CHAPTER FOUR
Viktor swallowed down a grimace at Malcolm’s cheesy line. Malcolm swaggered toward the front desk. The hellhound’s heavy tread across the floor sounded as if doom trailed after him.
Mysta hadn’t backed down despite his called-out warning. She widened her stance, her front leg bent. Her hands were up, and her fingernails curled into claws. No emotion showed on her face.
Please, goddess, if you’ve ever heard me, hear me now, and let this be peaceful. He sent the thought to the goddess hoping she would hear his plea.
“Mal.” He nodded at Mal, hoping his friend would get the hint not to go into attack mode. He could feel Mysta’s unease shiver in the air and could taste the tang of fear and sweat. She eyed Malcolm like a snake eyeing prey or a possible enemy. He wanted to kick Malcolm out, send him home, but he doubted Mal would go.
Malcolm put the six-pack on the front desk with a thud followed by his messenger bag.
“Vik. Who’s this lovely woman?” Mal showed no sign of fear or wariness. He blinked, bringing attention to his long dark lashes.
Viktor rolled his eyes. “Mys, this is Malcolm. Mal this is Mysta, my ex- girlfriend.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t extend her hand. A few tense seconds passed as she continued to stare at Mal. Viktor sent up another prayer. Mal, much to his credit, didn’t look away.
She glanced toward Viktor who shook his head and held up a hand to stop her. She changed back, but her nails remained clawlike. Her shoulders relaxed a minute fraction of an inch. She reached out for her glass and took a sip of wine, then held out her hand. Her frown hadn’t gone away, though.
Malcolm brought her hand to his lips and gave her a slow kiss on her knuckles, not breaking eye contact. She let out a soft hiss but didn’t slap him.
Viktor let out a low growl. “Mal, don’t push it.”
Malcolm turned his head but didn’t let go of Mysta’s hand. “What? I’m an appreciator of beauty, and I’m not pushing anything or anyone.”
Mysta snorted and took back her hand. “Laying it on thick, aren’t we?” She sniffed the air. “You could use a new cologne. Eau de Brimstone isn’t attractive up close and personal.”
Viktor beamed. “That’s my girl.”
“Not your girl.” She rolled her eyes.
“We’re mates,” Viktor answered.
“Stop saying that. Anyway, what’s this about a board game?”
Mal answered her. “Drunken D&D on Halloween. Tradition began last year when we were bored, and I needed a friend.” Malcolm opened up his knapsack and took out the book, the dice, and the board. Mischief sparked in his eyes. “Although, now I’m beginning to wonder if there’s another way to play the game.”
Viktor’s stomach churned. “Uh, no. Your ideas could land us behind bars or worse. No.”
Mysta snorted. “And you say I’m bad?”
He coughed and muttered, “Drink your wine.”
“Someone’s got something to hide.” Her plush lips turned up into a smile. The gesture lit him up from the top of his head to his toes.
“How about this. We roll the dice and let fate decide what we do? Truth or Dare with dice rather than cards or a bottle?” Malcolm placed the bottle on the end of the counter and used the edge to pry open the top. Viktor winced. Thank the goddess Shevon wasn’t here. She’d flay him alive and make herself a hellhound jacket.
He turned his friend’s suggestion over in his mind. It had some merit but only if Mysta agreed to play along. He focused on her.
“What are the rules?” She shifted on her stool. He could taste her suspicion.
Malcolm scrubbed a hand over his face. “One, you have to roll, and depending on the number you get you have to either answer a question or do shots.” He pulled a bottle of cheap vodka out of his bag.
“Christ, do you want to kill me or get me so shit-faced I forget my name?” Viktor couldn’t imagine drinking beer and vodka together. Not in this lifetime anyway.
“Nope, the vodka was for me, but now I figure to put it to good use. The shots are punishment for not answering, and the alcohol is there to loosen you up.” He caressed the bottle with one hand.
“So, this is just a game? And we can bail anytime we want?” Caution filled Mysta’s tone.
Mal glanced over at Viktor, who gave him an inscrutable look, and then shrugged. “Yup. Things get too hot, love, you can pass or just leave, no consequences.”
