Waking Beauty [Windsong Keep] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Tasha Blackstone

  Talia merely smiled and nodded. Hunter knew that she’d had no interest in Josef and that their friendship had bloomed purely out of her loneliness while Hunter had been off in hiding. The fact that Faith had gone after him and he had succumbed to her advances only clarified the man’s lack of character.

  “What makes you think there is more to his gift?” Hope chimed in, trying to ease some of the awkwardness that lingered from Faith’s indiscretions.

  “He…um…doesn’t feel like a simple Seer. I think he has a dark gift, but I’m not positive. His gift is mediocre, but there’s definitely more to him.”

  Hunter was beginning to think everything was tied together, and not just the obvious events. It was true that Faith’s child would have never come in to being and that the Keep would not be coming back to life if Talia had never been woken, but the rise of the Shadow Witch and the arrival of a possibly dark new charge must have been woven together somehow as well. As far as Hunter had known, the Shadow Witch had been in an exile of her own making. The threat of her presence always loomed in the back of everyone’s mind, but without word she had disappeared when the palace had been transformed into a Keep. No one had heard from her since, until her visit with Talia.

  “We need to find out Josef’s origins, and his alliance. If he has a dark gift and is hiding it, we need to be prepared.”

  Hunter watched as Faith reached down and ran her hand across her stomach. “I’ll do it. I can get close to him without raising suspicion.”

  The room fell silent. Hunter knew that each of them desired to stop her, to protect her and her child, but none of them would. She was the only one suited for the task.

  “Is there anything that we can do to help you?” Talia asked.

  Faith reached over and wrapped her arm around Talia’s back.

  “There is no need for everyone to look so concerned. I am a strong woman who just so happens to be very talented in my gift. I have protected myself thus far without issue.” She ran another circle across the flat of her stomach. “And now I have something more valuable than my own life to protect.”

  To see Faith go through such a drastic change was a little unsettling, but it did Hunter’s heart good. All she had needed was direction and someone besides herself to focus all of her attention on. He was thankful to be alive to see it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  As the day continued on, the band of friends all plotted and planned out various attacks and scenarios. The threat they faced was really of their own making. They had all agreed that saving Talia was the most important thing they would ever do and they were not going to allow the Shadow Witch to send her back to the Veil. The matter of the restrictions on her relationship with Hunter had been set aside for them alone to resolve, but keeping her here, bringing life back to the Keep and its charges, was their main focus. Talia had warned that her mother would put up the fight of her life and that they would all be placing themselves in danger, but no one cared.

  The possibility of The Cleanse arriving had been mentioned and each of them shuddered at the thought. The belief, though, was that if they could see the positive effects of having Talia awake perhaps they would see no need to punish anyone. It was a stretch, but they had Hunter on their side. The flip side of his Empathic gift was emotional manipulation and he had mastered that years ago before he came to live at Windsong. If anything went awry if The Cleanse did show, then it was up to him to guide whoever would be making the judgment.

  So far their plans were all coming together without what appeared to be too much risk. Hunter would send out his gift later in the night when the Shadow Witch’s aura would be the strongest. When he found her, Ian would move in on her location, phase in, grab the Diamond, and phase out. With Diamond in hand, Talia would use her gift to restrain her mother and Hope would then step into to extract the remains of her gift. Faith’s only job at this moment was to find out who Josef was and what part he played in all of this. If he was there helping the Shadow Witch monitor Talia, they would need to find a way to stop him as well. The hope of course was that he was just a prick and could be dealt with on a different level later.

  It was Hunter’s tainted gift that was the unspoken threat that lingered in the room. He and Talia struggled to be near each other in the library. Her attraction for him flowed through his body nonstop and it triggered an animalistic need in him. Pictures flashed in his mind constantly of various ways he could take her and as his desire grew his gift reached out to her and caressed her need. It made her physically ache to be with him and in turn his desire burned hotter. It was a vicious cycle of lust and passion and it was thick in the room. His friends all secretly watched in wait, expecting at any moment he would attack, rip her clothes off, and have his way with her, all while she begged him for more.

  The only thing keeping them apart was Talia’s resolve, not Hunter’s. She believed in keeping her gift pure. If she was in fact the Light that was mentioned in the passage, she did not wish to be the sole reason that magic came to an end. Her need for Hunter was beyond overwhelming, but it was her need to save magic that was stronger. She had been searching for ways around the issue, trying to find that tricky little loophole that existed for every single thing magic, but she’d had no luck. Hunter had searched as well, knowing that it was there somewhere, but that they were simply missing it, and had no luck either. If they were successful in defeating the Shadow Witch, finding the fix had to become priority. It was hard enough to ward off the desire for the few days that they had been locked up in the library. He could still feel her skin under his touch and taste her nectar as it has flowed over his tongue, creating his craving for more. Having her near him every day for eternity without ever being able to take her would surely drive him to madness.

  Visions of her erect nipples flashed through his head and the feeling of the little nubs as they filled his mouth caused Hunter’s dick to respond. He shifted to ease the discomfort, but it was not enough. His mind would not stop flashing with pictures of her. The small arch of her back, the soft, round curves of her ass—even the way she stared up at him through curled lashes, innocent and full of desire—he needed to get up, move around, and find something to occupy his mind.

