Enchanting Wilder

by Cassie Graham

  I clear my throat, covering myself with my arms. I know he doesn’t really want me, or want a relationship, but I at least like him being around. I thought he felt the same. Sure, the kissing is a great plus, but maybe he just doesn’t want to be around me.

  “Me being here, I mean. I should probably leave and come back in the morning.”

  My nose twitches and I look down at my legs. Okay, so I was right. This is why I don’t open myself up to anyone.

  “It’s just safer for both of us,” Declan continues. “It’s so complicated, McKenna.” He uses my real name, not my nickname. I don’t know why that bothers me so much.

  I nod, fighting the sting in my eyes. It’s so stupid, I don’t want to cry.

  He takes hold of my hand, forcing the grip I have on my middle to loosen. “Hey, it’s for the best. You don’t want what I have to offer. Everyone is against us even being in the same room.”

  I scoff. “What?”

  “Sally can’t be okay with this,” he says. “Wood even said it’s a bad idea. What are we doing?”

  I grit my teeth. We’ve both said this so many times since we met. What are we doing?

  I don’t freaking know.

  “Why does it matter, Declan?” I say, getting agitated at our back and forth struggle. “Why can’t we just do what we want? Sally doesn’t have an opinion, honestly. She’s got some prejudice against Pursuers, but she’s not going to openly stop me from living my life. She trusts my judgment.” Though, I’m starting to question it myself. “Why are we allowing people to to dictate who we want to spend time with? I like you. I like spending time with you. That’s it. And as for Wood, that’s your deal. He’s your brother. I don’t want to get in the middle of that. And I don’t want to take you away from your responsibilities. So if I’m doing that, by all means, leave. But if you’re leaving because of what other people want us to do, then that’s bullshit.”

  He rubs his lips together, his eyes watching me even more closely now. “You’re something else, you know that?” A sly smirk tugs at his lips. “You’re right.”

  My eyes go wide. “I…I am?”

  He nods slow, inching toward me. He looks hungry. Predatory, even. He blinks hastily as my lips part, desire shooting through my entire body. The electrical pull palpable. My body hums for him. All worries out the window.

  Declan’s hand skirts down my back to cup my ass and I move my hands up his body, desperate to feel every inch of him. Our bodies align, my legs on both sides of his hips. He grinds against me and I crash my mouth to his. He combs his hand through my hair and twirls the tendrils in his fingers. His mouth, hot and needy against mine, brings out something feral in me. Moving my hands from his shoulders, I claw at the hem of his shirt and quickly discard it as we break apart, awestruck at the sight in front of me. His tight, tan skin, and slight outline of abs. Oh—the abs. My hands skirt over his stomach, loving the way he feels under my fingertips. He jolts slightly when I touch his side, ticklish, and I giggle to find something so silly affect him so much.

  I can’t help but admire him as he lies down on his back. Unlike every other man I’ve been with, as I take note of his amazing body. He doesn’t get cocky because I clearly like what I see—full of himself. Instead, he watches me closely, almost as if he’s studying me, too.

  His scrutiny makes my pulse quicken and my body clench in anticipation. Without a thought, every single candle in my room illuminates, and both Declan and I look around. He looks in wonder and I’m just plain confused. How did I do that? My eyes squint, but I don’t take much thought and blow it off.

  My eyes slowly move back to Declan and he clenches my hips, taking note of where we are almost connected. His eyes zone in on us. Us.

  Gliding his hand under my shirt, his soft touch sends shivers all over my skin, igniting a fire deep within me. A vigor I didn’t know I had. Declan sits up, my body moving with his. He slowly peels my shirt up and over my head, tossing it aside with a smirk. His hand skims up my spine to the back of my neck, his beautiful eyes never leaving mine. They bore into my soul.

