by Brenda Trim
“Relax, sis. He is one hot piece-of-ass, is what she was thinking. I’m honestly surprised it didn’t last longer. I’d have kept him in there for days, weeks, shit, for months. And, need I remind you, that Claire ended whatever she had with the shifter, so he isn’t Claire’s,” Suvi sang out. Pema had reached the store front and saw Suvi was perched on the ladder where she was dusting the candles. Pema was momentarily distracted by the fact that Suvi was standing on a small wooden slat in six inch heels. The sight had disaster written all over it.
Then their words registered and she was irritated. She didn’t need their criticism, she needed their calming presence. Far more upsetting and disturbing, was the fact that she didn’t like the thought of anyone but her keeping Ronan anywhere for days. A strange ache bloomed in her chest. She didn’t have time to evaluate that right now.
Her possessive feelings were far too dangerous and ridiculous. She had no right to stake a claim on him. Yes, he was a passionate male and had echoed her sentiments, but she saw the relief in his eyes when she called a halt to their sexcapade. The ache in her chest tightened. It wasn’t disappointment, she told herself, trying to believe the lie.
All she could think about was the image of him heading to Claire and putting the erect cock he left with to use. The thought infuriated her. If that bear knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t. The claim stormed into her brain that he was hers. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. He was not her male, she had no claim on him and she never would. Pema’s anger flared, and she knew the moment Isis had absorbed that anger because several glass jars exploded.
Pema and Suvi jumped, shielding their faces when the jars shattered and pieces flew in all directions. When the debris settled, Pema took several deep breaths, allowing her emotions to calm, chiding herself for losing control. She knew better than most how Isis absorbed negative energies from her and Suvi.
“You good?” she asked, glancing sideways at Isis, gauging her reaction. Isis stood rigid with her jaw and fists clenched tightly. After several moments, Isis spread her fingers, releasing her magic safely into the cement floor. This was one of the reasons they had installed the cement floor. It could absorb most energy without damage to their surroundings.
Pema recalled the time Callieach went up in flames. Several of the other students had been making fun of Suvi’s torn and patched jeans. Suvi was shouting angry spells at the group when Pema and Isis exited the building. Everything went haywire and a fire broke out. While the adults put out the flames, they sat apart from everyone else, enduring the frightened stares of the other children.
Frightened rumors spread about the three of them destroying the Academy. At ten years old, they hadn’t understood exactly what had happened. It wasn’t until similar episodes of lamps breaking and glass shattering each time Isis was angry about something that they realized it had been her. As young teens, they discovered that Isis absorbed their emotions when Pema was cornered by a boy in the stairwell of their apartment complex. Isis walked up as the boy was slinking away. She was unaware that Pema was furious about his unwanted advanced, but the overhead light had shattered.
A smile curved Pema’s lips. Burning down Cele’s training center had been the highlight of their brief stint with formal education. The memory was enough of a reminder for Pema to gain control. She wouldn’t risk further damage to their hard-earned business. As it was, she hated that she had already been the cause of even minor damage. They would be expensive to replace and she couldn’t think of a way to recoup any of the loss.
“Pema! First, you screw Claire’s guy, and now you’re making me blow up our tea jars. Those were imported from India, dammit,” Isis snapped.
Pema took another deep breath at the mention of Ronan belonging to Claire and held it, not wanting to get worked up again. Claire ended whatever relationship she had with Ronan negating any claim she had to the sexy shifter. “I’ll order new ones,” she said through gritted teeth. “But, right now, I need your help, preferably without the commentary.”
Suvi chuckled and descended the ladder. Pema was shocked at how nimble her sister managed the steps in those shoes. It was truly impressive. “Yeah, we know what happened. I’m surprised you aren’t still enjoying the forbidden fruit.” Pema groaned at her sister’s teasing. They were going to be relentless.