  He walked over to one of the tall shelves toward the back of the library and began sifting through various books. As he read through each of the titles that were scribed down the spines, frustration flowed through him. He could not understand how one woman could create such chaos within him. He had been surrounded by women who had desired him his entire life, his gift always reaching out, taking hold of their need and twisting it so that it became great, but he’d always been able to control how he reacted to it. Not once had he ever felt so helpless and incapable of stopping himself. At that moment, Hunter was grateful that Talia had at least some self-control, forcing herself to keep her legs closed when she was around him until they could figure out how, or if, they could be together.

  “Can I help you find something?”

  Her voice sent an alarm through him and Hunter slowly turned to find Talia standing behind him, leaning against another bookshelf with her hands tucked behind her back. She was too close and this area of the library was too private. As she stood there, the intent of seduction crackling in her aura, he drank in the sight of her. Her brown, wavy locks fell to rest on her shoulders. He missed her long, flaxen curls, but she was still incredibly sexy. The smock that Hope had given her didn’t fit quite right, and her full breasts, which had not been bound since he released them, threatened to burst out of the squared neckline. He watched, with each breath she took, the rise and fall of the supple mounds. He had to shift his stance as his dick grew and became restricted in his pants.

  “Talia, you need to go be with Hope. You’re too close to me, hidden away back here. I can’t be trusted right now,” he warned as visions of what her naked body would look like if he were to rip the smock from her body played in his mind.

  “I don’t suppose you can feel my
conflict?” Talia licked her lips as she stared at him, hunger dancing in her eyes, her tongue leaving a wet sheen on her lips that Hunter wanted to pull into his mouth. His breath caught as she stepped closer to him, her desire to be in his arms overwhelming.

  “You know I can,” he whispered.

  She reached her hand up to his face and slowly traced her fingers across his cheek and down along his neck. Her touch sent sparks of arousal into his groin and as she traveled her fingers down into the opening of his shirt he felt her manipulate the top two buttons. He wanted to stop her, to call out for Hope to come get her and take her out of the library so that there could be space between them, but his want for her was stronger. She continued to unbutton his shirt and when there were no more buttons left, she slid her hands across his broad chest, rubbing her thumbs over his nipples and down his waist. As she found her way to the top of his pants, she trailed her fingers along the waistline and stopped at the leather that laced his pants closed.

  The fire in her eyes told Hunter that she wasn’t going to stop. Her resolve was strong and if he wanted to be rid of her, he would have to physically carry her out himself. The problem was that he didn’t want her to go away. He wanted her right where she was, ready and eager for him to have his way with her.

  Hunter ran his fingers up through the thick waves of her brown hair, and, taking in a fistful, he pulled her head back, traveling his eyes down the long line of her neck until his sight rested on the mounds of her full breasts. He salivated at the thought of nibbling on her small nipples, and his carnal desire took over.

  “Take it off,” he demanded, his voice thick with lust.

  He let go of her hair and she did as he requested, sliding the smock down along her shoulders, one at a time pulling her arms free from the sleeves, revealing her bared breasts as she did so. The dress fell to the floor in a heap around her ankles, every bit of her exposed. Hunter eyed the lines of her body. Her breasts were full and round and as he pinched her erect nipples, one by one in between his finger and thumb, he felt Talia’s hands back on his waist, working diligently at the knot in the leather. When it finally gave and she was able to loosen the lace, she slid his pants down past his ass, his fully erect penis springing forward, head glistening with droplets of his seed.

  Her pleasure at his size made him eager to fill her pussy with it, but before he did, he wanted to savor the ache that was building in her. He could feel her need and it had brought her to a place that she was unfamiliar with. She desired full surrender, giving herself to Hunter and allowing him to do with her anything he wished, but the waiting was gnawing at her. She needed him, she craved him, and she could hardly contain it. The feeling gave him a sense of power over her, the feeling of animalistic desire coursing through him.

  Wrapping his arm around her waist, Hunter pulled Talia into a tight embrace and pressed his lips to hers. As he pushed his tongue past her teeth and their lips slid across each other in reckless abandon, Hunter reached his free hand down in between their bodies and found the small patch of curls that hid her pussy. He slid his fingers into the curls and found the folds of skin, spread them apart and revealed her clit. Her pussy was moist with her desire and the slick juices coated his fingers as he pushed them, one and then another, deep into her body. Her moans of need and pleasure vibrated against his lips and he felt her body quiver under his touch. His need to bring her to the edge and not allow her to find release yet took over and he ran his thumb across the tip of her clit, pressing firmly as he created small circles over it.

  Talia pulled her mouth from his, her body weakened from her desire, her knees buckling and leaving her loose within Hunter’s firm hold on her. Her breath came out in short, rapid puffs, stifling her need to call out his name as fingers plunged deeper into her pussy. He craved to hear it, craved to hear her scream out his name in total surrender as he rapidly pumped his fingers in and out, his thumb still firmly traveling around her swollen clit. She was so close to release, he could feel her body tense as he brought her near, but he wasn’t ready. He pulled his fingers from her body, smeared her nectar that coated them across her nipple, and with hungry need, sucked it deep into his mouth. He ran his tongue over the firm nub and savored her flavor before he bit down and dragged his teeth across her nipple, causing her to gasp.

