by India Kells
Her voice forced him back to the present. “I don’t know how witch magic affects shifters. And it adds to the many questions that need answers.”
“And that’s why you wanted me to drive you to town?”
“No, I wanted to come to town alone; you were the one who didn’t want me to leave Sanctuary.”
“I know I can protect you there.”
“Asher, there is nowhere that I can be protected. Not when my father and probably many rogue Enforcers as his followers are after me.”
“But you defended yourself quite well last night…”
“That’s not a common magical strength for me. First, I had a two-year build-up, and I had partially drained a shifter, and…”
She stopped talking as if catching herself before revealing too much.
“And what?”
Shaking her head, she opened and closed her mouth again. Oh no, she wouldn’t start hiding information from him. His wolf snarled as Asher prayed for patience. He must have emitted a sound because the witch turned her head quickly.
“What the hell was that for?”
“I thought we were over that stage.”
“What stage?”
“The one where you keep things to yourself. I know that being you must suck right now, with your family, the treason … but the less you keep me in the loop, the more dangerous it is.”
“Asher…”
“No! You listen. I get it. You’re in a shitty situation right now, with your family, but it now involves more people than yourself. Innocent people. If Lancaster is after you, there is a risk that he’ll send more people to Sanctuary. Innocent lives are at stake. People who are under my care.”
“And you think I don’t think about them? I didn’t risk it all to save Maya to see her and her mother killed. But I won’t act and attack on a whim, without information and especially not without answers.”
“You believe it’s what I’m going to do, isn’t it?”
“You have a vendetta, seeing my father dead is your goal. To avenge your parents and your sister!”
“If that were the case, if I’m as bloodthirsty as you say, I would’ve let you drown in that river, or killed you in that cell. I was willing to spill your blood when I caught your smell.”
“Why didn’t you?”
That was a trick question, one he wasn’t sure he had the answer yet. “Instinct. And if I hadn’t listened to it, you would have been a bloody pulp, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation where I’m pissed off because you’re withholding information from me.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It never is.”
“And I don’t know if I can trust you.”
Now he turned his head at her and smiled. “You know you can.”
“Sexual attraction doesn’t necessarily make you trustworthy.”
“You wouldn’t have slept with me if you didn’t feel I could be trusted intrinsically.”
Valeria seemed to ponder that for a while before she spoke again. “I was engaged to someone whom I thought was a good man. If what Ian told me is true, that James participated in this rampage, it means my radar is dead wrong.”
“You can trust me.”
“James said the exact same thing to me.”
The growl increased and, even before he could realize it, Asher had hit the brakes, hard. The truck skidded, and he heard horns, but the cars passed by. He couldn’t care less. When he turned to Valeria, she flinched. His wolf was close. More than close, he was on the verge. Being compared to a killing scumbag didn’t sit well with him at all.
“You don’t know anything about werewolves or shifters, do you, Valeria?”
The growl in his voice reminded him to get a grip, even a very slippery one.
“We don’t lie. We’re not deceivers. The animal in us…” How could he explain this to her? “An animal doesn’t lie. So we don’t.”
The witch shook her head. “It can’t be that simple.”
Edging on losing control, he didn’t question his next move. His fingers fisting in her soft brown hair, he smashed his mouth against hers. The fury quickly evaporated, turning into something even more explosive as lust took its place. If only he could make her understand the core of what a werewolf was. He could avoid or turn a conversation around, but lying to her was impossible. As was the desire that coursed through his veins. When Asher felt her soften in his arms, he pulled her onto his lap, taking care that she didn’t bump into the steering wheel.
Valeria fisted her hands in his shirt as if to tear it from his body, but the ripping sound he heard came from his own hands almost shredding her clothes.
“Asher, we’re in broad daylight, on the side of the road. We can’t…”
But could he really stop? His erection strained painfully against the fly of his jeans. There was no doubt he could take her here and now. But he wouldn’t force her.
Just as he thought she would pull away, magic poured out of her, dancing over his skin adding fuel to his fire. What did she do?
Sensing his question, she smiled. “A spell, the truck will appear unoccupied for a while.”
Asher smiled. “Ah, I knew there would be perks being with a witch.”
Sadness flashed so quickly in her golden eyes, replaced by amusement, that he barely saw it. He wanted to know why, but her busy fingers make him decide to let it go for now.
Her hips grinding against him, he pulled at her pants, not stopping until he had ripped the fabric apart. Valeria bit his lips and smiled.
“You know, all you had to do was ask.”
Asher didn’t understand her words, until he realized there was nothing between them anymore. His erection was nestled between her hot, wet folds as she rocked. Barely able to regain control, he kissed the soft skin between her breasts, their current position making it perfect for him to nuzzle.
Licking her skin until he reached one of her taut, pink nipples, Valeria shifted restlessly on his lap, her hips moving slightly as she rubbed his aching length against her clit. When she finally found the perfect angle, she moaned, a shiver coursing through her body. When he tugged at her nipple, she arched and dug her fingers into his shoulders. At that instant, he knew it was enough. He was far from a saint, and his wolf was about to tear him inside out. Asher reached between them and gently lifted her up to position himself. However, the witch wasn’t the only one unable to wait a second longer, and before he could draw a breath, she took him in to the hilt.
