by C. D. Gorri
She opened her eyes as his clever tongue found her sex and saw the air alight with shimmering tendrils of magic linking him to her. Seeing magic was a rare gift, but one that she’d had from birth.
The sparkling lengths that pulsed and moved and wound their way between the two of them, were beautiful and perfectly natural to her. Then again, she was a Witch, born and bred of magic. Her magic was as much a part of her as his Wolf was to him.
Sherry bucked her hips as he delved his tongue inside of her tight channel, his fingers bit into her flesh as he held her down. Oh, Seff! She moaned against his sensual onslaught, but still she held back. She was afraid, so afraid, to give him her heart a second time.
Werewolves were so stubborn, so set in their ways. Under Rafe, the Macconwood Pack were the most tolerant of Witches and magic in general, but still all change took time.
Would Seff ever realize that his bite marked her as her magic marked him? Would he understand that Wolves had their own brand of magic? Or like before, would he feel tricked and betrayed? Would he reject her again?
“Honestly, I don’t know how my Wolf emerged long enough for me to mark you, baby, but I swear that nothing I have ever done in my entire life has ever felt so right. I told you, Sherry Morgan, Witch or not, you are mine.”
She tried to believe him. Wanted to with all her might but it was an impossible situation. She loved him. Always had. But he hated magic. Didn’t he? It was so hard to think when he knelt at the apex of her thighs and pulled her legs up onto his shoulders. He pressed the tip of his cock against her entrance and teased her relentlessly until she practically begged him to take her.
“Seff, before you go further, understand that nothing will ever change the fact that I am a Witch. Not any Witch, I am the Morrigan. My clan descends from the goddess herself. I’ve a store of magic to rival entire Covens and they all want a piece of it. I have vowed to heal and serve others with my powers. I will never relinquish them,” she narrowed her eyes to try and gauge his response to her statement.
She held her breath, fear stabbed at her heart. It would surely break in two if he pulled away from her now. But wouldn’t it be better now than before she lost her heart?
Who the hell was she kidding? She was already so deep in love with him she could hardly see.
“I am going to say this to you now, and however many more times you need to hear it until you believe it, Sherry, I love every fucking inch of you from the top of your wild curly hair, to the tips of your toes, your heart, your soul, your magic, all of it, all of you. Mine,” he growled the last word and thrust fully into her welcoming heat.
“Yes, yours,” she moaned.
Hours later Sherry stood near the front door of the manor preparing to leave. She managed to withdraw from Seff’s room while he slept. After showering and dressing in one of the guest rooms, she’d made a few calls and decided on a plan. She’d discussed it with Rafe and made to leave, but not before an angry male sauntered down the hallway bellowing her name.
“Sherry? Sherry!”
“Oh, uh Seff, I was just leaving-”
“The hell you are! What’s going on?”
“Hey Seff,” Conall greeted him with a smirk as he dangled a set of car keys from his meaty hands, “I’m taking Sherry here to see that Vamp dude, Balky or whatever.”
“What the hell is he talking about?” Seff addressed Sherry alone.
“Look Seff, I have a lead. It occurred to me while your Pack was not having any luck finding the location of the Witch who bespelled you, a contact I know might have some information,” she narrowed her eyes as she noted the glistening beads of sweat on Seff’s forehead.
“Are you feeling, alright?”
“What do you mean? I feel fine,” she could tell he lied, but it was just like him to try and deny his pain.
She looked deeper and when she blinked this time she saw that the black coils of dark magic were wrapped tightly around him, and they were growing thicker and stronger. Oh no!
“Seff!” She yelled his name as he blinked and staggered to the floor, his face contorted in pain.
CHAPTER 13
FOR THE FIRST TIME in a long while, Seff woke up smiling. His smile grew even broader as he considered the reason for his current state of bliss.
He turned to find that reason and scowled as his hands met with empty sheets. He sprang up, the realization that the woman he’d spent hours loving with not only his body, but with every inch of his heart, mind, and soul, was gone.
