by Daisy Dunn
When she arrived at the front of the store, a middle-aged man, in what appeared to be top physical shape, loomed in the doorway. Walking over to the counter, Ivy smiled, but something inside of her took an instant dislike to him. “Good morning. Can I help you with something?” She kept her voice pleasant, her demeanor nonchalant.
“Yes, good morning. I’m new in town, and I couldn’t help but notice your magic shop. Do you get many clients in here?”
The stranger had a slight English accent, but she assumed he’d probably been in Canada for many years. Finding his question odd, she answered him anyway, “Believe it or not, there are quite a lot of people who believe in the white magic I sell, from the old school marm to a coven of witches. I do all right. Why do you ask?”
“I’m looking for someone who, I’m guessing, would shop at your store. I really need to talk to her about something. Here’s a picture.” Opening his coat up, he pulled out a piece of paper with the woman’s image, and she immediately recognized her. Skye.
“Let me see.” Ivy pretended to examine the picture. “No, sorry, I’ve never seen her in here.” What do you want with her? She prayed Skye wouldn’t return anytime soon.
Suddenly, Flame and Raine walked into the shop and relief flooded her senses. She didn’t feel comfortable being alone with this man.
“You’re sure she’s never been a customer?”
“I’m positive. I’d remember someone as beautiful as her. I can see why you’re looking for her. She’s stunning.”
“Are you looking for someone?” Flame asked.
Ivy’s heart rate sped up and hoped Flame or Raine wouldn’t give Skye away. “Yes, this gentleman is looking for this lady. I’ve never seen her before. Have either one of you seen her shopping in here?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t recognize her. How about you?” Flame handed the picture to Raine.
Studying the image for a few seconds, she shook her head. “No, sorry, I can’t help you.”
He took the picture back and smiled at the three women. “Thank you for your time. Good day, ladies.”
After he left the shop, Ivy felt like she could breathe again.
“Why did he have a picture of Skye? What does he want with her?” Flame asked.
“I don’t know, he didn’t say, and I didn’t want to ask.” Ivy started shaking. “There’s something evil about him. I could feel a darkness in his aura.”
Raine ran around the counter, and held Ivy tight. “We’re here now, and we won’t let anything happen to you or Skye.”
“Skye! I have to call her and warn her not to come back to work. I have a strong suspicion he’s going to be watching us.” She ran to the phone and called Skye’s cell phone.
Chapter Six
The new lovers had dressed and finished making themselves a cup of coffee. “Do you want to drink our coffee on my deck? It’s such a beautiful morning,” Skye said as she picked up her mug of java.
“Great idea.”
Suddenly her phone rang from the pocket of her jeans. Looking at the call display, she saw Ivy calling her. “I better take this. She’s probably mad I didn’t come back to the shop right away. Why don’t you go ahead, and I’ll meet you on the deck.”
“Sounds good.” Kissing her forehead, he took his coffee mug and left to go outside while Skye answered the call.
“Hi, Ivy. Sorry I’m taking so long.”
“Oh, thank God you’re okay. Skye, listen to me very carefully, do not come back to work today. Do you hear me? Do not come anywhere near the shop.”
“What’s going on?”
“A man came in here a moment ago with a picture of you, asking if I’d ever seen you before. I had a bad feeling about him before he asked about you. I don’t know who he is or why he’s looking for you.”
“Are you serious? Oh my God, this is scary.” She paused to think about why anyone would search for her, but came up with no answers. “Okay, let’s think this through. Can you tell where the picture was taken?”
“I don’t recognize the surroundings. You had your arms straight up toward the sky and the background looked as if leaves were swirling in the air behind you.”
“Could I have been summoning the wind?”
“Yes, I think you might have been. Do you remember the last time you used your powers to great extent?”
Blushing, the memory of the wind caressing her last night came to mind. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to recollect further back. “The last time I remember using my gift with great intensity was…when I rescued you, about a month ago.”
A gasp escaped from both women as the realization of who the man could be dawned on them. “He’s a Hunter, and now he’s looking for a new prey. Stay in your home. He doesn’t know who you are or where you live. Where’s Conner?”
“Who’s Conner?” Skye heard the muffled sound of Flame over the phone asking for information.
“I’ll explain later,” Ivy said to Flame.
“He’s here with me now. Why?”
“Keep him there if you can. He can protect you.”
“You know I can protect myself better than he could protect me.”
“I know you can, but Conner’s special. He’s a shifter.”
“What? Another shifter?” Her thoughts immediately rushed to Dillon. “Listen, I have to go. I need to talk to Conner. I’ll call you later. Bye.” Hanging up the phone, her mind raced in several different directions at once.
Skye couldn’t believe she had now met two shifters and made love to both of them. The guilt started to eat away at her conscience. Heading toward the deck, she knew she needed to have a talk with Conner, because if her suspicions were correct, she’d made love to his brother last night. Can things get any more complicated? I need to tell them what’s happened. They both deserve to hear the truth from me. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, sadness starting to tear away pieces of her heart. Opening the glass sliding door, Skye stepped onto the deck and noticed Conner leaning on the railing, looking into her expansive backyard.
