by Marie Mason
She’d seen the slight wave of her mother’s hand over the champagne flute before she’d taken it from the tray and handed it to Amber, but had thought nothing of it at the time. Not every hand gesture by a witch was a potential act of magic. But after seeing Amber making her way through the crowd on less than steady legs…Her mother was mischievous. And slightly devious. She hadn’t risen to the head of the coven by being a good witch all of the time.
Ruth shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of the champagne in her hand, grimacing slightly. It had warmed considerably. She blew across the top of the glass, chilling the liquid. Just a little trick she had picked up over the years. “I might have added a little pixie dust to her drink. That’s all.” Pixie dust had a tendency to decrease one’s sexual inhibitions. And play havoc with a witch’s intuition. Amber wouldn’t know the wolf was her mate until it was all over but the wedding.
“Mother!”
“Her mate is here, Maggie. Did you want her to turn broom and run? Cause that was what she was about to do.”
Ruth tried not to laugh as her daughter sputtered, trying to answer back. That had taken the wind right out of her sails.
“A mate?”
“Yes, dear. A mate. Her mate.”
A beautiful smile spread across Maggie’s face and she clapped in excitement. “Which one? Where is he?” Her head whipped around, trying to find Amber’s future husband.
There was so much sexual tension in the room, unless she had a flash of insight, Maggie wouldn’t be able to tell which male was meant for Amber. Until they mated. Ruth’s gaze was drawn to the balcony hidden in the shadows above the room. A secret smile curved her lips. If she wasn’t mistaken, Christmas was going to be a magical time for two Jones’ witches.
“Momma, you have to tell me.”
“I believe that is him right there.” Both women turned to see the tall, muscular man, making his way smoothly, but insistently, through the crowd. Sensing the commanding presence, the bodies parted as he approached. “On the hunt, if I’m not mistaken.”
Hayden loosened the knot on his bowtie as he followed his mate. He had no need to exert his alpha power, the people parted for him as he strode through the crowd. He automatically returned the greetings called out to him, but didn’t stop. His wolf was on the hunt. He took another deep breath, quickly isolating her fragrance.
She smelled of water and earth. And a sharp, spicy scent that reminded him of a fire burning clean and bright. Mmm, what exactly were his little mate’s powers? He knew she was a witch because her magic called to his wolf. He’d never seen her before, which wasn’t strange considering he’d attended only a handful of these balls over the years, much to his father’s regret.
And his now.
But he’d been too young, too foolish to take a mate and make her happy. Now, well hell, now he had no choice. His wolf was tugging hard at the leash he’d put around it years ago, trying to get free and follow its mate. He frowned when she stumbled again, this time bumping into a wolf from another pack. Any single supernatural who wanted to attend the Holiday Ball could. But the shifters were more interested in finding mates than anyone else and right now there were too many horny wolves running around for Hayden’s liking.
Just as the other wolf was about to take his mate into his arms, Hayden put on a burst of supernatural speed, arriving before the wolf could do much more than touch her shoulders.
“I’ve got this, Kade.” He couldn’t help the snarl that escaped as he snatched his mate from the rival alpha.
Kade Townsend, stepped back, his hands raised as if to ward off any misunderstanding. “My bad.”
Once Hayden had calmed down, Kade stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. And grinned like a fool. The woman who had the two wolves about to fight over her like a Christmas ham bone, snuggled against Hayden and caused the other man to moan and push her away slightly. For the first time that night, Kade actually felt like smiling. Hayden’s balls had to be ready to burst if the pheromones permeating the air were anything to go by.
“Hey, if you don’t want her, I’ll gladly take her off your hands.”
“Leave.” The command was uttered by an alpha and most wolves would have had very little choice but to obey. Since Kade was also a natural born alpha, the power behind the word had very little effect.
“We both know you’re a player, Barringer. Don’t forget what’s most important.”
Hayden gazed down at the woman he held in his arms. Under the twinkling lights, her skin looked as if it was being kissed by a thousand fairies. “I was a player, Townsend.” He shifted his gaze back to the other wolf. “Now, leave,” he snapped, his wolf riding the surface of his control.
