by Brenda Trim
“I need to get to work, but thank you for the help. See you around?” Ronan asked, but didn’t move to leave.
“If you are ever at Confetti Too then you’ll see me plenty,” Pema replied, hoping her invitation wasn’t too blatant.
“I guess I’ll see you often, since I’ve just been hired as part of the new security. Will you be there tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “We wouldn’t miss the grand opening.”
“Save me a dance?” he husked.
“Dancing with me is certainly not the way to win back another female,” she responded.
“You’re right,” he said. They stood staring at each other for what seemed like forever before he turned and exited the store. He gazed back at her from the street then hopped into a large truck. There was something about a male in a truck, Pema thought.
“That is some heat you two were throwing off. I need a walk-in freezer to cool down,” Suvi broke the silence, fanning her face.
“Shut it, Suvi,” Pema mumbled, staring out the window, captivated by glowing, brown eyes.
CHAPTER TWO
Gripping the steering wheel as he drove down the street, Ronan was as shaken as he had ever been in all of his six hundred years. He had felt as if his life was over when he discovered his parents and siblings murdered by human poachers. The grief had been so debilitating that his bear had taken over. Claire had stumbled across him centuries later and spent weeks coaxing him back to his male form. She had been the single most important female in his life for the past two centuries. He had never imagined his life without Claire, and when her mother forced her to end their relationship, he had been determined to win her back. It was that determination that had led him to the last place he’d ever thought to go, a shop selling magical accoutrements. But the second he opened the door and saw Pema standing on that ladder, he felt as if the rug was pulled out from under him.
Now as he drove away from the Black Moon, it was taking all of his considerable strength to keep from turning around and seeking Pema out. He hadn’t been this turned on in his life. His cock had yet to deflate and was completely on board with the idea of going back. The little witch was a vision and he couldn’t imagine a more flawless female. Her long, silky blonde hair fell in loose curls down her back and beckoned him to fist the length as he took her luscious body. The compulsion to act on those urges was so intense that it was hard to focus on something as simple as driving.
Her sea-green eyes were entrancing, and it had been impossible to keep his gaze from her for more than a moment at a time. The most disconcerting was the electrical current that pulsed through him when their skin made contact, causing his heart to skip a beat. The experience had been so intense that sweat still beaded his brow. He couldn’t make sense of the jumbled mess in his head.
He shook his head trying to clear it. He had gone to this magic shop to find a way to win back his girlfriend of almost two hundred years, and the bag containing the potion sat on the seat next to him. He should be planning a way to get it to Claire and resolve their issues, yet he questioned if he would ever even use it.
The image of Pema’s mile-long legs encased in skin tight jeans flashed in his mind, and was only rivaled by the sight of her generous breasts straining against a green top that matched her eyes. When she had fallen into his arms, he found that her curves fit perfectly against him. She was, bar none, the most striking female he had encountered.
He was tied up in knots and the whole mess had him questioning if he was wrong about witchcraft. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it than lighting candles. The only way he could explain the way he was feeling was if those witches had placed him under a spell. Hocus-pocus bullshit.
He passed the Space Needle and pulled into a parking spot in the lot of the new realm club, Confetti Too. As he put the truck in park and looked at the warehouse, he forced thoughts of Pema from his mind and focused on work.
Hayden, the shifter Omega, had personally recruited Ronan to protect the realm nightclub. For some time, Ronan had wanted to make a difference in his world. He wanted to be part of something more important than merely throwing around drunken shifters, and the skirm activity in Seattle had convinced him to accept the position, despite the fact that he would be closer to Claire’s mother.
He climbed out of the car and adjusted his erection before heading into the building where he encountered the chaos of last-minute preparations for the opening the next night. He spotted Killian talking to one of the waitresses and headed over.
Ronan waited while Kill gave the nymph instructions and tried to keep his mind off Pema, but the witch back at the candle shop continued to consume his thoughts. Of one thing he was certain. He had never before wanted a female as fervently as he wanted Pema.