Turning around, he smiled at Skye, his eyes filled with obvious admiration. Taking a step toward him, she thought softening him up with a hug would be a great start. Hopefully, the reassuring contact would give her the courage to confess as well. With an easy comfort, she fell into his arms, wondering if Conner or Dillon would ever want to see her again.
Without warning, the warm embrace encompassing her tensed and turned cold. Conner released her, pointed at her house, and asked, “Is that an air elemental symbol on your wall.”
What an odd question. “Yes, it is. Why do you ask?”
“I have to go,” he replied curtly. Without another glance, he stepped away from her and walked to the sliding door. He propelled it open, and disappeared into the house. A moment later, the front entrance slammed shut. Skye decided not to chase after him. She didn’t understand why he left before he told her, but somehow she believed he knew the truth. Never had she been so wanton in her life, as she had always waited until she knew a man well before she slept with him. Now she knew why.
However, something besides the dangerous heat her body started experiencing had been to blame. She desired Conner from the first moment she met him in the pub. When Dillon met her, she’d been in the throes of heat, the wind satiating her needs, but he finished the job. She should have been terrified of him, naked in her backyard, but instead, with the heat slaked, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. With both men, an instant connection had been forged, beyond the sexual realm. I hope I can explain to Dillon and Conner what’s happening with me. Maybe they’ll forgive me, but I doubt it. Hell, how am I going to talk to them when I don’t know where they live or their phone numbers. Shit. She could only hope Dillon would still show up tonight for their date or at least hear an explanation from her. Either way, she prayed he would come.
Skye put aside thoughts of the man searching for her since more pressing matters had prevailed. With an aching heart, tears
rolled down Skye’s cheek in a steady stream. The wind rushed to her side, encircling her body in care and comfort. Even with her precious wind, she took no solace, her mind and heart deeply wounded by her impending loss.
* * * *
Conner felt like a fool. When he noticed the air symbol on her wall, he knew immediately this had to be the woman Dillon had slept with last night. He needed to get away from her, to clear his head and think about the situation. Storming out of Skye’s home seemed to be the right thing to do. Anger and hurt swelled inside of him, but with every step taking him further from her home, his heart ached, and he missed her already. What kind of magic spell did she cast on me? I have to talk to Dillon.
Fighting with the pull of returning to Skye, he advanced ahead, and went home to find his brother.
Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at his house. Walking in the front door, he noticed Dillon unpacking boxes in the kitchen and headed directly for him.
“Hey, Conner. You were gone a while. Did you ask the lucky lady out on a date?”
“I need to talk to you about her.” His words had a serious tone to them.
Dillon stopped his unpacking and turned to his brother. “What’s going on?”
“I went to her work, and ended up going out for a long walk. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, and everything I’ve never found until now.”
“I would think you’d be happier, baby brother. What went wrong? What did you do?”
“We ended up going back to her place. Suffice it to say, I had the most amazing time with her. Afterward, we decided to go onto her deck and have a cup of coffee together. Well, I noticed an air alchemical symbol on her wall.” He watched Dillon closely and waited for his words to sink in.
“Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me the woman you spent this morning with is the same woman I spent last night with?”
“That’s precisely what I’m telling you.”
Conner couldn’t help but notice the disbelief in Dillon’s face. “What’s her name?”
“Skye.”
“Dammit,” he growled, smashing his fist on the counter.
“I’m sorry about all this. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing and back off.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not leaving her. I think you should step away from her.”
“Not likely, buddy.”
“Conner, the feelings I have for her go way beyond a sexual attraction. There seems to be a growing connection between Skye and myself. I told you what the shaman said. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember what you told me, but the shaman only said to protect her at all costs, not to sleep with her. I saw her yesterday afternoon, and I heard her say she planned to go to McLeod’s in the evening. That’s the real reason we went there last night.”
“No wonder you couldn’t take your gaze off the entrance.”
“Yes. She has worked her way into my heart in a brief amount of time. From the first moment I saw her, I haven’t stopped thinking about her. I hate to admit this so soon, but I feel like she could be my mate.”
“I understand what you’re saying, because I feel exactly the same way. What happened last night between us was magical. I can’t get her out of my mind either.”
“I don’t want to fight you, Dillon, but I’m not backing down either. She’s mine, and I’m not letting her go.” Conner stood his ground, while also being careful, knowing cat shifters instinctively fought vicious battles for their mates.
“Do you actually think I’m going to step away from her? I love you, Conner, and will always look out for you, but she belongs with me.”
Conner could feel his cat clawing at his belly, wanting to be released to fight for his woman. With great concentration, he remained in control in his human form. “What are we going to do?”
“I think we only have one choice. We have to go to her and talk about this. By the way, why are you here and not with her right now?”
Dammit, why did I walk away from her? Answering his own question, Conner said, “Because I’m a fool. I let my pride get in the way when I realized she had been with you. Now, I don’t care. I want her in my life, and I’m not letting her go.”