With a nod, and one last smirk, Kade turned back into the crowd, using his alpha power to steer anyone away who might interfere with Hayden and his new mate. Hayden stored the gesture away, hoping he might one day repay the other alpha. Right now, the most important thing was getting to know his mate. Well, and fucking her.
“You smell like Christmas cookies.” A pair of bright blue eyes stared up at him. He didn’t know whether he should laugh or groan. He was just glad Kade had left before she’d spoken. What alpha wanted to be compared to sugar cookies?
He stroked the midnight blue hair away from her face. Her alabaster skin was almost transparent in its paleness. “No, babe, I think that’s you.”
As soon as the stranger spoke, all of Amber’s senses came alive. Especially her pussy. “It’s you!”
“I do not smell like vanilla.”
If she’d been a little more sober—what the heck was going on with that anyway?—she might have smiled at the affronted tone in his voice. She made a grab at the lapels of his suit to steady herself. The feel of his chest distracted her. The muscles beneath her hands flexed and the buttons on his shirt strained as if trying to contain all that male goodness.
Okay, she had lost her train of thought. But who wouldn’t when you had your hands on such a fine specimen of a wolf?
Wolf. Ball. Yeah, that was it. She shook her head, swearing she saw blue sparkles when she did. “You’re the one who was talking inside my head. You’re not supposed to be able to do that.”
“Says who?” Again, that smooth velvet voice that dampened her panties.
“I, um.” She tried to pull away and he allowed it. A little. She found herself standing in the circle of his arms, his hold supporting her. Heck, why were her legs so wobbly? She looked around, trying desperately to locate her mother or grandmother. Anyone she knew.
The man’s beautiful brown eyes narrowed as if he guessed she wanted to run. The intense expression on his face made her pussy weep. God, he was beautiful. Her knees weakened again.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you someplace more comfortable.” He swung her up in his arms and was striding out of the ballroom before she could say boo. The motion made her dizzy and her arms twined around his neck. For someone so short, being up so high was a unique experience. He was at least six-four, which put him a head taller than her five-five frame. The room whirled a little as he moved and she saw sparkles of blue once again.
She couldn’t stop herself from trailing her fingers along the broad expanse of his shoulders. He was so big. His arms bulged against the fabric of his suit. First, the buttons of his shirt and now this. Would she get lucky and his clothes just pop right off him? No doubt, he was used to it. He was a wolf after all, stripping and shifting in front of his pack mates was the norm.
She was the one who had issues with being naked.
Thinking of that, she realized he was carrying her as if she weighed next-to-nothing. But that still didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt himself. “You better put me down now.”
He didn’t stop his ground-eating strides, but did focus all his attention on her. Before, he had been staring straight ahead as if marching into battle. “Why, are you feeling ill?”
She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. Sh
e wished she could enjoy this lovely interlude, but she knew it would end even before it really ever begun. “No, but you’re going to hurt yourself, carrying me like this.”
A deep rumble sounded beneath her ear and she realized he was laughing.
“What, you’re afraid to admit you’re not such a big, bad wolf and can’t carry me very far?”
The man jerked to a sudden stop, his arms closing around her with a bruising force.
His eyes that had once been a deep, chocolate brown flared with a beautiful gold color. She’d never seen that color in a wolf’s eyes before.
He lowered his head until he was looking directly into her eyes, his breath a moist sensation against her mouth. “Don’t. Ever. Challenge. A wolf.”
As she stared into the swirling mist of brown and gold, she felt a tug inside her. He growled and her insides turned to liquid. She thought for a moment he was going to kiss her. Instead, he continued through the archway at the back of the ballroom and into the spacious foyer.
This part of the large mansion also resembled a winter landscape. He was moving so quickly, she only got a vague sense of snowflakes, white fir trees, and blue twinkling lights. Wait, she didn’t think those were part of the decorations. But what were they?
“Can I ask where we’re going?”
“Upstairs.”
