by Martha Woods
“I’m taking care of this family, aren’t I?”
“Yes, yes, that’s what I’m giving you credit for,” he said, trying to calm her down to keep her anger from getting reflected onto him. “You’re honestly pretty sexy in charge,” he complimented her, pressing a kiss on her shoulder blade.
Veronica gave him a sideways look. “Sexy, huh?” questioned, cocking a brow.
“Definitely,” he grinned. “You’re firm, you’re demanding, kind of a bitch,” he chuckled, earning a slap on the arm from her. “Overall, you really do care about the family. That’s something not all leaders can even say. Most just do it for the power and the glory. I’m proud to run this family with you. I love to see you thrive in passion, rather than sitting in a beach house somewhere, being a princess.”
“I miss my beach house,” she grumbled. Veronica was well aware of what he was doing. Morgan was complimenting her and flirting, trying to get her down from the mountain of rage she had built within herself—before she got too far gone and did something brash. All too easily, it was working. Veronica was a headstrong woman, and yet always was reduced to putty in Morgan’s hands. When he wasn’t pissing her off, that is.
“You know what I mean,” he pressed. “This new you is amazing to me. You know I’ve always loved you, but now I’m falling in love with you in new and different ways. I love seeing your passion, your commitment, your dedication…” He trailed off as he started kissing across her shoulder.
“Commitment and dedication are basically the same thing,” Veronica critiqued, though her eyes darkened in a lusty gaze as she watched him from the corner of her eye.
He looked up to the ceiling in thought as he kissed to the base of her neck. “You can be committed to something without being dedicated. You’re persistent, and fierce about that persistence… I happen to have a thing for fierce women,” he purred, craning his neck to nip at her ear as his hands pulled her bottom to his pelvis.
“Do you?” Veronica asked, unable to contain a smirk that stretched across her face.
“Especially green-eyed, long-legged, fierce women,” Morgan grinned. He drifted his hands up and down her thighs, grazing over the exposed skin to the hem of her shorts.
“Golly, I must drive you wild then,” she teased, as though that were a type he actually had, other than just trying to flatter her.
“Oh, you definitely do.”
They smiled at one another and Veronica finally turned her head to kiss him. He happily returned the kiss, letting his hands begin to grope her flesh, rather than just rub it. Veronica hastily turned herself around, straddling his lap in under a second. Morgan smirked, his hands gliding to her ass. She bit down on his lip as she thrust her hips into his. God, she would never understand how it was he brought out this side of her so easily. All he had to do was just say a few flirty phrases, and she was putty in his hands. For all other men, she was like a Japanese puzzle box.
Morgan then stood from the chair, lifting her with him. He walked them over to the bed, propping her up in the pillows as he hovered over top of her. Veronica hooked her fingers into his shirt and pulled it up over his head. Their lips collided as he started unbuttoning the front of her sleeveless blouse. He then helped her slide it off, along with her bra, unhooking it for her in record time. Morgan didn’t bother hesitating to reach down to her shorts, unbuttoning them. His lips covered her chest in kisses as he slowly slid them down her legs, followed by her panties. Veronica started to say something sarcastic, but immediately lost her train of thought as he started to kiss down her stomach. Her eyes opened to look down at him. Morgan kissed down to her hip, sucking on certain spots he knew always got to her.
And did they. Veronica was writhing in his hold after just a minute of his torturous kisses. She then felt the sharp point of his fangs as he let them graze over her hip, down to her inner thigh. A shiver coursed through her at the sensation, her hands gripping the blanket. He spread her legs and gently licked her lower lips. Veronica’s back arched and her legs involuntarily drew in. Morgan always managed to surprise her with his tenderness. They were such volatile and passionate beings, and yet when it came to going down on her, he was patient and gentle. It was always so blissfully pleasurable, yet left her sex begging for attention. His arms then snaked around her upper thighs, and in a swift motion, rolled them to where she was on top of him. His tongue pressed inside her, swirling around, pressing in and out before withdrawing completely.
