Slow Burn

by Sascha Illyvich

  The puma seemed content. It suited Derrick perfectly despite not knowing the mechanics of their relationship. He could only nod. Then his phone rang.

  Startled, he picked it up, let out a sharp breath, and relaxed his voice. It rang again, and as though he’d lost all patience, he spoke. “Yeah. This better be a bear who has answers.”

  “I do,” the muffled voice continued. “But this line is not safe. Meet me.”

  “I cannot meet you. That’s like walking into a trap. Unless you can guarantee a public place and no hired guns. You and me. Mano y mano. Comprende?”

  The bear grunted.

  “I’m losing you.” Derrick’s voice held a sort of singsong quality that indicated his patience with the bear shifter had worn thin.

  The bear’s half-hearted snort betrayed his derisiveness. “It cannot work like that. I am not to be left alone or—”

  Growing truly impatient, Derrick played his big card here. “Or I find you and we kill you. Let me remind you, all of the rumors are true.”

  Sonja’s eyes widened and she stifled a gasp.

  Silence.

  Then a sigh echoed across the line. “Fine. I will call you tomorrow with the location.” The line went dead.

  Derrick shut the flip phone and slid it back into his pocket. He moved away from Sonja, though his contact against her outstretched arm lingered more than normal.

  “What was that?”

  Derrick let out a long sigh. He hated having to rehash any of his past with Sonja, but she was his mate and she’d accepted him. An unwritten code bound him to share with her. “That was me playing spy again.” He turned and let the ease back into his voice. “I know things about that bear. I don’t know his name, not his legal one anyway. But he’s a major player here in the drug and arms dealing scene. He knows who I am.”

  “So you’re once again putting yourself in danger for me?” A wry grin crossed her lips that turned slowly into a frown.

  “Yeah.” He sighed heavily. He would do that, too. Pumas mated for life, and while he had his fond memories of other lovers, none of them compared to her, the exhilarating feel of being enveloped in her velvet sheath, or how she made him feel. Now that he had let go of past mistakes, new energy filled him and it would definitely come in handy when protecting her. “I won’t hesitate to protect who I love.”

  She gasped. Standing, she rose and strode across the room to meet him.

  Derrick followed her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

  The stern look on her face did not register as he thought about his next words. “Look…” He paused. “I know what you’re thinking. I promise.”

  “Do tell.” She crossed her arms over ample breasts; the gesture looked incredibly sexy, even though he towered over her by a good foot. Her hair hung down her back and the slant of her eyes, angry as they looked, still showed hints of the confusion running through her mind.

  “I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

  Her mouth opened to speak but no words came out.

  “I don’t need you to be in love with me, Sonja. I do need to protect you.”

  The fool! How could he possibly understand what she thought? And how could he possibly love her? The whole audacity of this situation made no sense. Yes, she had a soft spot in her heart for him, he’d wrapped himself around her pretty tightly. But was that love?

  Probably. Were they in love?

  Hell, she threw her hands up in frustration. She didn’t know. She’d never had a long term commitment, wasn’t any good at being with people outside the stage and music world, and had only maintained one steady relationship in her life.

  With her brother.

  Her fans loved her. Well, they adored her. Many lusted after her and were open about it on the message boards. But thankfully, none took any action other than harmless flirtation.

  The question in her mind was irrelevant considering she’d just helped Derrick let go of a good amount of guilt over his own past mistakes. And the best part about it all was that it slid off his skin like oil over water. He didn’t fight her, which she’d anticipated considering his strong personality.

  He’d said that he refused to lead anymore, but he did just that with her. Unafraid, he took control of a situation he had no business being involved in save for the fact that she’d allowed him to come to her that first night. Of course, her lust for him hadn’t helped either.

  Then he’d left his jacket, which meant she had to return it to him.

  Right, keep telling yourself that.

  His grip on her shoulders felt possessive, which she liked, despite her unfamiliarity with a man who truly captivated her. Ever since he’d crossed her path in life she’d studied Derrick the man. She’d only spotted glimpses of the puma inside him before she met him up close and got even closer to him.

  But she couldn’t admit how she felt. So many things complicated her feelings and she felt like too much of a letdown to a man who was used to getting his way. How could he love her? No magic had been cast on him. True love occurred naturally over the progression of weeks, months, and even years in some cases!

  Her heart allowed him in. He’d proven his worth, his trustfulness, and his passion. Yeah, there had been a certain amount of meddling by the fates, but she could have chosen to avoid him, reject him.

  Couldn’t she?

  The determined look and set of his jaw didn’t surprise her, but it did show his emotions clearly. She smiled, grateful for the lack of energy that normally spilled from him when his emotions ran high.

  He’d steadied and increased his control. Good.

  Then he pulled her into his arms. She crashed against his chest hard, her breasts pressing into the firmness of him. And it felt safe. Comforting.

  He tilted her chin up.

  She met his gaze, stared into the purple swirls of his eyes, saw the intense desire along with the emotional value he placed in her hands. She swallowed. Her lips went dry.