  As he continued to nibble her breasts, Talia’s hand traveled down and he felt her firmly wrap her small hand around the girth of his dick. Her touch was electric as she slid her hand up and down the full length of his shaft, and his need to be inside of her became blinding. He released his mouth from her tits and pulled her down to the cold, stone floor, laying her dress and his pants down beneath her. He positioned her on her back, knees bent, legs spread, and ran his fingers along her pussy, brushing back her brown curls so that he could see that she was ripe and ready to receive him.

  He gripped his dick in his hand and stroked it as he prepared to fill her. He had not sunk his cock into the warmth of a pussy in way too long. He slowly pushed the head in just past her moist lips, savoring the sensation of ecstasy that her tightness gave him. He could wait no longer. He hovered his body just above hers and slid his arm under her back, holding her body firmly in place as he pushed the full length of his cock deep into her. She cried out in pleasure and he could feel her pussy constrict against him, virgin tight but experienced and hungry for him to fuck her.

  The deep groan that had been threatening to burst forward did so as he savored the feeling of being inside of the woman who drove him mad with need. He pumped his hips hard and fast against her, and as her pussy consumed his full length, both Hunter and Talia released cries of pleasure, letting go of everything that had been keeping them apart. Eager to finally let her climax, he reached up with his free hand and grabbed a handful of her large breast, kneading her flesh. As he continued to ram his cock into her, he could feel that he, too, was on the brink, a tingling sensation shooting through his dick and up throughout his body. He pulled her nipple into his mouth, fingers still tightly gripping her breast, and flicked his tongue across the nub. Talia’s body arched beneath him and she wrapped her arms around his back, digging her nails into his flesh.

  She cried out and her pussy tightened even more as he felt the release surge through her body. She was coming and as she did, she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him as deep into her as possible. Her breathing was rapid, her body slick with sweat, her pussy pulsing and coating his dick in her juices. He could feel it, his seed ready to explode into her and fill her body, laying claim that she was his. As he let go of the small amount of control he had left, Hunter felt another sensation course through him. He had just been phased.

  Ian’s arms were wrapped tightly around him as they fell to the floor, the cold stone pressing into his skin.

  “What the fuck?” He yanked himself out of Ian’s arms, stood and looked around, confusion clouding his mind as he searched for Talia.

  “And I thought I was the bastard between us.” Ian’s words of sarcasm were replaced with scorching disapproval. “How could you? You know why you can’t be with her—so what—now you don’t give a rat’s ass? You’re taking her pussy and fuck the rest of us?”

  Hunter shook his head as he tried to clear his mind. He could feel the anger spark through his friend and looked over at him as they both stood, Hunter still naked, in front of the fireplace.

  “Get dressed.” Ian threw Hunter’s pants at him and stormed away, back toward the other end of the library where Hunter knew Talia was hidden, now in Hope’s company rather than his. He could feel a faint hint of shame flood through the library, but the anger that poured from both of his friends was thick. He pulled on his pants and looked around for his shirt. When he couldn’t find it he realized it must still be with Talia, although he didn’t recall taking it off.

  With a heavy heart, he walked out of the library. Once in the corridor, he leaned against the cold stone wall, feeling the chill pour into his body. He could not fathom how or why he
had lost control with her. Ian was right. He knew why they could not be together and that should have been enough to stop him, but his desire for her had taken over. As he stood there, alone, ashamed of his actions, he steeled his resolve and knew that from this point on, Talia was not an option for him. He would help her gain her freedom from the Shadow Witch, but when all was said and done and they ended the threat, they were done. Even their friendship would need to be severed and if she fought him on it, he would do whatever it took to stay away.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Faith wandered the corridors, making her way to Josef’s room, she let her mind trail back to the book she had stumbled upon. It was a book of spells and she had been searching for an answer to the possible conflict with her baby’s gift. Within the pages, though, she found a folded piece of parchment that had been hidden within, its wax seal still intact. The edges had yellowed and the parchment had a rough, brittle feel to it, so to salvage the ancient text that had been hidden from prying eyes she used her gift and wrapped it in a protection bubble. When the seal cracked and the paper unfolded she found a passage that spoke of a Dark Wizard who had been cursed with dual gifts.

  His name was Hade and his mother had strayed from her husband’s bed into the arms of a Seer. The Seer’s smooth tongue and gentle demeanor had wooed her and when she’d she lain with him, he had filled her belly with a child. Corin, Hade’s mother, had tried to pass him off as a purebred, but as his gifts grew, the Seer in him could no longer be ignored. Corin was beheaded, her severed head and body displayed at the entrance to their village as a reminder to the women that those who strayed would suffer the same fate. The Seer was also punished. He was captured and beaten to an unrecognizable state. His genitals were severed and he had been sent to live in the whoring tents where he was permanently shackled, face down, hands and feet restrained so that he was unable to fight off whatever unspeakable acts were performed on him.