Seff cursed soundly and jumped out of bed. He struggled to put on a pair of jeans and a semi-clean t-shirt before grabbing his sneakers and charging down the hallway. His chest squeezed painfully, and his stomach clenched.
The burning sensation in his chest grew worse with every passing minute. This was more than just him finding Sherry gone. Darkness hovered over him, but he didn’t slow down.
He needed to find Sherry before she completely disappeared from his life. Again. Okay, last time was totally his fault, but he was young and stupid then.
Back then he thought he owed loyalty and obedience to his Pack alone. Now he knew better. In truth, he only ever owed anything to her. The sexy and oh-so-tempting Witch who held his heart and soul in her hands.
Pack would always be important. Pack was family. But Sherry was everything. The only woman he ever wanted. He’d do anything to keep her in his life.
Right then, Seff didn’t give a fuck how it looked to his fellow Wolf Guard and Packmates who watched as he ran down the hall clutching at his chest and stomach like a madman, bellowing her name.
When he finally caught up to her, relief and anxiety coursed through his veins. Was she leaving him after all? He tried to sift through the words she was saying, but he needed to hold her to calm his inner panic.
Just as he reached for her, an invisible blade seemed to stab him straight through the heart. His knees buckled. Fuck me!
“Seff!” Sherry’s cry reached his ears through the haze of pain.
“Conall, get me something for his head!”
Seff would have scoffed at the idea of having a pillow thrust under his head by the tall blonde goofball, but it was better than the marble-tiled hallway. Rafe and his aesthetic preferences be damned. Marble was cold and hard, and the way he was thrashing about from the pain, he’d probably give himself a concussion if it wasn’t for his Sherry’s quick thinking.
His Sherry. Damn straight she was his. When all this was over he’d show her just how fucking serious he was. This was one Witch who wasn’t getting away again. Even if he had to chain her to the bed and make love to every sweet inch of her until she was too exhausted to move. Good plan. Let’s do that.
Of course, they needed to fix the curse on him first. He needed his Wolf back. Then, when he was whole again, he could prove that it was all him and not some spell that made him confess his love for her. She was his mate. He knew it in his heart. He’d always known it.
He would come to her after he was healed. He would claim her and, he would vow in front of the whole damn world that she was his and he was hers, true mates, forever.
We’ll see if she can dismiss what we have and walk away so easily then. No fucking way was he letting her get away from him again. That was a promise.
He didn’t quite understand the words Sherry spoke in that sexy, lightly accented voice of hers, but it was clear from the spicy cinnamon scent that hit his nostrils what she was doing. The cool strength of her power seeped into his bones, soothing the fire of pain that had nearly rendered him unconscious.
He hated his weakness, but he was smart enough to understand he was no less a man for it. The Dark Witch who’d done this to him would suffer soon enough. Then he’d be joined with his Wolf once again and he’d have his woman, his Witch, at his side. It was a win-win, he just had to grin and bear with the annoying fucking pain until then.
“Seff, can you hear me?”
Her voice was like silver bells ringing through the air.
Her sweet breath tickled his ear as she bent down and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. Her cool hands felt his forehead for fever. Seff inhaled, cinnamon and apples. She smelled so damn good.
“I hear you, baby, you okay?”
“Am I okay? You were the one who hit the floor! Are you well enough to sit up?”
“Yes,” he did and couldn’t resist a peck on her pretty bow of a mouth before he went from sitting to standing, enjoying the shocked look on her face as she noted they were not alone in the hallway.
He watched her rise from the floor in a swirl of gauzy skirts and noted the flash of her cleavage in the cropped, skin-tight top that she wore with it. The shimmery gold fabric looked good against her pale skin and her fiery hair.
She oozed sexuality. She was woman, glorious and beautiful. A powerful Witch. Her power was a living part of her and for the first time he saw it. Shimmering about her like gold dust and silver stars.