  “You don’t—”

  “You keep telling me I don’t get it, Sonja.” His voice softened. “But did you ever stop to think that you’re the one hiding from things? Or that, hey, remember? I used to be a spy.”

  Her eyebrows arched and lips curled up in disgust. Again, she started to speak but he pressed his mouth to hers and all thought became lost in the sensation of him surrounding her.

  She struggled to hold the thought as he kissed her, his tongue probing past her lips. His hips rocked against hers and she felt her legs quickly melting.

  The taste of him, masculine, clean with a hint of earthen undertones, captured her awareness along with the sensual movements of his hands along her back. He enveloped her in a full body kiss.

  Then he pulled back.

  She blinked at him. “You’re crazy.”

  Derrick’s mouth curled into a lazy smile.

  She’d have sworn he was an addiction, a painful one at that since her lips were more than likely going to be swollen in a moment. Who cared though? Oh, and let’s not forget how wet he made her with those molten kisses.

  “So.” He cleared his throat and slid his hands down her arms. “We’re going to bed. Max can couch surf again when he gets back unless we’re gone.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You’re just going to tell me you love me and not require my submission?”

  He tilted his head. “You have us confused with the wolf shifters, dear. Pumas are very territorial and my scent is all over you. Anyone with any sense of smell can see you’re mine. Even if we separate, you’re still marked. But we’ve been drawn together and that’s reality. I do love you, Sonja. I don’t know why yet, or entirely how, but in my world, I don’t question my emotions.”

  She sighed. Such a romantic thought, but could she allow herself the freedom to dream like a normal human? She couldn’t exactly give up being a witch. “I don’t know how to…”

  Derrick led her back across the floor into the bedroom area. “I don’t know how to proceed eit
her. But do you love me?”

  How could he ask that question? “Yes!”

  How could she answer so quickly?

  Fate is a funny thing, sis. Sometimes it throws you a curveball and you have to run with it. Her brother’s words echoed in her head and reminded her that this had been playing out exactly as he predicted. Life had thrown her a curveball in the form of Derrick. He’d been eye candy in a crowd of many when she first spotted him. Then she saw him in other places and couldn’t pull away from him. They’d even locked gazes once. Her brother had seen it in her by the way she talked about the stranger she had eyes for.

  Odd that he’d come to her show one night.

  “You’re thinking again.”

  She nodded. “It’s just all so a fast. My world doesn’t work like that.”

  “What do you mean? You’re a musician.”

  She blinked. “Yes, but that’s routine. It’s work. I’m passionate about it so it doesn’t feel like a job, and even with the constant touring, it’s still fun. Rob is my only family so I’m not worried about missing out on downtime. But emotionally…” She looked away. “I’ve never really had to deal with anything like this.”

  He offered her a kind smile. “Perhaps there’s the lesson.”

  She looked at him, saw the richness of his purple eyes, and understood that in that moment, he may be right. “Perhaps.”

  Derrick nodded. “Now come on. I’m sure when Max gets back he’ll have plenty to tell us. And a plan.”

  “You don’t have a plan?”

  “I do. It’s called get some sleep, dear. I’m here. They can’t take you from me again.”

  She snorted. “They did before.”

  Derrick stopped abruptly.

  Her hand went to her mouth as soon as the words left.

  Slowly, he turned to face her. “I was too far away, we were ambushed. And I was weighed down. Now I have something even stronger to work with inside.”

  She understood that. Human beings clung to emotions, dead weight often held them down and that’s when she stepped in when she could. At her concerts, she could even use a little magic to push something less violent into her audience.

  With Derrick, she’d done nothing of the sort. The vision she’d experienced threw her for a loop, draining her energy supply. It was a wonder she wasn’t already asleep, but there was something about him that continued to give her more than just hope. Derrick gave her confidence and stability.

  “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

  Even in his aggressive tone, she could hear the undercurrents of sexual innuendo. It would be fun to act on those, but a yawn slipped past her lips and she covered her mouth with her free hand. “We’ll sleep clothed.”

  He faced her. “Indeed.”

  Derrick pulled back the covers, kicked off his shoes, and sat down. He patted a space beside him. “Come here, Sonja.”

  She decided it wouldn’t hurt her to kick off her boots, too. She usually slept naked, and she guessed Derrick did, too. Shifters were usually comfortable in their natural habitat. “You’re not going to eat me in my sleep, are you?”

  He offered her a wry grin. “The only eating that’ll go on will be when I dine next between your lovely thighs.” He cleared his throat again. “Now, let’s go to bed before I ravish you.”

  She liked that he lusted after her so much. It made her feel feminine and different from how her fans viewed her.

  A moment later, Sonja found herself snuggled against Derrick, her bottom neatly pressed against his hardened crotch. She rather liked it like that, but another yawn reminded her just how much energy she took from Derrick in dispelling the nonsense he’d carried.

  Guilt. It caused so many physical ailments. Normal humans and even the shifter community didn’t understand that emotions were either poisonous or healthy depending on what they were or how they were dealt with. All the years Derrick let guilt eat at him for his faults inevitably would cause him problems. Rest would help.