“Yeah,” Isis laughed, leaning on their display case of moon-charged crystals. “What was the problem? Maybe his fruit was on the small side.”
Their laughing and teasing ended abruptly and Pema figured her torment was written all over her face. Isis met her gaze then reached out and grabbed her hand. Suvi snagged Pema’s other hand. Immediately, the tension lessened in her chest. This was exactly what she needed. The connection with her sister’s finally broke through the sensual haze and crazy impulses, grounding her.
“He is hung like a horse and I wish I were in that room riding him instead of standing here with you two,” Pema blew out a breath. “My head got twisted and I got spooked. Worst part, I didn’t even get an orgasm out of it.”
“What did that asshole do to you?” Isis spat out. She appreciated how her sisters came to her defense. They’d always had each other’s backs and always would.
She looked up and smiled at her sister. “He didn’t do anything I didn’t encourage. It’s more about this little voice in my head that wanted to claim him and I wasn’t alone in that. I can’t explain the feeling I had when he became all possessive of me, but it wasn’t my usual revulsion. I’ve never felt that way before, and it was too much. You know that’s not me.” Love equaled heartbreak and loss, and she would never be a part of it.
Isis squeezed her fingers and Suvi grabbed Isis’ free hand, completing their circle. Magic tingled from Pema’s fingertips, up her arms, and flooded her entire body. The feeling of their joined magic was like a million tiny bubbles fizzing in her veins. Connected to her sisters, she could face any obstacle that came her way. “I can’t believe my ears. You, wanting to claim someone?” Isis asked, shaking her head and sending her red hair flying.
“I’ve never understood why you were so opposed to a relationship,” Suvi muttered at the same time. Pema glared at her youngest sister. At times, she lived in the clouds.
“How can you say that? Dad has barely left his house since mom left him. And you know how grandma just died after grandpa was killed. I don’t ever want to put my heart on the line only to have it crushed so brutally later. No thanks, that’s not for me,” Pema responded.
At the mention of their parents, Pema was reminded of the fact that she wasn’t on speaking terms with their mother. The reasons for their lack of communication caused Pema’s heart to ache with sadness and bitterness.
Their parents, Keri Reinhart and Greg Rowan, were among the rarity in the realm. They weren’t Fated Mates, which meant they weren’t supposed to be able to have children together. When non-fated couples had children, they were called the Adorned, and by some miracle their parents had had triplets. Until recently, Pema thought her parents madly in love and inseparable. That all changed the moment their mom found her Fated Mate.
It was impossible for Pema to see their father so heartbroken, and not be enraged. She was shocked that her mother could betray her father like she had. Her mother had slept with another male, and in the span of a couple days Keri had not only cheated on Greg, she had left him, crushing the male she had loved for centuries.
Part of her wanted to reach out to her mother, but every time she thought about it, she became angry all over again. And, even contemplating it felt like a betrayal to her father. Pema rubbed at the ache in her chest and pushed the negative memories into a box, pulling herself back to the present.
“Just because they had bad experiences doesn’t mean you will. You need to consider that mom wasn’t wrong to make a life with her mate. It’s the Goddess’ will. You’ve never even stopped to ask mom what this has been like for her. Anyway, how can you resist a male who could scarce
ly take his eyes off of you?” Suvi asked. “I knew he’d come back for you. This isn’t over between you and the bear. He will have you, and you will embrace your feelings before long.”
Pema snatched her hand back as if it had been dipped in acid. Damn her sister. She had just declared that Pema would be with Ronan and embrace her feelings while the three of them were holding hands. She knew better than to make such a proclamation while they were united. Pema began to panic.
They weren’t the hands of fate, but ever since she could remember, the power they wielded when physically connected to one another was as close as supernaturals came to the Goddess whose will determined fate. Pema didn’t want to end up chasing after Ronan the rest of her life.
Refocusing on the matter at hand as dread settled in her stomach, Pema paced around the store. “I can’t be with him. Not only do I refuse to be in a relationship, but I don’t want to be connected to anything that might bring us to Cele’s attention.”