He was in awe of her beauty. He growled as he realized they had quite the audience. He barely restrained himself from finding a blanket and throwing it over her delectable body. Seff did not like to share. Mine.
“You should go back to bed-”
“Not an option, now where are we headed?” he interrupted her with a gentle kiss on the mouth.
“Well, Conall was going to accompany me to the home of a friend of mine,” she avoided his eyes when she said friend and Seff felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
“A friend?”
“Well, actually, we used to date-”
Grrr. Seff stiffened as Sherry continued to speak, but his mind was whirling. An ex-boyfriend? WTF? And she wants me to stay here. No way.
Still, he’d been raised a gentleman, so he allowed her to finish her little speech before he interrupted. Well, before he interrupted again anyway.
“So, you see, Seff, it is better you stay here.”
“Not happening. Conall can come to, for back-up, but there is no way in hell you are walking into a den of Vampires without me.”
“Fine, but you can’t go dressed like that,” Sherry smiled wickedly as she waved a hand and before he knew it, straight-laced Seff was dressed in a pair of black leather pants and a billowy white shirt with most of his chest exposed.
Conall laughed until with a wave of her hand he was similarly dressed. Two points for Sherry’s magic. But where Seff could tell that his Packmate had been uncomfortable with the cast, Seff reveled in the cool comfort that was her magic wrapping itself around him. Like a hug.
“I look like a fucking pirate,” he grumbled not for the first time as he followed Sherry through the woods at the back of the manor.
She ignored his griping, and he enjoyed the fact that she knew him so well. Her magic was just fine with him, tight leather pants not so much. Still, he was glad she didn’t mind his complaints.
In fact, she seemed to be laughing at him. That made him smile between scowls. They’d need to be able to compromise as a couple if they were to have a future. And they were going to have a future.
Conall, however, didn’t take the hint. Which was why he was rubbing his now sore arm after saying “ahoy matey” one too many times in a mock pirate voice. Douche.
Seff flexed his knuckles. Without his Wolf he was significantly weaker, but not enough that he couldn’t cause some damage when he tried. That was one of the reasons he wasn’t too worried about walking into a nest of Vamps.
“How do you know where to find this Vampire?”
“I told you, we used to date,” was her noncommittal reply.
Seff wanted to growl and throw things. More than that, he wanted to rub himself all over her, to mark her with his scent. There goes that primal mating instinct again.
It was something modern Werewolves didn’t normally indulge in, but he couldn’t help it. His inner voice was screaming inside his head to pick her up and go home.
Sherry; however, was determined to go see this Vampire. There was no way he was letting her go without him. Only the thought that she bore his bite calmed him. Mine.
“Are we there yet?” Conall asked.
“Shut up,” Seff said and punched him again.
“Ow! Dammit Seff, you don’t have to hit me so hard!”
“Stop being a baby.”
“Boys! Please, I need to concentrate,” Sherry scolded them then turned to face a tall stand of pines with her arms raised and her eyes closed. They’d driven to the farthest part of the Macconwood property then proceeded on foot until she’d suddenly stopped.
He watched intently as the air around his shapely Witch began to shimmer and glow. Beautiful. As was she.
So perfectly lovely with her glorious hair blowing around her as if by some invisible wind. He guessed it was caused by her magic. The scent of ozone and cinnamon permeated the air as she concentrated.
He practically drooled on the forest floor. She was magnificent in her power. Everything he ever wanted. She looked and smelled so tempting.
Her skirts plastered to her long legs by that same invisible breeze. Outlining her luscious curves. So perfect.
Her anima magicae pulsed within her, the fragrance growing stronger and stronger. Like apple pie and ice cream in front of a warm fire. Like the thousands of flickering stars that dotted the night sky. Like home. My home. Mine.
He was no longer surprised by the possessive thoughts he had whenever he was near this woman. In fact, for the first time, he accepted them, relished them even.