Veronica’s stomach muscles tightened, and she held to the headboard. Morgan truly spoiled her with attention. She was starting to think she had become addicted to his touch. He cared so much about her needs and keeping things interesting, far more than any man she had ever been with. As he ran his tongue up and down her slick seam, Veronica began moving her hips back and forth, having to bite down on her lip to contain herself. It was so erotic. Veronica felt her thighs start to tremble as he focused on her clit, flicking it with the very tip of his tongue. Her free hand gripped his raven locks. She then heard ruffling and looked over her shoulder to see Morgan unfastening his pants to palm himself. Why did she find it so hot? As ecstasy started to build in her center, two fingers pressed into her entrance. Moans freely escaped her, unable to contain herself any longer. Her hips twitched, writhing in pleasure. Her thighs locked around his head as she came to a climax.
Once Veronica caught her breath, she peeled her pelvis away from his face, and moved her legs down from beside his head, to his waist. She hovered over him, looking down at his handsome face that had a school boy grin on it. She loved how it pleased him to please her. Angling her hips, Veronica pushed the tip of his member inside before sliding all the way down his shaft. Her slick, swollen sex greeted him happily. The sensation always left her feeling breathless, despite not needing to breathe. Morgan groaned, gripping her hips and bouncing her slightly.
“Easy there,” Veronica chuckled as she used some of her strength to pin his hips down to the mattress. Once he got the signal that she wanted to be in control, she began moving in long, painfully slow movements. She was trying to rile him up, and it was working. Her hips swiveled in tight circles around the tip before gradually sliding back down. She pumped up and down a few times at the hilt before going back up. Morgan gripped her hips, squirming as he resisted the urge to thrust into her when she spent extra time teasing the head of his dick. Then, Veronica leaned back slightly, putting his member at a downward angle. As she began to ride him from there, she picked up her speed. Her perky breasts bounced with each flick of her hips. Morgan was completely under her spell, lost in every little sensation she provided.
Soon, however, it was getting too much for Morgan to bear. He rolled them over, using his hold on her hips to hold her still as he began to thrust rapidly into her. Veronica moaned loudly, her sex already tightening around his member. Morgan’s hands traveled from her hips, down her thighs, and to her knees. He pushed them toward the bed, getting a better angle. His lips seized hers, kissing her deeply. Veronica bit down on his lip, making a deep growl sound from deep within his throat. His movements became rougher, thrusting all the way in every time. As Veronica reached climax again and started to get loud with her moans, Morgan clasped a hand over her mouth and pounded into her rapidly. Then, his body froze for a moment, followed by a shudder. Morgan kissed all over her neck and shoulders as he withdrew from her, remaining hovering over her as Veronica lazily rubbed his back.
“You’re amazing,” she breathed, a dopey smile on her lips.
Morgan pulled back with a smirk, “You’re pretty good yourself.” Veronica playfully smacked his arm, and he rolled off of her. Veronica propped herself up against the headboard and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the side table, placing one between her lips and lighting it. All of her stresses and worries from the day were gone, at least for the time being. Morgan laid his head in her lap as she enjoyed her cigarette. She had gotten into a bad habit of smoking one after sex every time lately. Morgan, who didn’t p
articularly care for her smoking, didn’t even say anything when she did. He took it as a compliment, which was cute to Veronica. She played with his hair and leaned her head back. Her eyes drifted closed as she took a drag on the cigarette. Veronica could feel herself already starting to doze off by the time she was half done with her cigarette. She stubbed it out in the ashtray and looked down to Morgan in her lap with a faint smile. She truly was lucky to have a man like him. He was perfect for her.
* * *
After successful conjuring a burst of lightning, Tessa stared down at her hands, unable to believe that she had been able to do such a thing without any formal training. There had been no effort in conjuring the lightning. The only tips Bethany had to give her was to just think about lightning, how hot it is, the sound, the shape, and how far she wanted it to go. The blood and rituals had definitely made her stronger. Tessa could just feel it. No longer was she just physically strong because of the vampire venom in her veins, but she felt almost unstoppable because of the magic she had obtained through the Firehavens and the Calder.