  Most of her audience shared the same condition. The puma she saw clearly had been repressed but the vision didn’t work to reveal past mistakes, only current emotions. She didn’t have enough skill to enter his dreams but would if she could help heal him. Some day she would be that powerful, but right now wasn’t that time.

  Derrick snuggled tighter against her, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Goodnight, lover.”

  She settled in beside him and enjoyed the feel of his fingers running gently through her hair. The light touches comforted her and helped to reassure her, to ground her to him and a reality where she could reach for hope. And maybe grasp it.

  She loved that about this man.

  She had to do something to protect him, even if it only gave him a slight advantage over their adversary. Her list of enemies wasn’t long, but that meant whoever had ordered the hit on her earlier was someone she’d probably met before.

  If she thought about it, she could rule out those who tried to have her murdered. She just needed to sleep on it.

  Exhaustion gripped her, her mind drained, but at least Derrick warmed her heart. For once in her life, she truly felt safe.

  Sonja closed her eyes and let the even sound of Derrick’s breathing sooth her to sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Something jerked Sonja from her sleep. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up, breathing hard. It took a few seconds to register in her mind that she was with Derrick and they were in Max’s house. What was going on?

  The image of a darker, larger cat pacing back and forth had imprinted itself in her mind. His piercing black eyes stared at her. He growled.

  He wasn’t frightening but his ominous power gave her the chills.

  It definitely wasn’t Derrick’s puma.

  The fog cleared from her mind and took the image of the dark-furred cat with it.

  “Fuck.”

  She looked beside her. The heavy weight of Derrick’s arm around her hip reminded her of just how secure she was. That mysterious puma could touch her but wouldn’t take her, nor would it harm her, not without incurring Derrick’s wrath. From the moment she realized they shared a bond, she understood that he would give up his life to protect her. That thought scared her because it meant she had grown vulnerable.

  In her world, that was actually a great thing since she needed the emotions to write song lyrics. Death metal wasn’t about the happiness that she felt a bit of now, but about worry, the human condition. Yes, they did the occasional song about cannibalism and stereotypical worship of satanic figures, they were in an industry where that was a common thing.

  But her band’s music had been about healing through giving the fans a voice, someone else understood their pain and knew how badly they wanted to take the easy way off this planet.

  But that’s when the lyrics stopped and the magic kicked in for her fans. She used her voice to seductively sway them, pull from them all that self-hatred and destructive behavior while channeling the aggression in the pit.

  Sonja looked toward the window. The moon still hung bright in the sky and shone down through them, casting a blue haze across parts of the concrete floor.

  Sonja would get an extra energy boost from the moon. She always did, since nocturnal powers formed the basis of her magic. The sun’s energy fed her brother and used to make her feel bad until she learned to appreciate the different level of sensuality in affairs of the night.

  She glanced around and spotted the flashing blue light of Derrick’s phone. Carefully, she slid out of bed so as not to disturb him.

  Not that it mattered anyway; he would sleep for the next several hours. She neglected to mention that the release of emotional energy would tire him out and force him to sleep for a solid eight hours. Since the day had been slow and emotional, she figured he could afford the release.

  Sonja padded across the room and picked up the phone. She flipped it open and saw a missed call just after three a.m. from a blocked number.

  The voicemail indicator kept
flashing, almost taunting her to listen. She’d only missed the call by a few moments. How had she not heard the phone ring?

  Damn Derrick for being so comforting that she actually slept. It’d been some time since that happened. She became a night owl partially to refuel her magic but also because sleep escaped her more often than not. All that energy she’d taken from her audience had to go somewhere.

  She walked out to the balcony, slid the door closed behind her, and listened. The humidity in the air quickly made her clothes stick to her skin. Her hair stuck to her face, strewn about loosely. She ran a hand through her mane, held the phone to her ear, and hit the voicemail button with her thumb. She listened to the regular greeting, knots forming in her stomach.

  Then the first message began to play and the voice of the annoyed bear spoke.

  “This message is for Derrick. I believe I have something of value to him if he is to bring us the witch. We can perhaps set up a trade. To show good faith, here’s our gift.” The line went silent for a moment. Then heavy breathing interrupted the silence and her stomach sank even further when she heard a familiar voice.

  “I’m fine. But they have Rob, too. He’s here. So far we’re alive. Just…”

  Then his voice cut off and the bear’s returned. “You see now I think we have something to discuss. Call me. You have my number, puma.”

  The line went dead.

  Shit!

  Sonja’s brother had been kidnapped. And they had Max. She stopped herself from panicking or rushing to Derrick to wake him and ask for help. She’d caught herself in worse positions before and could deal with this. Her brother, Rob, was powerful, but what if he was caught off guard? And why was he with Max?

  Nothing made sense. She needed to get answers from Derrick about this fucking Russian shifter.

  She shut the phone and paced back and forth on the patio. She stopped and grabbed the railing, glanced at Derrick as he slept, then looked at the phone. She tried hard to swallow the lump in her throat.

  If she called the bear back, she’d end up being told where to meet him and then show up and be captured. She could deal with that. Fucking routine for her.