“What do you want me to do today?” Ronan asked, feeling his anger rise to mask his confusion and frustration. Like many males, anger was his go-to emotion. Anger was easier to express than it was for him to deal with the situation he suddenly found himself in.
“You can start by chilling a bit, buddy. Tensions are high enough here with the Grand Opening tomorrow night.” His boss eyed him intently, “Okay, what’s up? You’re edgy.” Kill never missed a thing, but no way in hell was Ronan going to tell him about his new obsession with the alluring Pema. Ronan was beginning to feel like a female, he’d spent five minutes with her and he needed to get over it. He reminded himself that he was in love with Claire and determined to win her back.
“Sorry, this morning turned to shit. I’m good,” Ronan tried to reassure his boss.
“No, you’re not good. Your bear is itching to break through. Your eyes are completely black and your claws are out,” Kill pointed out. Ronan looked down and realized he was right. He’d been so preoccupied that he wasn’t aware his animal was so close to the surface. His bear had never been this restless unless Ronan was ready to beat the shit of out someone.
“I can call Hayden over if you need help regaining control. The grand opening is tomorrow night and I need you on your A-game. You came from a small town, and tomorrow night there will be twice as many people here as you’ve ever seen in one place. Hayden assured me that you were the male for the job. Was he wrong?” Killian asked, eyeing him closely.
“No, he wasn’t wrong. I thrive in chaos. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” Ronan reassured the sorcerer. He took several deep breaths until his claws retracted.
“Then it must be about a woman,” Kill laughed.
Ronan felt his cheeks warm. Now he was fucking blushing? If he didn’t watch it, this was going to ruin his image. “Claire dumped me,” he told his boss, unsure why he was now sharing it with him. He wasn’t one to talk about his relationship with anyone, let alone someone he hadn’t known very long. “I went to Black Moon Sabbat looking for answers but…question, what’s the story on witches and their magic?”
Kill winced and leaned back against the bar. “Claire dumped you, and you go to Black Moon? I hope you didn’t go to Black Moon to win her back because that is going to piss her off when she hears about it. And you don’t want to mess with the Wells family.”
Ronan crossed his arms over his massive chest and pondered the sorcerer’s words. He’d never even heard of Pema and her sisters until he had asked a co-worker where he should go for help with a witch. “Why? What’s the deal with her and Black Moon?”
Killian sucked in a breath and let it out in a hiss. “As you know, the Wells are the ruling family of the witches, which means they are very powerful. There is a prophecy that most believe refers to the Rowan triplets and a shift in power. Put simply, the Rowans and Wells are a volatile mix. If their magic clashes, you want to be very far away.”
“What’s the worst they could do? Kill me with a love potion? Magic isn’t capable of causing real harm.”
Killian barked out a laugh. “That’s like me saying a male can’t change into a bear. Magic is an elemental force in our world that shapes all as
pects of our lives,” Kill shook his head. “You’ve lived with Claire for over a hundred years. Either she has kept her talents secret or you have spent too much time cooped up with shifters. There is more out there than you realize.” The sorcerer splayed his fingers and muttered a word in a foreign language. Blue light sparked between his fingertips.
Wow, Ronan thought, not impressed. He could do a great light show, with shadow animals on the wall and everything.
Ronan was about to ask Killian to make a bear shape on the wall when he felt a tightening in his throat. Before he knew it, he was unable to breathe and clutched at his throat. He could hold his breath for several minutes, but when the pressure steadily increased, he panicked.
There were invisible hands around his throat, strangling the life out of him. When spots dotted his vision, his bear began clamoring underneath his skin. His fingers clawed at his throat in an attempt to get air, but all he managed was to leave bleeding furrows. Goddess help Killian’s new club, his bear was going to break through soon and go on a rampage.