Bethany called from across the courtyard, “Well done, Tessa!” She jumped up and down a few times, clapping her hands in excitement. “See? I told you that you could do it!”
She had been right. Accessing her magic without training had been too good to be true to Tessa at first. It was like the rituals were downloading the spells and know-how directly into her brain. All the effort she had to give, was think about what she wanted to do, and she could. It was unreal.
Bethany made her way over to Tessa, a smile plastered on her face. “I’m so proud of you,” she beamed. “You’ve been so patient with these rituals. You’ve just made me so unbelievably proud. I’m lucky to call you a sister.”
Tessa was taken back by the compliment. It was something she never thought she would hear since she had grown up to believe she was an only child. It pulled at her heart strings in ways she didn’t think possible, making her just that much fonder of Bethany. “Well, thanks,” she replied meekly. “I’m lucky to call you a sister too. I don’t think any human sister could help me in such incredible ways.”
“Not that you could even have human siblings,” Bethany chuckled. She was right about that too. It was still hard for Tessa to wrap her head around the fact her parents had been two witches, or at least of witch blood. Spending the first two-and-a-half decades of her life thinking she was human, and that her parents died in a car crash… It made it all that much harder to take in.
Taking Tessa’s hand carefully, Bethany started to walk with her through the grounds. The overcast sky and light breeze seemed to be a permanent fixture around the palace. Ever since her arrival, it hadn’t been sunny a single day. It was either overcast, or raining. Tessa didn’t mind much, seeing as how she couldn’t really experience a sunny day like she used to. Bethany hummed a song that Tessa certainly didn’t recognize, though it reminded her of like a Victorian nursery rhyme or something.
Bethany got happier and happier each day that passed, and was always ecstatic over the slightest improvements in Tessa. She was so proud of Tessa, all the time. It was something Tessa hadn’t experienced much in her life. It made her want to do more to make her even more proud. Though she wasn’t even sure how to do that, seeing as how she wasn’t even doing much of anything to gain her powers. All she had to do was stand during the rituals and do whatever they told her to do. How to do anything more than that was beyond her knowledge. “Once you’re done with training,” Bethany spoke suddenly as they walked through a garden filled with white and red rose bushes. “We’ll be able to rule the entire clan together. Just you and me, side by side. Reestablishing who the Calder is and proving everyone wrong about their negative connotations about us.” A ghost of a smile was still on her lips as she stared off, miles away. “You have so much more potential than I even thought possible. It overwhelms me with joy to see how quickly the rituals are working for you.”
“Did you have to do them too?” Tessa curiously questioned.
“Oh yes. All offspring of High Priestesses go through the rituals,” she explained. “And I can honestly tell you, it took me much longer to get through them as it did you. It was like they didn’t stick with me for some reason. I had to do some of them so many times that I lost count. Yet they seep into you just like a sponge in water. It’s outstanding.”
Tessa nibbled her lip. While she was thankful for all the power she had been obtaining through the rituals, there was one thing that Tessa hadn’t progressed with. She hadn’t had any inklings of a premonition since she left Kristian’s house in the countryside. Tessa had thought that through the rituals, the power would have surfaced by then. Ever since she had left, all Tessa wanted was a small glimpse into how Kristian was, to see if he hated her—which he more than likely did. It wasn’t like Tessa could blame him for it either. Finally, Tessa worked up the nerve to ask Bethany. Clearing her throat, Tessa weakly interjected, “When do you think the rituals will help me get premonitions?”
Bethany was caught off guard by the question, blinking rapidly and clearing her throat awkwardly. “Well, premonitions come much easier to Firehaven witches. You don’t have to be as high of a level as Calder witches do to get them. For Calder, you have to be completely trained to get them. It’s possible that the growth you’re making with Calder training is stunting your growth with your Firehaven side… Why do you ask?”
