and things change, like the phases of the moon,” I confess urgently. Knowing for a fact I’ve still got mine, and as much as I’ve tried, I’ve been the one defeated instead. I wasn’t strong, but as the days pass by, I’ll find a way to leave the addiction. The pain. The ache.

  “Tell me one thing, Talia. Would you consider yourself like the waxing moon? New, innocent, and pure — growing with the changes? Or like the waning moon, stained and tainted — defeated by your challenges?” His question stills me momentarily. There were nights when Rhys and I would lie on the grass in his backyard, watching the stars. We’d always point out the moon and revel in the phases.

  A smile plays on his full, pink lips, this one different to the earlier, darker one. This one makes him even more handsome. It’s a playful smile, and his question is loaded with intrigue. It’s as if he’s hiding two people in there. Jekyll and Hyde. That could be dangerous.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about my life that way before,” I respond, and the fact that he’s still holding my hand isn’t lost on me.

  “Let me know when you’ve got an answer. I’ll leave you to work now. Remember, Ms. Craven, tomorrow, meet me at five in the reception downstairs. There’s something I’d like to show you.” He growls the request, causing an ache to tingle directly between my now trembling thighs.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Montgomery,” I mumble, and his grip loosens.

  “Call me, Kade.” With that, he turns to walk out of the office, and I suddenly miss his warmth. Before he exits, he stops and turns to me. “Good luck with Presley. She’s a bitch,” he smirks and leaves me gaping at the open door.

  4

  Kader />
  She’s stronger than I thought. Fuck. Her energy drew me in, pulling me into the depths of her virtue. Her purity is like a drug. As soon as I touched her, it was as if I’d been suffocating, and she was my breath. Talia Craven will be my ruin.

  Stalking toward the elevator, I push the button and wait for the car to arrive. As the doors slide open, I step inside and wait for the sleek metal to slide closed. My thoughts drift to the beauty I just left in the office on the seventh floor. Her body, the softness of her skin. The pulse of her heart had me mesmerized. I’d never felt so connected to anyone before.

  There was something in her gaze that makes me recognize her desperation. She’s looking for a savior, but it won’t be me. I can’t save her. I’ll be the one to break her. If only she knew how dangerous our connection is. She doesn’t know about our bond. It was so clear when her gaze met mine. There was a fire blazing below the surface.

  I thought I could claim her, make her mine, but she’s too strong. That underlying current that courses through her veins, it matches that of my brother’s. A thought comes to me then, but I shake it away. I don’t want Killian near her. With her not knowing her power yet, it could be detrimental.

  She needs to learn, and I’ll be the one to teach her. Once she’s strong enough, I will set the plan in motion for us to take down the Order. That’s one way of saving everyone — Killian, Talia, and me. I want to save her. She’s far too precious to lose.

  Once the elevator delivers me to the top floor, I head into my office to find Presley comfortably perched on my desk. Her body encased in a black leather corset and a pair of matching panties. Her body is shaped like an hourglass.

  I sent her home, but she doesn’t take the hint. Perhaps it’s time to cut the cord, so to speak, and send her back to Hell. As much as I promised her father I’d give her a job, this is becoming a nightmare, and she knows I don’t fuck anyone I work with. It was the one rule I told her before she accepted the job.

  Presley is also the first Witch I’ve been with, and she’s one that I want out of my fucking life.

  “What do you want, Pres? I told you to go home. It wasn’t an option. It was a fucking demand.” I stalk farther into the office, and she shifts, sitting on the edge. Her eyes illuminate to a deep purple.

  “Isn’t it obvious, Kade?” she purrs in a sultry tone that used to turn me on.

  “I think you should get dressed and walk out the door now. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to have the boss man on your ass to make sure you’re back where you belong.” My threat holds merit. More than she can ever wrap her head around.

  “You’d call him? Seriously?” she questions incredulously. “All for a little girl?”

  “She’s not just any girl, and I’m not doing this again!” I growl, slamming my fist on the desk, causing a small fissure to appear in the steel. The surrounding air is charged with electric currents; darkness envelops us in its thick, hazy cloud. “Just. Get. Out.”

  “Jesus . . .,” she hisses. “You want her. That’s why you were so adamant on hiring her. What is she, Kade?” Presley turns to face me, watching me for my response, but it’s one I can’t give. I promised I’d keep the secret safe, and if it’s one thing I can do, it’s keep a promise.

  “I’m heading out now. There’s something I need to take care of tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow,” I respond, lowering my voice as I grab my belongings and suit jacket. As I shrug it on, I feel her gaze on me. Watching me. That’s what her kind does; they observe. And if she sees anything untoward, I know I’ll be the one out on my ass. Our Elder is the one in charge, and as much as he loved my father, Presley’s father is the older between our parents, so in our Order, that trumps my power.

  For my plan to work, I need to make Talia trust me, to ensure she’s strong enough to help me take down the Elders without Presley seeing the prophecy before the time. If she does, we’ll all die.

  So, I feign indifference. I school my features and allow myself to act the aloof asshole. To her, Talia should be a job, nothing more. As much as I try to convince myself of that, I know deep down I’m lying. This girl has the power to weave her way into my heart and mind.