Killian muttered another foreign word and closed his hands into fists. Instantly, the pressure was relieved, leaving Ronan gasping for a lungful of air. Heaving, he glared at his boss. “What the hell?”
Killian had a smug look on his face that Ronan wanted to wipe away with his fists. With power like that, there was a reason for the male to be so confidant. It made Ronan wonder how skirm had been able to best Killian and the Dark Warriors in the battle that destroyed the original Club Confetti.
“That was a simple strangulation spell. Now do you believe in the power of magic?”
“Fuck you,” he gasped.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Believe me, that’s nothing compared to what will happen if you cross the Wells. Claire is Cele’s only child and Cele is the High Priestess in the realm. Cele rules the witches for a reason. Individually, she is the most powerful witch in the realm. Her position is on par with Hayden, Dante, Zander, and Evzen.”
All members of the Tehrex Realm knew who the faction leaders were, Ronan just had never seen Claire’s mother in the same league as these males. It made him wonder why Cele had chosen not to be a part of the Dark Alliance council.
Ronan rubbed his sore throat. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind, but if you ever do that to me again, I’ll kick your ass. Now, what can I do to help get things ready for tomorrow night?”
Killian laughed and rattled off a list of tasks. Ronan’s mind returned to Pema and her strawberry scent. She would be sweet and succulent. In fact, everything about this female was already branded into his memory. He forced his mind to focus on what Killian needed him to do rather than how badly he wanted to seek Pema out and take a taste.
*****
Pema ran a rag over the glass for the umpteenth time. She had been cleaning the countertop for the past hour, unable to stop daydreaming about the ruggedly-handsome Ronan. Despite the incense burning, all she could smell was his tantalizing, masculine musk. Her sisters had teased her relentlessly.
Suvi had laughed herself silly while Isis had been pissed at her for wanting what they had called Claire’s leftovers. Pema would have been bothered by their taunts, but they hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true. She was obsessing over the male and didn’t understand why she was unable to push thoughts of him from her mind.
Surely he wasn’t as sexy as her mind was telling her. The next time she saw him, her fantasy would be shattered; reality was never as good as fantasy.
For the hundredth time that day, the wind chime tinkled above the door and her head snapped up, hoping it was him. Her heart stopped and her mouth dropped open when he stopped in the entry, holding the door open. Their gazes met and locked.
He was back, and she had been dead wrong. Reality was so much better than fantasy. He was by far the sexiest male ever created. She stood there gaping like an idiot, unable to tear her eyes from his. She felt her arousal spike, and a small smile curved her mouth when she saw the telltale-glow in his eyes that told her he was just as affected by her as she was by him.
The clearing of a throat interrupted the moment. Pema broke eye contact to glare a warning at her sister. “We didn’t officially meet earlier. I’m Isis, Pema’s sister,” Isis said, holding her hand out to shake his.
Pema watched as he let go of the door and let it shut quietly behind him. The light coming through the windows at this time of day highlighted his body to perfection. The sun paid homage to his God-like physique. She told herself she was being pathetic when she missed his warm gaze as he turned to greet her sister. “I’m Ronan. It’s nice to meet you.” Pema refused to acknowledge that she was jealous her sister was touching him.
Suvi sidled up next to Pema. “It’s good to see you again. Some of us are more excited than others,” Suvi smiled. Pema barely held back from hitting Suvi. “How can we help you this time?”
Ronan once again turned that magnetic gaze to Pema, ignoring Suvi completely. “I was hoping we could talk in private, Pema.” Goddess, his voice made her quake in her boots. And the way his tongue curled around her name had her flushing and praying that his version of talk including suckling her breasts and moist, feminine flesh. She needed to get ahold of herself. She had never lost her mind over a good-looking male before, and she wasn’t about to start now.
She cleared her throat of its dryness and found her voice. “Uh, yeah, sure. We have an office in the back. Follow me,” she motioned to the hallway and started walking. The heat of his gaze burned like a brand on her backside and he followed behind.