Isis’ eyes flared brightly and the lights in the store flickered. “Goddess, I hate that female. She has always given me the creeps. With those beady eyes and tight bun, she reminds me of a rat. Ugh…I still swear the only reason she gave us the money for this shop was to have a way to control us after we refused to be brainwashed at her school. And her daughter is an imbecile. I’d like to kick both their asses.”
“Isis, take it down a notch before more damage is done,” Pema cautioned. “But, I agree. Cele does want to control us. It’s one reason mom and dad didn’t make us go back to the Academy. She overplayed her hand ranting and raving to mom and dad about the prophecy. Otherwise, I’m sure they would have kept us there.”
“She’s not very smart is she? She has underestimated us time and time again. I know she figured that we would spend so much time partying that we wouldn’t be able to pay her loan back. The look of shock on her face when we paid the loan in full so quickly was priceless,” Suvi said as she picked up stones from the RockCandy display.
Isis and Pema joined in and they continued to joke about Cele and Claire as they fell into their routine of rearranging displays. It took all of Pema’s effort to remain engaged with her sisters when her mind continually drifted back to Ronan.
The shifter had power over her, and for the first time in her life, she was weak where a male was concerned. It was disgusting, really. Yet, if he walked in the room and crooked his finger at her, she would melt and follow.
She wanted to feel his lips on hers as he caressed her face. More than anything, she wanted to feel his hard length sink deep into her, assuaging the building ache. She sighed. Her obsession was becoming ridiculous. “I’m going to need your help staying away when I see him at the club opening. I don’t want to throw myself at him and look like a fool,” Pema told her sisters.
*****
Claire sat, fuming in the back of the club. Gossip had spread quickly about how Ronan had shown up at Confetti Too smelling of Pema. The Rowan sisters were always the talk of the realm, whether it was because they were the famed triplets, or because their sexual exploits usually involved the most powerful, or that they were sought after for their magic. She couldn’t escape the inept witches and it was infuriating.
She had called Ronan several times, but he hadn’t answered. She had come to the club seeking him to make amends and was disappointed when he wasn’t at the doors. His truck was in the parking lot, so she knew he was around somewhere.
Nerves riding high, she stood up and headed to the back halls of the newly built Confetti Too, thinking maybe he was in the staff room getting ready for his shift. She planned to seduce him and remind him of what they had shared for so many years. Pema couldn’t hold a candle to what Claire meant to him.
Her heart was racing in her chest as she stalked down the hall. She stopped outside the door marked office when she heard the unmistakable rumble of Ronan’s voice. She pulled out a compact and checked her lipstick before straightening her clothing. Her hands were sweating as she reached out for the doorknob.
She stopped to wipe her hands on her skirt and considered the best tactic for getting him back. Her mother had made it clear she wouldn’t tolerate Claire being with Ronan, that he was beneath Claire. She didn’t care what her mother said. She had never been the dutiful daughter and wasn’t about to start following her mother’s orders now.
Doubt about his feelings for her surfaced and she knew she needed to be sure she was going to have his full attention. She refused to have any of his thoughts linger on Pema and would do anything to ensure they didn’t. Good thing she had planned ahead, she thought, as she pulled out a small vial from her purse and swished the clear liquid. It stung to resort to a love potion to retain his attention, but desperate situations called for desperate measures.
Crossing the hall, she hid from the open doorway and rested her sweaty palms on the wall behind her. There was no telling how angry he’d be if he saw her lurking outside the door. Nerves wracked her and Ronan’s raised voice had her holding her breath. He was upset about something and having a heated discussion with someone.
“I’m sorry I stormed out on you today. Things got out of control and they shouldn’t have. You were right to stop things from going further. Honestly, I don’t have a clue what came over me. I hadn’t intended for that to happen when I returned. I’m not even certain why I did come back, but it wasn’t for that.”