The roar of pleasure rendered him blind for a moment. Only when the wicked witch giggled and swayed her hips that he decided that teasing was enough. Careful of his strength, he grabbed her hips and took charge of the tempo, sliding inside her at an increasing pace. As he thought it couldn’t be enough, Valeria started countering his movement, increasing in force, flaming the friction between them. Sensing that the change added to her pleasure, he snaked a hand between them, zeroing in to press at her nub with utter efficiency.
It was a game changer, as seeing her like this, trusting him with her body, with her pleasure, allowing herself to lose control in his arms, humbled him and made him feel like a god, all wrapped up in lust and desire. It wasn’t a show of power he realized, but of restraint. They were both dangerous beings, but together, they gave and took, edged and pushed in a silent understanding that made Asher ache even more for the woman in his arms. Damn the rules, damn the High Council. He had never found a female, a woman that made him want more in this life. His brain screamed that the witch in his arms - lost in her pleasure, observing his reactions and moans as if he were the only man on the surface of this world - could never be his. As his hips pushed up into her, she arched back, glistening like moonlight, and he couldn’t see how he could draw his next breath without her. At that realization, pleasure swirled inside him, making his spine tingle, his body restless. And when he forced himself to rein in his desire, wait for her, Valeria arched up, her body stiffening in shivering orgasm as she screamed his nam
e, clenching hard around his cock. The pleasure was so sudden that when he spilled inside her, so powerful, no sound came from him. He froze, his eyes solely on her, his spellbinding witch. At that moment, when she looked at him again, still in the throes of pleasure, still flying high, did Asher realize that there wouldn’t be anyone else for him. The fates had dealt him a hand he could never play, a game he would never win, but he was determined to try. For her.
Ignorant of his unspoken vow to her, Valeria nestled in his arms, kissing every inch of him she could reach as he held on to her, falling willingly under her spell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As Asher was parking on a side street, Valeria hopped out of the truck and waited a beat for her nerves to settle before closing her eyes. After that intense session in the truck, not only did her body feel edgy, but her magic sizzled as well. It was as if something moved off balance the more time she spent with the shifter. And despite everything ingrained since infancy, and what the Elders had ordered, she was falling for Asher. Falling in a very different way from James. It was like a deep craving, a connection and an unspoken understanding. But to a werewolf. Not good. So not good. She was already way over her head without having the Elders on her back as well. Right now, she needed them on her side. But she had absolutely no idea how to deal with the reaction of her heart when Asher was concerned.
Sensing Asher approaching before hovering close by, Valeria sighed, before opening her eyes.
“Can you just take a couple of steps back so I can get my bearings?”
Asher only arched an eyebrow before crossing his arms. “Why do you need to get your bearings? I know this town. Tell me where you need to go and I’ll show you the way.”
Valeria ground her teeth as she looked at the infuriating man. “I don’t know the address. Yet. And to find it, I need to concentrate.”
Again, not one of his delectable muscles moved. “Okay, go ahead.”
“Asher, move!” The wolf smiled, apparently amused.
“Why? I’m not doing anything.” Behind his grin, she could see how much he enjoyed riling her up. And if they weren’t in such a rush, she would probably find it amusing too. But they were losing time, so she closed her eyes again and used all her tricks to ignore the presence of the wolf by her side. It didn’t actually require magic, as what she was searching for acted more like a beacon. All you had to do was to be open and willing to find it. Her instinct locked to it within a minute, just enough so she knew where to go.
“I know where it is. Follow me.”
The werewolf stayed close by. “And will you finally tell me where we’re going? Or rather what you were searching for?”
There was no way she couldn’t offer an explanation. “Well, when it was forbidden to witches to mingle with other species from our realm, we had to find other bolt holes, a little like your sanctuary.”
“Why didn’t you use this witch sanctuary when you ran? Why keep to the streets?”
“I was fleeing from the Enforcers, and I didn’t know if that particular haven would be able to keep them away. And also, I didn’t think my powers were stable enough to be there at all.”
Valeria swallowed painfully. “And I still don’t know if they are. But both of us need answers, I just have to be careful.”
“You were perfectly fine when you defended us at Sanctuary. No destruction, apart from our enemies, of course. Same in the forest. Even in the truck earlier, I imagine it was a small spell, but you performed it successfully.”
Valeria nodded but was far from convinced. Something deep inside made her hesitate; made her doubt that every time she summoned her power, was some kind of exception. Or that there was something keeping catastrophe at bay.
Rounding the corner, Valeria stopped when she finally spotted what she was searching for. It was Asher who followed her gaze and frowned at the store sign.
“Impossibilities Inc. Spells and Solutions. What kind of place is this? And I’ve been on this street before; that store wasn’t there.”