She entered the cluttered room and decided test the water. “Before you say anything, I want you to know that I hope you can work it out with Claire,” she told him as she crossed toward the desk.
“Do you really?” he asked quietly. The heat burning in his gaze made her want to shed her clothes. Instead, she walked to the other side of the desk, putting space and furniture between them. He may still get back together with Claire, so he was off-limits.
As Pema tried to decipher his emotions from his facial expressions, she wondered why it was so hard for her to tell him yes, she wanted them to get back together. “Why wouldn’t I? I have nothing against Claire, despite who her mother is. Okay, I’ll admit that I don’t like her, but if she’s what floats your boat...” she trailed off meaningfully.
“A day ago I’d have said yes, but now I can’t seem to get a certain blonde out of my head,” Ronan rumbled and rolled his sleeves back. He had tattoos of intertwining tribal lines that disappeared under his shirt. How could arms make her mouth water? She leaned against the wall with her hands behind her back as she fought the urge to rip his shirt from his body. She wanted to discover how much was covered with ink, and then trace them with her tongue.
She imagined exploring every hill and valley of his arms and chest. She was picturing how he looked shirtless in his low-slung jeans when he moved and caught her attention. She looked up and noticed that he was staring at her expectantly. She chided herself at the lascivious bent of her thoughts. “The feeling is mutual. A certain bear shifter has been occupying my thoughts. What do we do about that?” She wanted to give in to her desire and get him out of her system. After all, he wanted to get back together with Claire, so there was no danger of a relationship.
He stalked around the desk and she retreated as he neared her. Once he had her cornered, he grabbed her arm, sending a rush of electricity zinging across her skin. She marveled how the sensation went right to her core. Touching his skin was, simply put, euphoric. More than anything, she wanted to lean into him and wrap her arms around his neck before ravaging his mouth. She gazed up at him, willing him to make the first move.
“You couldn’t handle what I have in mind,” he drawled in that voice that had her abdomen clenching in need. Yes, she wanted to scream, she was ready…beyond ready. One touch would tell him just how ready she was.
“I’m pretty sure I can handle anything you can dish out.” She knew it was a bold stateme
nt, and she was playing with fire, but she wanted to burn.
His glowing eyes traveled up and down every inch of her, arousing her further. “Then you’d better prepare yourself, little witch because I’m very hungry.” Yes! She admitted to herself that she was more than happy to be incinerated by this magnificent male.
His eyes glowed cognac with his desire for her, yet he looked as if he hadn’t wanted to say that. Not that it diminished her lust. She should be frightened that her need for him had only escalated. Her mind warned her of danger, but her body wasn’t listening. She didn’t even bother trying to get them on the same page, but let her body lead the way, reassuring herself that he didn’t want a relationship with her.
He had come to them asking for a way to win Claire’s heart back. It would be smokin’ hot sex between them, nothing serious. Nothing serious was what she did, and she wanted this more than was good for her.
Her reasoning took that moment to return, and she panicked. He couldn’t be a one-time kind of guy, given that he had been with someone for two hundred years. She refused to get involved in a relationship of any kind. She wanted him, but…
“I can see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of yours. Don’t overthink this. Kiss me.” He interrupted her internal debate and caressed her cheek, sending shivers down her spine.
“I’m not over thinking this. It’s just that I’m seeing someone,” she lied as she looked up into his handsome face. His eyes flashed to black with his anger and he grabbed her by the arms. She was in trouble now…the kind of trouble she loved.
CHAPTER THREE
Ronan felt like a volcano ready to erupt, but he didn’t give a shit at the moment. If he were being honest with himself, he hadn’t been in control from the moment he had walked into the store hours ago. For some reason, Pema made all of his senses fire into overdrive, which drove him mad. He had been heading home with no intention of returning to the store, yet here he was, in the backroom alone with her, asking for a kiss and hoping for more.