“Afraid of being too revealing?” Viktor teased.
Mysta’s eyes hardened with determination. She grabbed the dice and stood up. “Fine. Where to, boys?”
If he hadn’t been in love with her already, Viktor would’ve fallen for her right now. In the past she wouldn’t have taken the risk.
“How about right here on the floor?” Malcolm nodded toward the area close to the front desk.
Her features distorted into disgust. “I’m sure the floor is clean, but I’m not going to sit down on it and have my ass fall asleep. How about the earth magic section? There’s a plush rug there. Much more comfortable.” She tossed a die up and down for a few seconds, then stopped and stared at Viktor.
Any trepidation had faded away. Viktor peeked over at Malcolm.
Mal shrugged. “Yeah, sure, wherever. But first, Vik, I need to talk to you.”
Malcolm didn’t let Viktor protest. He took his arm and led him away past the Earth magics section to the shifter section a few aisles down.
“What?” Viktor tried to wrench his arm free.
Mal’s steel grip held him fast. “Vik, you told me a lot about this woman. You need to relax. I can see how eager puppy you are. You’re all but panting after her,” Malcolm hissed.
Viktor cursed himself. “That obvious?”
Malcolm nodded.
Viktor swallowed down a lump of pain.
“Look, I get it. No need to explain. But I can see how much she means to you. I remember the stories, mate. All the times you came back to Arbor Town and we’d have a beer, and you’d tell me the deal with her. You have to keep your head. I can smell your lust. I can smell hers too, as well as her emotions. She’s hesitant, scared. Give her some breathing room, and you’ll be back in her good graces.”
“But I just… I want to know why she left me. Why without a word? We may have had a deal but—”
“Family issues? Threats? Anything could’ve happened. You don’t know it all, or do you?”
“No, my family knows not to touch her.” The words came out on a growl. If they had said anything to her… He couldn’t even finish the thought much less entertain it. Besides that, his people hadn’t cared about his relationship with Mysta. Her branch of the family succeeding had been all down to her.
“Maybe her people? Snake shifters don’t exactly like outsiders. Remind me about how you met.” Malcolm let go of Viktor’s arm.
“Persistence. I worked at a bookstore she would pass by back in Arbor town. She’d come in and I would talk to her, but she wouldn’t say anything until she broke down and told me to shut up.” He grinned.
Mal snorted. “Sounds about right. Thanks for telling me.”
“I told her I would if she’d allow me to take her to Oktoberfest.” He relaxed. “Beer led to kissing, kissing led to other things and dates. We even moved in together…”
“And you marked her?” The question was light, but there was something there. It weighed in, a yearning that tugged at Viktor’s emotions.
“Yes and no, I began the process but didn’t finish it.” Didn’t have time, he added in his mind.
“No good. Why do I smell others on her?” This time there was no emotion to the query.
“Every full moon she has to shed her skin and the old magic that clings to it, helps ground and renew her abilities. The process can be painful, so she needs to be distracted. Sex overloads her and allows her to channel her excess powers and dump them before they overwhelm her.” The old wounds were reopening as he explained it to Mal. “We’re tw
o weeks away from the full moon.”
Malcolm snorted. “No excuse.”
“It was just fun. There was no commitment, no strings. And the rule I told you about.” The night she’d left was fuzzy. All he could remember was her standing at the door, tears streaming down her face.
“What did you say before she left?”
Malcolm’s words rubbed him the wrong way. He hated thinking it had been something he’d said that had driven her away. “I told her she was my mate and she was pulling away from me because of her family. She’s from a long line of failed familiars. To put it short, she’s their bread and butter.” Bile sloshed around in his stomach.
To cover his emotions, he took a breath. “Enough about me. You okay?” They may have had a scheduled meeting for their D&D game tonight, but Vik worried about Malcolm. Dark circles smudged the skin under his eyes, and his face looked wan and drawn. A hellhound who wasn’t getting enough rest could make them sloppy, and a reputation for shoddy work could cost them bounty hunter and tracking jobs.