  He brings his mouth to mine and the moment we connect, a flash of electricity jolts between us. I don’t mean it in the metaphorical sense of the word, I mean literally, a spark glimmers between our lips. It doesn’t hurt, and, as a matter of fact, it feels—amazing. Like, he branded me in a way I didn’t think I could be. I pull back with a jerk, puzzled, my breathing chaotic. That’s never happened before. Declan’s eyebrows wrinkle and his other hand makes its way to my face. Slowly, he brings his mouth to mine again. Softly, our lips meet, and this time, the electricity is still there, just not as grand. The flash doesn’t light up the room like it did, but the flicker still sizzles. In a way, it adds to our experience. My magic is somehow working its way into this part of my life, and I don’t know if I care. My hands pull on his body as his tongue lightly teases my lips. I groan in response.

  His hold tightens, fervent and needy. His scruff scratches against my sensitive skin and I revel in the feeling—welcoming it. My every thought consumed by Declan. Only Declan.

  In one swift motion, he flips me around and sets me down gently on my back, his eyes lighting up when he takes full sight of me. I hope I look lustful. Sweet God—I hope I look desirable. Eyes big, mouth parted, cheeks flushed. And not at all porn-like.

  My legs part and Declan makes his way in between. Good merciful God…he looks downright sinful. With his determined eyes, lustful grin and intense gaze, he could melt the rest of my clothes off using his stare alone. Slowly, he moves his hands to the button of my jeans. When they’re unclasped, he takes his time spreading the fabric apart, inching the denim down my legs, his fingers trailing hot with them. Next goes my underwear and I think I might have blacked out. He did it so quickly, I don’t think my brain registered it.

  My entire body shutters under him and he bites his lip as he watches me come undone with just his touch.

  Crawling up my body, he kisses the insides of my legs, taking his time with every inch. I clench in want. Our breathing magnifies in my tiny room and I wonder if he can hear me. Something makes a cracking noise in the back of my mind, but I don’t dare break my concentration.

  “Excited, are you, Mighty?” he pants against my skin and I break out in goose bumps, mumbling an intelligible response. He doesn’t need to know the humiliating amount of time it’s been since I’ve been with a man.

  He laughs low. “That’s my girl.”

  I close my eyes and my head falls to the side as he gets closer to my center. He kisses the inside of my thigh and up to my hipbone. My hands circle light patterns on his back and he sighs contentedly. His body completely relaxes and I rejoice in the fact I was able to do that to him. He trails his nose up my stomach, up to my neck; letting his lips fall on my erratically thumping pulse. I lightly grip his head, combing my hands through his hair.

  When his lips finally meet mine, that’s all it takes. I claw and grab at his body, the utter longing overwhelming me. The need to be closer—the need to be one with him is almost too much. His soft lips demand mine and I give into him with unabashed return.

  I break apart from him and do my best to unbuckle his pants, shoving them as far down his legs as I can before he kicks them off. To say I’m pleased with what I see would be the understatement of the year—the millennia. Commando has never looked so damn sexy.

  His eyes, so incredibly passionate, they tell me stories. They promise things he has yet to say. My heart starts to flutter and my breath quickens knowing I’m his—at least for now.

  Anchoring my hands on his arms, he moves down toward me, his middle meeting mine. When we’re finally skin on skin, so close, my nerve ends tingle and my toes curl. I shut my eyes with such force, my skin prickles. The perfect feeling. Unadulterated.

  God, McKenna, get a grip.

  Then I open my eyes and take a good look at him with his beautiful eyes, the slight smile on his face and his strong will. His perfectly sculpted body
and the way he holds himself is so sure and so full of passion. Even the way he worships my body. I know getting a grip is the furthest thing on my to-do list. It’s somewhere near the end, close to being force-fed brussel sprouts.

  He makes me feel uninhibited. Wanton. I’ve never felt such a thing. So, instead of pulling back on the reins and being cautious like I normally would, I decide to throw caution to the wind and live. Live with him. Live for this moment. Live for this feeling.

  Just as he’s about to enter me, he brings his mouth close to my ear. “How is this for passion?”

  I grip his arms tenser. My nails dig in and I move my hips up toward him, but then bring them back down.

  “Don’t be afraid, Mighty,” he encourages and I whine.

  Afraid of what? All I can think about is his scent, and the way it embraces me. Clean linen and earth. God, it’s a remarkable smell.

  He laughs and nibbles on my ear, catching my lobe in his teeth, pulling at it. “I’ll take that for now.”