Tessa hedged when it came to replying to that question. It wasn’t like she could admit she wanted to use premonitions to try and somehow get a glimpse at Kristian’s future. Bethany would give her another lecture on getting over him. “Oh, I was just wondering. I was getting curious since I haven’t had any sort of vision or strong intuition since I got here.” Curious was an understatement. She was dying to do so.
The separation had been extraordinarily hard on her emotionally. As cheesy as it may have sounded, it really was like half of her was missing, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. Every time she turned a corner, she held her breath in hopes that any distant figure she may have seen would be him—even though she knew it never would be. Even if she were to see him, Kristian would hate her. He would never understand why Tessa made the call she had, even if she explained it. Knowing him, he would have said that she should have just came and told him, and they would have done anything to get that to not happen. He would have never understood that it was inevitable. Tessa was like a can under pressure, and could explode at any minute. She had to learn how to control her Calder powers on top of her Firehaven powers and vampire strength. It was a deadly concoction. Tessa literally wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she ever hurt Kristian or any of the others. She was still haunted by the memories of attacking Calla.
While Tessa knew Bethany couldn’t read her thoughts, it was like she could with the way she would know when Tessa was upset. Squeezing Tessa’s hand lightly, “Come, I have something I want to show you.” They then turned around and completely beelined for the palace. Tessa followed without question, knowing she had nothing else better to do. It would honestly be a relief to get her mind off Kristian and all the what-ifs that played like a broken record in the back of her head.
Bethany led her to the third floor of the palace, and down a couple of corridors before coming to the last door in the hallway. It was by itself, no other rooms around it. Something felt different to her. Something in the air… Tessa couldn’t pinpoint why, though. It was like there was an energy coming from the room, and Tessa wasn’t sure if she should be intrigued or scared.
“Ready?” Bethany asked, peering over her shoulder with sparkling blue eyes. When Tessa responded with a frail smile and a nod, Bethany pushed open the door. They walked into the room and Tessa immediately started scanning the interior. Her brows knitted together instantly. A bedroom? Why was Bethany showing her a bedroom? Granted, it was exquisite. A massive four post bed sat in the middle of the far wall with thick, metallic gold curtains draped between each post. Booksh
elves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling were filled with countless books and trinkets that appeared to be from all over the world. Everything had a gothic, Victorian style to it. From the ornate wallpaper, to the elegant carvings in the armchairs and tables that were scattered throughout the magnificent room. What purpose did they have to be in there, though?
“I wanted to show you earlier, but I wanted to wait for the right time. I know how overwhelming this must be for you, getting used to being with the Calder and all. The strange rituals and switching your sleep schedule and all…” Bethany’s voice trailed off as she paced over to one of the bookshelves next to the grand, stone fireplace. Tessa wasn’t following what Bethany was talking about at all. As Bethany scanned through the books, Tessa’s eyes went to the mantle above the fireplace. There were pictures lining it, in small, golden frames. Her eyes narrowed as she drew nearer to them.
There was a man in some of the pictures. He had the signature white hair and blue eyes that all Calder had. But, the thing that grabbed her attention the most, was his nose. It was very familiar to her in the way it tilted up at the end, giving the nose a slight slope. The bone structure in it was very prominent, completing the perfect Nordic nose. It was the exact nose Tessa had. Tessa’s eyes flew to Bethany, who was slowly pacing to the foot of the bed with a huge, leather-bound book in her possession. “I’m sure you’ve collected by now that this was my parents’ room. Our father’s room,” she finally spoke, though didn’t look to Tessa. She sat down, her dress flared out perfectly on each side of her. “Many of the witches wanted me to take this room down. To find the things in it which I hold dear and put in my room, and let the room itself be put to good use. I just can’t seem to tear myself away from the room, though. It’s almost like a museum. It’s all the same as they left it. Of course, the maids come in and dust and clean and such, but their clothes are still folded in those drawers. Their bathroom still has their shampoos and soaps…” Bethany’s voice trailed off again, her fingertips running over the cover of the album in a methodic manner. “I like to come in here, and forget, for just a little bit, that so much time has passed. That I’m just a little girl, sneaking in here while they're away on business, to play with their things. I must sound so silly..”