“The buildup of too much magic and nowhere to dump it along with my lack of rest is mucking me up. So your Mysta isn’t the only one in need of distraction. I was hoping to get drunk off my ass and pass out.” He gave him a huge grin, showing his extended canines.
“Won’t help, you need to find a witch or wizard to help you channel the magic properly.” Viktor hated lecturing Malcolm, but he’d learned enough from Mysta to know Mal was playing with fire.
“I know, but what witch would want to have a black magic familiar? I don’t know any.” Mal began walking back the way they’d come.
“Why don’t I ask Mysta if she can help you?” It was a long shot, but Viktor would try.
“If she knows a sexy, curvy witch who can help me, then I’m all for it.” Mal sighed. “Thanks, man. I want someone I actually like.”
Viktor had never understood the mystical practices that went into pairing witches and wizards with their familiars, only it could involve families.
“Worse thing you could have is for a witch or wizard and familiar to hate each other or reject each other. Or one party rejects the other. So many permutations could happen. Think of it like the mate idea.” Mal pushed his hands in his pockets. “There’s one witch and one familiar who are meant to be. Some exceptions can be made if the witch is powerful enough and can connect with more than one element. Or triumvirates that involve two shifter species and one witch or wizard. I’m telling you all this to show you just how lucky Mysta is to have ended up paired up with someone like Bridget.”
Viktor let the words sink in. “So, it would be an honor to be a familiar to say, Bridget Roseway?”
“Honor is putting it mildly. She’s the ideal of all familiars. Treats familiars as equals, gives us our say, lets us have a slice of the pie, and from the pictures I’ve seen of her online she’s one sexy, curvaceous treat I wouldn’t say no to unwrapping. Rumor has it the local vampire liege has set his cap for her. Just my luck.” Mal kicked at nothing but kept going. “Anyway, to be paired up with someone like that is every familiar’s dream, and the work is pretty interesting. You have to stay on your game because it means more work for you. The Roseway family, damn, all of them, amazingly gifted but they don’t put on airs or anything, unlike some of the old families.”
Viktor shuddered at the memory of how some of the high-up magical families treated his family and other shifters in Arbor Town. “I’ve seen so many witches treat their familiars like they’re beneath them.”
Viktor wondered why Mal wasn’t paired with anyone. Was he too picky or too ornery? Mal could be a pain in the ass, but bad enough that no one would take him?
“Yeah, well.” Mal shrugged, then grinned. “Anyway, my ideal is similar to Bridget, curves in all the right places, thicker of course, soft brown eyes, and sweet, naughty smile.”
“This is not a girlfriend. You’re not dating her or fucking her,” Viktor pointed out.
“Says you. Sex and magic wouldn’t be a bad thing and for a familiar. Fifty percent of the time it’s what happens. You work so intimately, share pieces of yourself and exchange gifts, so unless you’re not open sexually it’s bound to happen. Anyway, let’s get back to Mysta before she starts to wonder if we got lost or attacked by Shevon’s mini terror she calls a guard dragon.” Mal chuckled.
“You think I’m lying about that guard dragon. One day my friend.” Viktor led Mal toward the Earth magics area. Their footsteps thudded on the exposed wooden floor.
Mysta was curled up on a chair reading when they reached the section. While they had been gone, Mysta had set up the dice. Mugs and the bottles of vodka, beer, and wine sat on a table in between two overstuffed armchairs.
Malcolm strode forward and made himself comfortable in a wingback chair near Mysta. She glanced up and dog-eared a page but didn’t say anything, although she did eye Malcolm with a mix of curiosity and hesitation.
“You boys ready, or do you need more coffee talk? Maybe I could run out to Starbucks and get some lattes and cookies? I’ll have to risk not hexing a few people but hey, if you need more time?”
“That’ll get you a spanking.” Viktor teased.
Mysta narrowed her eyes at him. “Try it.” Her eyes flashed gold, the irises going vertical for a moment. Then they faded back to brown. Her irises became circular once more.
“As much as I’d love to watch this little lovefest go on and on we’ve got a game to play.” Malcolm picked up a beer and took a sip, then put the bottle down again. “So the rules: If you roll a low number you have to answer one question or take a shot. If you roll a high number you have to take a dare from the other two players or take a shot. Clear?”
