“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
Flame rolled her eyes at Raine. Truthfully, she loved sparring playfully with her. “We’ve established I don’t like him, and he’s not ugly. There’s nothing else to say on the matter.”
“Oh, but there is. Somehow, I’m going to figure out a way to prove to you he’s interested in you as a woman, and you’re attracted to him.”
“Good luck trying to make the ludicrous connection when we don’t even care to be in the same room together.”
“All right, you’ve given me a challenge, and I’m willing to take the endeavor on. Operation Jackal is now in full effect.”
Flame laughed at Raine, and then shook her head, “You’re incorrigible. Now, let’s get back to work. I can’t spare another moment of my life thinking about Officer Jack Malloy.”
* * * *
After a busy day at the shop, Flame looked forward to the peaceful solace of her home. She wasn’t terribly hungry, but she still heated up some leftovers and ate them while watching the evening news. Once she finished, she washed her supper dishes and stacked them in her dish rack to let them air-dry on her granite countertop.
Something stirred inside of her, and she blamed her anxiety on the argument she had with Jack. Trying to shake him from her mind, she decided to keep herself busy with laundry and housecleaning. However, he kept creeping back into her thoughts, as he already had been throughout the day. Damn you, Jack.
Since it was still early in the evening, Flame needed another outlet for her frustration, because all the vacuuming, dusting, and mopping floors didn’t seem to be working. I think I’ll write in my diary. Flame had kept a diary for as long as she remembered. She wasn’t religious about writing in it, but she found jotting her garbled emotions down helped her to find peace or logic in a situation riddled with craziness. She went to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of white wine, retrieved her diary from her bedroom, and curled up on her chaise lounge in the living room.
When she snapped her fingers, sparks flew from their tips and landed directly on the wicks of her aromatherapy candles, instantly igniting into flames. With the soft smell of lavender wafting lazily through the room, Flame set her full wineglass down on the small table beside her, turned on the floor lamp, opened up her diary, and began to write.
April 20th
Dear Diary,
I am furious with myself for letting Jack Malloy get under my skin. The first time I met him, he seemed pleasant and kind. However, within a matter of minutes of our initial meeting I soon figured out what an ass he is. I wish my elemental sisters could see this side of him, too. They tend to defend him and his actions toward me, saying he’s showing concern. But why is he always ragging on me and not the other girls?
Raine shocked me today by believing he could be attracted to me, and she is determined to prove herself right. I find the situation quite laughable and wonder how she’s going to get him to admit his feelings when he and I both know there’s nothing between us. What do we have in common, besides fighting with each other? I wish I could rub the smug smile off his sexy face…
“What? I actually wrote that he had a sexy face? I really need to find a man, particularly not him.” Flame placed the pen on the center of her diary and let the hardcover book close partway around it. She took a sip of her wine, savoring the oak flavor tickling her palate. She set the glass on the table, laid her head back, and relaxed, trying to get Jack off her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
Sometime later, she woke up with a fine sheen of perspiration covering her skin. Lost briefly in confusion, she looked around her living room and noticed the candles were still lit, but most of the wax had melted and pooled in purple blobs around the candleholder.
A sudden wave of sexual heat flowed through her body, like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Her sensual folds throbbed and desire coursed through her veins. She needed immediate release.
I need some fresh air. She ran outside to her patio, breathing the cool night air deeply into her lungs, but the overwhelming need only grew stronger.
Without stopping to think things through, she slid her jeans down, followed by her panties. Kicking them off to the side in a desperate attempt to free her body from any encumbrances, she reached for the hem of her black T-shirt and whipped the fitted top over her head, throwing it with her other discarded clothes beside a patio chair. Her black bra followed suit, and she stood nude in the middle of her backyard, unsure of what to do to quench the sexual thirst driving her to new heights of sensual agony.