  Then, he finally pushes his way into me, and I whimper, finally feeling whole.

  Afraid? Hell no.

  “How on Earth did my mirror crack?” McKenna cranes her neck to look at the broken mirror above her vanity. Her erratic breathing has finally subsided, but she still looks like some sort of siren sex goddess with her flushed cheeks, red lips and messy hair.

  I rub her back lightly with the tips of my fingers and laugh. “No clue. I didn’t hear it.”

  She shakes her head against my chest and nuzzles into me more. “Me either. How is that even possible?”

  I shrug my shoulder and kiss the top of her head. “It is odd, isn’t it? That’s never happened before?”

  She looks up at me and blushes, staying quiet.

  “What?”

  She laughs and pats my stomach. “You’re the first guy I’ve ever had in here.”

  A cough breaks from my throat and my hand stills. My mind races with possibilities as to why I’m the only one, and my first, irrational question flies out of my mouth before I can stop it. “You’re a virgin?” The words come out like a raspy, sand riddle, gurgle.

  “Oh my God,” she says, laughing—almost cackling. “No.” She stops laughing, seeing the trouble expression I have on my face. “No. Definitely not. It’s just, sex has never affected my magic—or vise versa.”

  I swallow and look to the window, the sun getting ready to rise in the sky. “Then, why me?”

  Her head tilts and she blinks, either unsure of how to respond or debating whether to answer at all. Wisps of hair blow in her face from the ceiling fan above us and I push them away, still in awe of her beauty. As she’s about to open her mouth, a loud bang radiates from the shop downstairs, rumbling the floorboards underneath the bed.

  “What was that?” she asks in a worried voice, eyes wide in concern.

  I squeeze her arm and move my way off the bed, grabbing my jeans from the floor. Shoving my feet into the denim, another clang sounds from downstairs. I quickly pick up my boots and slide them on my feet, not bothering with the laces.

  “Go into the closet and close the door,” I demand with a stern look, pointing to the door on the other side of her room. There’s only one way up here and it’s by stairs. I know she’ll be safe in here. I won’t let anyone get past me. “Do not, by any circumstances, come out.” She stares at me, wide-eyed. “Understand?” I snap.

  She flinches ever so slightly, but rises from the bed and nods, grabbing clothes along the way.

  I rush to her, stopping the door right before it clicks shut. I’m met with furious eyes and a thin mouth. “I’m sorry.” I grab her face and kiss her with fierce emotion, conveying all the things I should be saying. My tongue slips in her mouth and she softens under my touch, pulling me close to her.

  Another sound resonates downstairs and I pull myself away, the kiss lasting only a few seconds.

  “Be careful.”

  As McKenna closes the door, her eyes catch mine and they say something, something I’m sure I want to know, but don’t have the time to decipher. When the door locks with a click, I run to my jacket and retrieve my gun, cocking it. Hoping the bullets I loaded in the clip are enough to hurt whatever is downstairs.

  With my back against the wall, I quickly aim my gun outside the door, into the hallway, and make a quick check of the empty space. It’s clear. As I make my way down the hall, the wood cracks underneath my feet, and I will it to be quiet. I check two more rooms, one I think is Candy’s, but they’re all without any presence.

  My eyes nervously scan the bottom floor from the top of the stairs, my heart thrashing with narcissistic excitement in my chest. Hunting is the best part of my job. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

  A black blur wizzes behind the table, and, had I blinked, I wouldn’t have caught it. It’s got to be a supernatural being because though it’s a blur, it’s got a humanlike quality. It’s just moving so quickly, I can’t see what exactly it is. It has legs, a head, arms, and feet. I squint to get a better look, but I come up short.

  My instinct kicks in and my body flies down the stairs, ready to fight the monster lurking down there. Again, the black blur whooshes around me, rustling my hair, and I fire my gun, only to miss it. A slight red catches my eye as it rushes past for the third time. Only now when I fire another shot, it clips the thing and it falls into a lump on the ground, screaming in pain.