“Not surprising. It only caters to witches. If you’re not one of them, it would be nothing less than pure coincidence to stumble upon it, or because you’re desperate enough for that store to find you instead.”
“You mean that it only appears when you want to find it?”
Valeria winked at his puzzled expression and pushed open the door, the joyful ring of the bell making her smile. But it was the smell of dusty parchment rolls, beeswax and the special tingle of ozone, so characteristic of the constant use of magic, that made her feel like she was returning home from an interminable trip, tired and impatient to finally drop her heavy luggage.
The store was as she remembered, an open floor plan like an ancient British library, with endless shelves of books along the walls, rows after rows of pots and bottles filled with both familiar and rare ingredients, and strange objects scattered in an order known only to the store owner, Layla.
In his usual spot by the cashier, stood a tall, wire-thin man, dressed in a three-piece pinstripe suit, with a gleaming bald head and empty eye sockets.
“Hello, Miss Valeria, always a pleasure to have you visit our store.”
Valeria felt Asher shift by her side, taking in his surroundings, probably analyzing everything, his senses in overload. Even for her normal nose, the smells were distracting, and the magic made her skin tingle. She was grateful that he remained silent for now, although he still stood close, his heat seeping through her clothing, steadying her more than she was ready to admit.
“Good day, Abrams.”
“It’s been a while, miss.” His crisp, old-world accent suited him.
“Yes indeed. Hope everything has gone well for you.”
“Very well, miss. Thank you for inquiring. It’s very kind of you.”
“Is Layla here?”
“No, she’s not. But you will be pleased to know that Sera is in the study.”
Emotion clogged her throat for a moment. Valeria didn’t have many friends growing up. Being set in a separate cast and a powerful family, such as the Lancasters, pushed people away. Well, almost everyone away. And Sera was one of the brave souls who didn’t give a damn about the color of her blood, from the very start. Deep down, Valeria knew that her own difference drew Sara to her. Freaks tended to hang around. And for the first time, she dreaded the moment she would tell Asher of her … difference.
“Who is Sera?”
Asher’s deep voice was suspicious, but before she could answer, Abrams spoke.
“Miss Sera Dover is one of our most famous scholars and researchers. Impossibilities Inc. is proud to have her, Mr. Stonelake.”
The werewolf tensed, and Valeria put a calming hand on his forearm. “It’s okay, Asher. Abrams may not see, but he knows everybody entering the store. It’s his job as guardian, and just one of his many talents.”
Asher nodded reluctantly, but before he could reply and probably antagonize a powerful being, she took his hand and squeezed.
“Abrams, is it alright if we go see Sera?”
The man smiled, and as always, it was freaky to watch. “Yes, miss. You and Mr. Stonelake can go into the back store. I’ll tell Miss Layla that you came by.”
“Thanks.”
Pulling the shifter with her, Valeria made her way through the back door into a small corridor. There were stacked boxes piled up precariously along the walls with empty cages and so many books, they occupied most of the space. The door of the study was ajar. Trying to release the werewolf’s hold, Valeria realized he tightened his grip, refusing to let go of her hand. She frowned, silently asking what was going on, but he just stared at the door. Of the two options, which were to fight, or let it pass, she chose the second one and pushed the door open.
The study had always been her favorite place here, holding her fondest memories. At home, studying was a constant battle with her father, trying to turn her into a war machine, drilling knowledge into her brain as if she was a super computer. The only upsid
e of having a father so influential in the magical community was that he went away quite often, giving her the opportunity to come here. That’s where she met Sera, one of her only two friends. Sera was a self-proclaimed bookworm who only found solace from a difficult childhood in books. A real scholar in Valeria’s eyes, Sera was also so much more.
Her friend had her back to them when they entered, her pale blonde hair piled up haphazardly on top of her head. Valeria knew that when Sera turned to face them, her tortoise-shell glasses would be perched on her nose, and behind them would be the face of an angel with creamy skin and piercing light-blue eyes.
“Sera.” Her voice caught when she spoke her name. It had been too long. Too long since her own world turned upside down and she had disappeared without a word, even to her dearest friends.
Hunched over a wide book, Sera’s body froze. Valeria took another step, letting her hand fall from Asher’s grasp, already regretting the loss of his steadying energy. When her friend’s body moved, pivoted to face her, it was Valeria’s turn to be frozen in place. It was as if nothing had changed and, in an instant, she was back to two years ago, laughing and carefree, secretly meeting in the store’s study.
“Valeria.” Sera swallowed, shaking her head as if to disperse any illusion she may have cast. “Val. Is that you or do I have a vision again?”
Mechanically, Valeria took a step through blurred vision, hesitant, unknowing of Sera’s reaction. But despite all her fears and remorse at leaving her friends in the dark, her body moved of its own accord, and she was embraced by Sera. Hanging on tightly, Valeria inhaled deeply, the airy, fresh perfume she knew so well surrounding her, as the delicate but strong body of one of the only people who knew her, almost as well as she knew herself, held tight.
A sob escaped her lips, and she clenched her jaw, unwilling to let the pain and sorrow of the last two years surface.