“Crystal. I’ll go first.” Mal picked up the dice, shook them in his hands and held them up to Mysta. “A kiss for good luck?”
Mysta rolled her eyes. “Not in a million years. Throw the dice.”
“Party pooper.” Mal rolled a six.
Mysta and Viktor took their turns. Mysta ended up with a two and Viktor a five. Viktor grinned.
Things were looking up.
“Just get over with it already.” Mysta took a sip of her wine.
“Okay, you asked for it.” He paused, drawing out the moment.
She gritted her teeth.
“Did you move to Evenfall for Bridget and work or to get away from me?” Not too damaging a question, right?
CHAPTER FIVE
Mysta tried not to glare at Viktor. Of course he’d start somewhere near the painful part. “I moved because Bridget wanted to set things up without delay. She’d found a space for our business, and she’d already found the housing for us to live in. Besides we had an agreement, no strings.”
“And?” Viktor raised a pale brow, a small smile on his lips. Expectation showed in his eyes.
“And I wanted to leave. I didn’t want to risk changing my mind.”
There.
“Not good enough. Do you think that was the truth?” Viktor turned to Malcolm who stroked his index finger and thumb over the scruff on his chin.
“Nope. I think she should take a shot.” Malcolm’s eyes narrowed.
“Asshole. It is the truth. What kind of demon are you?” She folded her arms over her chest, ignoring how her nipples tightened under Viktor’s scrutiny.
“He’s a hellhound familiar, and you’re holding back.” Viktor leaned forward bringing his sexy scent with him. The smell made her toes curl and her body heat up.
“I am telling you everything.”
Viktor poured out a healthy dose of vodka. “You’re so cute when you lie by omission. What aren’t you telling me?”
“And me.” Malcolm took a pull on his beer and watched them with interest gleaming in his eyes.
Damn him. “Okay, fine. You were part of the reason why I left so fast.”
She waited for the hurt to appear on his face.
A satisfied smile curved on his lips, and he leaned back, body slumped in his seat. He loo
ked so sexy it hurt. Her hips bucked of their own accord. She swore and pushed herself back against the chair. Viktor’s grin grew until she could see the chip in his canine. The smile reminded her of the looks he threw at her after he made her come, after going down on her, or using his fingers.
To distract herself she reached out, grabbed the glass, and downed it. The buzz helped lessen some of her sexual tension, and the crisp, clear flavor cleansed her palette. Some of her stress faded. “My turn. Okay, I dare you to do the chicken dance.”
Humiliating and amusing at the same time, and she’d be the only one to know about it.
Viktor gave her a look. “That all?” He stood up and lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing the bottom row of his well-defined abs. A thick line of trimmed curls ran down the center drawing her attention to the fly of his jeans.
“Uh, what are you doing?” She was thankful she sounded coherent rather than slurring her words or stuttering.
“If I’m going to dance I want to be comfortable.” He pulled the top down his arms, revealing the ink work that formed a full sleeve right down to his wrist and his shoulder and chest, from what she could see.
Her brain short-circuited. Her gaze remained glued to him. Light blond hair dusted his torso, arrowing down to the ridges of his abdomen that vanished behind his waistband. A large Celtic knot tattoo worked up in green ink took up his entire left arm, shoulder, chest, and side. Images of trees, foxes, a crescent moon, and stars could be picked out, making the art seem more tapestry than a series of individual pictures.
“Holy shit!” The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.
“So you finally got that done, huh? Congrats.” Malcolm toasted him with his Guinness bottle.
The bastard had the audacity to turn around showing off his rounded muscular butt lovingly molded in denim. On his back, a blond fox with a white underbelly and a snake with similar coloring to Mysta were set in a forest under a full moon. It stole her breath away.
“Took a year to do it in between searching for you. Found a great tattoo artist in Star Wood Falls while I was temping on a construction crew. So, the chicken dance, huh? Let’s see if I remember the steps.” He moved.
Outfoxing Mysta Page 4