Claire’s heart dropped to her feet at hearing Ronan’s words. She wondered if he was talking to Pema, and if so, what did he mean by stopping things? Did that mean he hadn’t had sex with her?
Ronan’s voice interrupted her musings. “No, Pema, I can’t deny the connection between us and I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Her heart twisted in her chest at the confirmation he was talking to Pema and she couldn’t believe her ears. When did he develop this connection to Pema? He’d never told her that in all the years they had been together. For that matter, the tone of his voice had never been so soft and caring. What was it about Pema that had him giving her so much?
Claire struggled to hold her temper and not storm in the room, forcing the love-potion down his throat. No matter what it took, Ronan would be hers again.
“I don’t want that either,” Ronan suddenly growled.
Despite her mother’s warning, she was going to take matters into her own hands. No one was coming between her and her male, especially not a Rowan.
* * *
CHAPTER FIVE
Pema looked around the new realm club as she stood with her sisters and the Dark Warriors at one of the larger tables. Killian had done a fantastic job with the new place. She was glad to see that he had managed to salvage the glass blocks he’d had in the original club, although, it was now topped with a sleek sheet of live-edged wood. The small, colored lights that were built into the glass blocks were twinkling on the legs of patrons sitting on the high-backed stools at the bar.
She noted there were natural elements everywhere in the club. Killian’s shift away from the industrial décor in the original club gave the new place a feeling of warmth that had been lacking before.
Being a witch, she was connected to everything of the earth and felt grounded here. She surmised that Killian had made the change to enhance the protection she and her sisters had woven into the walls. They had been honored when Kill had asked them to add their own spells to those he and fellow sorcerers had already implemented. The club was all but impenetrable, and anyone, including the archdemons, would be hard-pressed to break their barrier.
“Nice skirt, witch. It’d look even better on my bedroom floor,” a fire demon called out from the next table. Her head turned and she saw that the male’s flame-orange gaze was trained on her ass.
“Keep your paws to yourself, this material isn’t flame retardant,” Pema called back then glanced down at her outfit, thinking she had gone overboard.
Self-loathing warred with common sense in her mind. She had dressed to provoke Ronan. Dressing for
one specific male was completely out of her character and she hated that she had done it for Ronan. No, her inner-pep-talk chimed in, she was known for her risqué attire, and this had nothing to do with the bear. She was going with that thought. She had dressed for herself and no one else. She wondered if this was an omen that she was going to be lying to herself from here on out.
Try as she might, she wasn’t able to stop from thinking about how it had pissed her off when he’d said he didn’t want a relationship with her either. It didn’t matter that she didn’t want more from him. But then, she mused, it was always that way. When one person didn’t want you, it made you want them even more. And what she wanted from him was dark and dirty. Her rampant hormones had been torturing her from the moment she had refused sex with the shifter.
But right now, what she wanted was for him to eat his words, and her clothing was meant to entice. It was clearly doing its job as the fire demon continued to try and cajole her.
She heaved a deep sigh, thinking panties would have been a wise choice tonight. Especially, given the ultra-miniskirt she was wearing. Maybe a bra too, although the bandeau top was restrictive enough that it didn’t make that point too obvious. She would be fine as long as she didn’t catch Ronan’s scent. If she did, there would be no hiding her need.
She cursed silently when she realized her sisters had abandoned her at the table. She looked around the bustling club and saw that Suvi was with Bhric and heading to one of the backrooms. That was fast, she mused, as she shook her head. In fact, it had to be a record, even for Suvi. But, her sister did have a penchant for vampires, and the sexy Vampire Prince was always happy to oblige. That was one of the reasons Suvi had named her familiar, a black bat, after the Prince.
She spotted Isis on the dance floor with Rhys, one of the Dark Warriors. Pema smiled at the cambion’s version of dancing, which involved a lot of bumping and grinding and tongue action.