“Well, unfortunately for us, I feel the same way about her. Come on. We need to go and see our mate.”
The tension rose high in the room as the men remained in human form, keeping their territorial cats barely under control. “Agreed, let’s go.”
Conner walked back up to the front of Skye’s home for the second time today. Guilt washed over him as he realized what he had done to her had been cruel and thoughtless. She didn’t owe him anything. They weren’t a couple, and she was entitled to make love to anyone she pleased, even if it happened to be his brother. What their trip to Skye’s place would entail, he didn’t know. However, he knew at least one of them if not all, would be terribly hurt. As much as he loved his brother and always had his back, he wished Skye would give him a chance.
Before they knocked on the door, Conner grabbed Dillon’s arm and asked, “What are we going to say to her?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t think about what to say.”
“What if she tells us to both leave her alone?”
“I hate to seem like a stalker, but I feel like I need to fight for her.”
“This could be a huge problem, because I feel the same way.”
“We need to talk to her, tell her how we feel, and the rest is up to her. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Dillon knocked on her door, and they waited anxiously. Conner didn’t realize he held his breath until the entrance opened, and he allowed the air to escape from his lungs. Tears stained her cheeks, and he felt terribly guilty being the man who caused her to cry. No one uttered a word until Skye broke the silence. “What are you two doing here?”
Sensing no anger in her question, a little bit of relief eased into Conner. “We need to talk to you. Can we come in?”
“Yes, please do.” Sadness rolled off her in waves, breaking his heart.
He wanted to hold her, let her know what an absolute fool he’d been, and tell her he wanted another chance. Turning his gaze to his brother, he knew things would not be so easy.
Opening the door wider, Skye ushered them into her home. They entered, and waited for her to guide them to the living room.
Skye sat at one end of her couch with Conner joining her at the other end. Dillon chose the chair across from the two. Conner couldn’t help but remember what happened between them only a few hours ago right where they sat. I wonder if she’s thinking the same thing.
“I believe I know why you men are here. If either one of you or both don’t want to see me again, I completely understand. But in my defence, please know I don’t sleep around. I’m going through this terrible heat, making me do things I wouldn’t normally do. Not that I didn’t want you two, because in my heart, I did.”
“What is this heat you’re talking about, Skye?” Dillon asked with great curiosity.
“I’m not sure what it is, but the best way to describe it is an overwhelming need to find sexual release, which makes you lose all inhibitions. You both experienced me going into this heat, but I never suffered from it when I made love to either one of you. I can proudly say being with you two happened to be utterly my choice.”
“I’m pleased to hear you say you wanted me on your own accord,” Conner admitted. She had been attracted to him after all.
“I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, Conner. I ran away because I started feeling the blasted heat hitting me again. Soon after, I met Dillon. With instant chemistry between us, I made love with him. When I saw you this morning, Conner, I had been determined to tell you I met someone and let you down easy. Once you touched my hand, I knew I was hopelessly lost.”
Conner leaned forward and took her hand. “I’m sorry I ran away this morning. I saw the air symbol on your wall and knew my brother had been with you. It’s a long story, but I ra
n away in anger and frustration, when I should have stayed and talked to you. I realized I hurt you, and I’m deeply sorry for my actions. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Forgive you? There’s nothing to forgive. I thought you two would hate me after what I’ve done.”
“Hate you?” Dillon chimed in. “No, I think we’re leaning the opposite way on the emotions scale. Skye, we both want you, and feel terrible we’re putting you in a position where you have to choose. We don’t need an answer right away, but we both feel as if you’re our mate and neither one of us is willing to give you up.”
“How can I choose one of you over the other? I can’t believe this is happening.”
Chapter Seven
Skye glanced into their seemingly determined faces. They forgive me, but what do I do now?
“I’m sorry, Skye. I don’t think what I’m saying is coming out quite right. I’m not terribly gifted with expressing myself, like Conner is.” Dillon ran his fingers through his short hair in apparent frustration. Taking a deep breath, he gazed into her eyes and said, “I’d like to show you how I feel instead.”
Rising from the chair, Dillon strode across the hardwood floor to Skye, knelt in front of her, parted her legs, and wedged himself in between their warmth. Her heart raced with anticipation, and her mouth hungered to taste his lips. Lowering his head to hers, he overpowered her petite frame, pushing her back against the couch. Gently, he placed his lips on hers, his kiss tasting like sweet citrus. With the intensity of their kiss growing rapidly, a burning desire brewed inside of her. Still holding on to Conner’s hand, she squeezed it, hoping he would understand the intimacy happening before him.
Edging closer to her side, Conner reached out and delicately touched her breast. Gasping in shock, Skye pulled away from Dillon’s lips. “What are we doing?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we’re fighting for you, and trying to show you how much you mean to us, at the same time. We’ll stop if you want us to, but I think Dillon and I can agree to accept whatever happens. Please, give us a chance.”