  Presley knows about the one girl I did care for. It wasn’t love like my parents had, but it was special. It was something I couldn’t describe. A living, breathing emotion. She burrowed herself inside me. Into the depths of my darkness. She reveled in it. But one night, she was taken. The Elders came along and stole her in the dead of night. She was merely a pawn to test my weaknesses, and I lost.

  Never again will I be played like that.

  “One thing I’d like to point out, Kade.” The blonde temptress shrugs on a long coat, buttoning it up so her body is covered. “Don’t fuck this up. I don’t know what this girl is, but from what I can tell, she’s already needling her way into your head. Be careful. You know what happened the last time you became enamored with someone, and this little Witch isn’t pure.”

  Her warning angers me more than I care to let on, but my blood burns through my veins. I round my desk. Gripping her shoulders, I walk us backward till she hits the wall so hard it shudders with the force.

  Leaning in, I hiss in her face, “Didn’t I warn you earlier? Do not fucking talk to me like that. I’m doing my job. If you can’t handle it, then you know where the fucking door is. This girl is mine. She’s my project, and I’ll sort her out. So, if you’d like to be sent back down to the fiery pits, I’d be happy to send you there. Just say the word.” I need her to believe I’m still ready to kill Talia when the time comes. And from the look on her face, I think I’ve done an excellent job of convincing her.

  “Fuck you, Kade Montgomery,” she bites out angrily. Chuckling, I release Presley and stalk to my office door.

  “You have, but no more getting me to release your pent-up frustration. That ship has sailed, and it’s never coming back to port.” With that, I leave her in my office and make my way to the private elevator, which will take me down to my car.

  My thoughts once again drift to Talia. She’s incredibly beautiful. Her long black hair falls to the middle of her back, which makes me want to fist my hand in the silky strands. I want to know what her soft skin feels like under my touch, watching the goosebumps rise up as I stroke her. To watch her writhe when I mark her.

  My need to have a woman, to feast on her desire, is what drives me to be the best at what I do. That’s why I know I’ll have her. No woman can resist the pull. The urge that slowly draws them to me. Talia Craven was made for me. She’s fashioned from me, from the other half of me, so her resistance is futile. Unfortunately, so is mine.

  When I got the call, the prayer to help her, I answered. Not only to satisfy my curiosity, but also because she didn’t even realize what she was. Her best friend, however, did. He knew for a long while. Rhys saw her gift. He nurtured it until he couldn’t anymore. His human life ended from disease, but his soul lives on. I own it, because he offered it to me on a silver platter.

  That old saying, “selling your soul to the devil,” it’s based on truth. Once you agree, I own you. There’s no getting out of the deal. My vows are deadly, and when you’re making a pact with me, it’s for eternity.

  There will be fear in her pretty eyes when I reveal who she is and who I am. Once she learns the truth of our connection and how she’s now bound to me, she’ll want to run, but alas, she can’t. What her best friend didn’t know was that I knew about the Craven girl. My father taught us our origins when we were children. In our lineage, there are a pair — the metade alma — soul mates, as humans call them, that are reborn.

  The prophecy explains that if both halves come together and desire the darkness, they’ll rule over Hell. However, if they choose the light, they’ll rule over the Heavens. What the Elders are afraid of is, if they join, creating something similar to the Yin Yang philosophy, black and white uniting as one entity, they’ll be able to rule Heaven, Hell, and ultimately Earth as well, rendering the Elders insignifica
nt. Each one will lose their power, turning them into aging humans, and not long after, they will take their last breath.

  This is a chance we could take. Perhaps Talia and I could make that happen, but that venture will risk death. As much as the Elders would be powerless to stop us, there is one person who will never allow me to try. Killian Montgomery.

  When I was eighteen, we went to the Craven home to introduce ourselves. I was meant to meet Talia that day. She had just turned thirteen. Her parents knew who we were and sent us away. I vowed one day I’d get her back. Rhys gave her to me so easily it was like taking candy from a baby.

  The Cravens, however, will pay for what they did by watching me claim the princess as I was always meant to. Revenge is sweet, it’s beautiful, and I love the flavor of it, the same way I’d enjoy the sweet essence of Talia Craven on my tongue. And when her father begs for mercy, I’ll ensure Talia knows exactly what her parents did to me. I will deny them, the way they rebuffed me.

  Once again, my mind is working, racing toward a conclusion I should’ve thought about before. If Killian no longer lives on this plane, perhaps we can make it work. Possibilities present themselves to me as I drive through the city streets. I don’t think my brother would mind leaving.

  No, I won’t kill her. I will claim what’s mine. Her body, her heart, and her mind. And when I’m done, she’ll hand over her soul, leaving it in my hands for safekeeping, because she’ll love me more than she cares for her next breath. I’ll consume all that is Talia Craven.

  Her melodic voice will be crying out, screaming my name, begging me to stop, but I won’t. She needs to know how much agony her family put me through, making me wait so long. All these years. I will take pleasure from my revenge. I’ll make her fall hard, deep, and fast, and when she does, I’ll rip her apart, just like her father did to me. But I won’t stop there, because when he tries to take his precious princess back, she’ll be mine.