  Breathing for the first time, I think, since I heard the clash, I take a step forward, my gun still aimed at the creature. It shrills a high-pitched noise, grabbing at its leg and whips its head toward me, red eyes blazed with fury. The demonic man staring at me with hatred doesn’t calm my anxiety at all, but at least I have the upper hand. His teeth snarl, but he stays put on the floor, deep maroon blood seeping from his leg.

  It takes me a moment to get my bearings, but the second I realize he’s got red eyes like the demon in my dream, I cock my gun again.

  “What are you doing?” he seethes, closing his eyes in discomfort. “I’m here to help, you heathen.”

  My eyes narrow and I step toward the man, struck odd by its use of language. Able to get a good look at him, he’s definitely a demon, but maybe something else?

  Unlike any demon I’ve seen before, his face is—oh God—it’s almost beautiful. It feels weird to say that about another man. But there’s no other way to describe him. He’s got high cheek bones and perfectly styled strawberry blonde hair. Dressed in all black, he looks like he takes care of himself. Showers and keeps clean. Nothing like any other demons I’ve seen. The light dusting of freckles on his face make him appear youthful but his red eyes cancel out that notion. I shake my head. “What the hell does that mean? Who are you?”

  He swallows and sits up, uttering something under his breath. I hold my stance, not allowing it to go any farther. “My name is Kai. I’m from Beneath, and I’m here to help you.” He stands up, his hands in front of him in surrender, his tall body towering over me a good five inches. “Listen, there isn’t much time,” he pauses to fully stand on his injured leg. It’s then I notice the gunshot wound has healed and the ripped black denim from the bullet has somehow mended itself. Wood bullets don’t do a lot of damage, but it definitely wounds.

  My brows furrow. I’m stunned, but more than anything, ready for him to lunge. That’s what monsters do. They wait for their opportunity and go for the kill. I’m out of my element, here. I place my hand on the trigger and take a good look at his disconcerting red eyes. The iris glows ruddy and his black pupils dilate.

  “What are you?” I ask, feeling a little out of breath.

  He puts his hands up in submission and takes a deep lungful of air. “I’m a Thayan.”

  That word doesn’t mean anything to me. “Explain.”

  He huffs. “I’m a demon, but not just any run of the mill demon. Thayans are demons morphed into other things. Bred, I guess is the better word.” He moves his hand to wipe the sweat away from his forehead and my eyes widen
, cautious as to what he might do. “I’m not going to attack,” he promises, knowing the thoughts running rampant through my mind. “I’m a demon and a witch.”

  That information doesn’t put me any less on edge.

  “Yes, I’m a Thayan, and yes, I was made to destroy just like the others, but look?” He gestures around us. “I’m merely here to help.”

  “Then what were you doing down here?”

  He moves his hand to his front pocket and I step forward, the gun making a clanging noise as I move closer to him.

  “It’s just a prepared spell.”

  My eyes zero in on the little leather bag in his hand. “Why? What’s inside?”

  His mouth turns to the side. “The skull of a bird, a couple of dead men’s teeth and lavender.”

  “You’re cloaking us,” McKenna says from the stairway, her voice echoing in the space around us.

  “Go back upstairs, McKenna,” I urge, not taking my eyes away from Kai. What the hell happened to her staying in the damn closet?

  “No,” Kai blurts. “Don’t go. You’re the reason I’m here.” He steps toward the empty space between him and McKenna, but I block him. “I’ll stay still. Sorry. But, I’m here because there’s a movement going on in Beneath and I felt the need to warn you. As well as offer my assistance.”

  McKenna huffs, and I break my eye contact with Kai to look at her.

  “Why would we trust you?” she questions, her arms folded over her shirt now. Her eyes settle on me for a moment and she pleads with me to understand her reasoning for not listening to me. I nod and turn my attention back to the demon, witch…thing. Thayan dude. Christ, this is a whole new level of weird for me.

  Kai’s unruly eyes soften. “You do remember me, don’t you?”

  McKenna’s mouth falls open and she shakes her head, unbelieving. “From my dream?”

  Kai nods.

  “I do remember you. How did you do that?” She looks to me with concern. “Were you in Declan’s dream, too?”