Being a Werewolf meant a lot of things, and though his Wolf was bespelled at the moment, Seff felt him rise whenever he savored thoughts of his Witch.
His eyes were glued to her. Hell, he never wanted to look away.
Mine.
CHAPTER 14
SHERRY TRIED TO FOCUS her mind on conjuring a portal to the Vampire’s home, but it wasn’t easy with two hundred pounds of sexy man standing behind her. She could feel Seff’s perusal and tensed as doubts crept into her mind.
Did he regard her with disgust as she wove her spell? That idea was quickly dismissed as she opened her senses and searched out his aura. Multi-tasking was a specialty of hers.
His pleasure and, yes, arousal was more than evident in the brightly pulsating colors that flowed around his body despite the taint of the curse that was slowly suffocating his Wolf. The sight of those dark tendrils had her re-focusing her attention to the matter at hand. His poor Wolf. She needed to end this curse, now. She needed to save Seff.
That made her focus more intently on her task. Sherry continued to filter out the noise and concentrate on the magic necessary to open a portal to Bal’s residence. The Vampire was notoriously secretive. She’d met him a year ago and had an ongoing flirtation with the tall blonde. She even dated him occasionally, but he’d never been able to really turn her head.
Because you already gave your heart to another. She opened herself to Seff’s feelings and was thrilled to find he not only approved of her magic, but he seemed to hold her in awe.
Like you need his approval. She was a feminist at heart, but what woman didn’t like knowing her man was proud of her? And he was her man, wasn’t he? Not now.
It was a unique feeling. Knowing he watched with pride. He’d once shunned her for her magic, but now, he seemed to appreciate it, and her, on a deeper level. That boded well for their relationship. Hmm. A future together? Shut it! Concentrate for the goddess’ sake!
The air hummed as she raised her hands up higher to the night sky. Invoking the magic that she controlled, asking it to do her bidding. She felt her power fluctuate and build within her.
She opened her eyes and felt the energy inside of her. Sherry knew from experience that they’d be glowing, a bright violet color as she spoke the words that called forth a portal that would take them to the Vampire.
“Ewch â ni lle byddaf i.” Take us where I will to be.
The air in front of her began to swirl and shimmer, faster and faster until it appeared to suddenly stop. The ve
ry air in front of her was so still it was almost solid. She waved her hand again as it began to take shape.
She smiled, pleased with her accomplishments as she beckoned the two Wolves that accompanied her forward. Seff went immediately, proving once again that he was with her. Mine.
She was shocked at the possessive thought that pulsed through her. As if he read her mind, Seff looked right into her eyes. His own were heavy-lidded as he gazed at her. She knew that look. Mm. Later.
“What the hell is that?” Conall asked, his blonde eyebrows high on his forehead as he stared at the black door she’d conjured.
“It is the way in, of course,” she replied.
“Into what?” he asked.
“Why Conall, you do trust me don’t you?” she asked widening her sly grin.
“Um, yes?” it came out more question than answer, but Sherry just laughed.
She grew serious when she looked into Seff’s warm brown eyes. What about him? Does he trust me? No time like the present to find out.
“And you, do you trust me?” she asked, hating the desperation she heard in her own voice.
His answering smile warmed her heart. He was nothing if not honest, and she found herself unable to return the grin. Not until he said the words.
“With my life, baby. I trust you with my life,” he said and walked through the portal without her.
Sherry stood for a moment, her eyes wide with shock. Conall shrugged and jumped in after Seff. She could hardly believe it, but here was the proof. They’d put their lives in her hands!
What the heck was she waiting for? She followed them through the portal and prayed she wasn’t too late.
When she entered the room, she noted that Bal was indeed having another one of his famous parties. She rolled her eyes. The show-off knew she was coming.
She’d contacted him first of course. It was not wise to enter a Vampire’s lair without his knowledge or permission. Though Sherry preferred not to think of it as that.