“Oh, is it that kind of party?” She licked her lips. She’d never been to one, but she’d heard stories of the sex parties wolves liked to throw. And The Holiday Ball was probably the biggest of them all.
He took the stairs two at a time, swiftly navigating the circular staircase. She grew dizzy again as they moved. The embossed wallpaper seemed to be swirling around them in a silvery haze. Why the heck was she so tipsy after only two glasses of champagne? Or had it been three?
When they neared the top of the staircase, the wolf slowed as he looked down at her. “Would you mind if it was that kind of a party?”
He was so handsome. And big. She ran her hands over the tops of his broad shoulders. She’d said and done that before, hadn’t she? She wanted to lick him all over, starting with the strong, tanned column of his throat. “Not if I’m with you.”
He let out a growl so loud it sounded like a howl. It did echo off the walls and she was positive everyone downstairs had heard it. Any other time she would have winced, imagining what others would think if they had seen her leave the ballroom with this man.
But not this time.
This time the goody-good witch was ready for some adventure.
His arms tightened and they were moving again. At the end of the hallway was a large wooden door. It blended perfectly with the simplistic décor. As they got closer, she saw the exquisite carvings of wolves on the door and on the wood trim surrounding it. Wolves, witches, and if she wasn’t mistaken a pixie or two. And lots and lots of flowering plants. She loved flowers. Taking another long glance at the man carrying her, she thought it wouldn’t be long before she loved wolves just as much.
Wanting to show off just a little, she moved her hand and the door swung slowly open.
He smiled down at her. “Nice.”
She smiled back, pleased that he liked her powers.
He strode into the room and shut the door with a kick of his foot. The room was just as gorgeous as the rest of the house. The dark blue, green, and brown hues of the carpet, curtains, and bedding reminded her of the deep recesses of a forest. He stopped near the foot of the bed and eased her from his arms and onto her feet. Her hip grazed the hard ridge of his cock under his zipper and she gasped.
“That’s all you, baby,” he grinned, pressing into her soft flesh. He still held her by her arms as if he was afraid she would bolt at any minute. Which was exactly what she was thinking she should do.
The dizziness was passing quickly, but she still didn’t know if she was in her right mind or not. She’d just allowed a man—no, a big, bad wolf—to carry her away. Willingly allowed him to carry her away. Because of her lineage, she was a witch of considerable power and could have stopped him at any time, even if she was slightly inebriated. But she hadn’t wanted to. Which was totally out of character for Amber. She did not have hot, passionate flings with sexy wolves.
She put her hands against the hard planes of his chest and pushed. He didn’t move. There were only two reasons why a wolf would carry a witch away at this type of party. Hot, sweaty sex—or he believed she was his mate. Nothing had registered on her witchy radar, so that meant he was just a horny wolf. She was disappointed, but the throbbing between her legs told her it wasn’t such a bad thing to be desired by such a sexy wolf. But they had to get one thing straight. “We are not mates.”
“We’re not.” His easy acceptance of her statement made her heart dip down into her stomach. Not that she’d wanted to find her mate. Who wanted a bossy, chauvinistic wolf making her life miserable? Certainly not her. And who wanted a plain, chunky, unextraordinary witch?
“That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves.” He jerked her forward, closed the distance between them and trapped her hands against his chest. Her fingers curled around the lapels of his jacket again. The material was rich and lush, a sure sign of his wealth. Or a good rental company. She licked her lips. What was she doing?
Kissing me.
Again with the mental talking. She knew first hand that some supernatural powers were as good at being able to read minds—insert her grandmother’s powers here. But she’d never heard of actually being able to hold a conversation with someone in your head.
Even if he could read her emotions like her grandmother, this shouldn’t be happening. Her shields were in place. It was like second nature for her to block such attempts.
Before Amber could ask him how he was talking in her head, his mouth was on hers, and she really didn’t care anymore. She whimpered at the touch, her knees buckling beneath her. Holy guacamole, the man was lethal. Devour was the only word she could use to describe what he was doing to her mouth. His tongue thrust in and out, tasting and sharing. Cause, oh yeah, she was tasting him. Spicy heat. When he retreated, she followed him like an obedient slave. He sucked her tongue deep into his mouth, scraping his teeth against the tender surface before breaking off the kiss.
“Fuck, you taste sweet, baby.” He pulled her arms around his neck before thrusting his hand beneath the skirt of her dress, pushing the fabric aside. His gaze held hers as he found her heated center. “But not as sweet as here I bet.”
She groaned when his finger skimmed across the damp fabric of her panties. Her pussy had been weeping since he’d appeared at her side.
“Do you want me to taste you there, mate?”
“I do…oh, how I do.” Amber couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. Or the other ones she wanted to say to him.
Please, lick my pussy. Take me with that big, hard cock of yours.
Shit. Where had that come from? Her head jerked up. Had he heard?
Hayden had to bite his bottom lip to keep from grinning at her innocence. If it embarrassed her to just think of him eating her out, how was she going to react when he plunged his tongue deep into her wet hole?
The only thing he was upset about was her apparent confusion that they weren’t mates—and thinking she was anything but extraordinary. And her curves? She had him panting like a lapdog, wanting to get as close to her as possible. Such negative thoughts by his mate called for a dose of domestic discipline. A few times over his lap, his hand heating up her generous ass and those doubts would soon disappear.
He turned his face and buried it against her throat, his mouth finding the shell of her ear. His finger continued to stroke her through the satin of her panties. “You are so damn wet, baby. I’ll slide in so easily.”
He took one of her hands and lowered it to the front of his pants, pressing her palm against the zipper. He forced her to stroke him. Hard. He moaned at the touch. “You’ll take me. You’ll take all of this with just one stroke.”
Hayden�
�s touch on her slit turned rough. Jerking hard, he tore her panties away and fell to his knees. “Wider. Spread your legs wider.” When she failed to obey quickly enough, he landed a sharp slap on the inside of her right thigh, than her left. Immediately, her legs parted, something inside her needing to obey.
Cool air struck her wet snatch like a blow but it was nothing compared to the touch of his tongue. Her hands grabbed his shoulders. She didn’t shave completely. The lips of her sex were smooth and bare, but she left brown curls on her mound. He used his thumbs to reveal the little bud at the top of her pussy. “Fuck, mate, you are so beautiful.”
Nostrils flaring he caught the desperate, hungry smell of her arousal.
Amber shivered from the touch of the cool air, the wetness of his tongue, and the reverence of his words. No man had ever called her body beautiful. He encircled her clit with his lips and sucked, gently, until the bud blossomed, growing bigger from his erotic attention. His touch hardened, his mouth continuing to suck greedily. “Come for me.”
His voice vibrated along his lips and tongue and Amber’s world exploded around her. The sensations were so intense she would have landed on her ass if he hadn’t caught her. She felt like a newborn kitten, her senses on overload. The silk of the comforter felt cool against her back as he placed her on the bed.
The wolf stood above her, his chest heaving as though he’d run a hundred miles. He was still fully dressed, his dark blue suit seeming to strain even more over his bulging muscles. Was he bigger than before, or was it just her imagination? A by-product of the mind shattering orgasm she had just experienced?
She saw a satisfied grin on his lips and realized he was still reading her thoughts. Damn cocky wolf was proud he’d been the first to give her such intense pleasure. She lowered her gaze to the front of his pants. His cock pushed against the fabric, tenting it even in the confined space. She wondered what it would feel like when he made her come using that instead of his tongue.
He still looked immaculate, as if he hadn’t just licked her to completion. Well, except for the moisture glistening on his lips and around his mouth. That was from her. Her pussy. Her juices. Her cum. He bent down and kissed her, transferring the taste of her desire from his lips to hers. The kiss didn’t last very long and he was once again standing, towering over her. With quick, efficient movements, he undressed. First, he took off his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Next, his fingers worked the gold cuff links she’d seen shimmering in the light as he’d pleasured her. He loosened his tie and undid the buttons of his shirt. The erotic play of the washboard muscles of his stomach hypnotized her. He pulled off his tie and tossed it toward the head of the bed and grinned. “We might need that later.”