She craved to have a man inside of her, filling her pussy, but with no one around to aid her need, she felt lost and alone. She grabbed the back of a metal chair and gripped it tight, still trying to breathe through the chaos flooding her body with insane desire. Sparks started to launch from the tips of her long hair, dancing in the gentle breeze. Some of the embers landed on her bare feet and instantly became flames. The fire traveled up her legs to her sensitive inner thighs. Instead of extinguishing the flames, she longed for the touch of their heated tips dancing across her skin. Spreading her legs wider, she released the back of the chair with one hand and reached between her legs with the other. Her fingers opened her outer lips, and she allowed the flames to toy with her swollen clit. The fire grew and licked the sensitive flesh of her pussy. Flame moaned, crying out into the night. As if the flames were fingers, they began to flicker back and forth, in a quickening pace, at her pussy’s most sensitive area.
She yearned for release as the strokes of the fire answered her burning need. Trying to assuage the pulsating desire eating away at her sensual soul, Flame closed her eyes and allowed herself to slip over the edge into the blissful abyss waiting for her with open arms.
Flame’s breath came in ragged gasps as her body slowly returned back to normal and the fire receded and dissipated into the night sky. She had never experienced a frenzied state like this before, nor had her beloved fire ever fulfilled her sexual needs before. The situation was new to her, but she knew exactly what had just happened. Oh, my God, I think my mate has come to town.
Chapter 2
Jack paced the floor of his living room in the middle of the night like a caged beast. His fight with Flame hadn’t been sitting well with him, and he couldn’t sleep because of her harsh words. She’s so difficult to deal with. How can I get close to her without us fighting? He’d been attracted to her from the first moment they’d met. Her mane of shocking red hair with soft curls caught his attention first, followed by her light green, piercing eyes, and pink, full lips. Her coloring complemented her creamy complexion, and he yearned to reach out and touch her inviting skin to see if it felt as soft as it appeared.
When he’d first met the four women at Elemental Magic, he thought he’d walked into a den of iniquity. Every one of them had beauty enough to entice any man to commit a carnal sin with just a smile from them. However, once he set eyes on Flame, he lost his heart forever. His soul recognized her immediately as his mate. He needed to figure out how to get through her defensive wall, but every time he approached her, his protective alpha side came out. Dammit!
A loud knock echoed through his home, startling him. Who the hell is coming over here at this hour? With his policeman side taking over, he crept toward the front door, grabbed a baseball bat from the closet, and looked through the peephole. All the tension in his body eased away when he saw his younger brother standing there. He unlocked the door and opened it wide.
“Ethan, I’m so glad to see you. What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?” His brother stepped forward and the two embraced warmly. They hadn’t seen each other in over a year, and Jack felt a sense of relief to see Ethan alive and well.
“It’s great to see you, too, Jack. Sorry about the late hour. I guess I should have called to let you know I was coming.”
“You know you’re always welcome any time of the day. Don’t worry, I happened to be awake anyway.”
“Oh, g
ood, now I don’t feel guilty.”
Jack glanced toward the doorstep and back at Ethan. “You didn’t bring any luggage with you?”
“I shape-shifted into my phoenix form and flew into town.”
“What? Ethan, you know we have to be careful about being seen.”
“I flew at night on purpose, and I made sure to keep my fire out, so no one would notice me,” Ethan said sheepishly. They’d been born into a family of phoenix shifters and taught by their parents to only use their abilities sparingly.
“I guess no one would see you at night. By the way, where did you get the clothes from? You should be naked after shifting.”
“Are you still a cop in town?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then you don’t need to know.”
Jack shook his head at his brother and stepped aside. “Why don’t you come in and tell me what’s going on?” Jack closed the door, locked the deadbolt, placed the baseball bat back in the closet, and followed Ethan into the living room. He watched him flop down on the cushion-clad sofa, knocking a few colorful throw pillows onto the floor. “Can I get you a drink or something to eat?”
“I’d love a beer, if you have one. I don’t even care what kind. As long as it’s full of hops and barley, I’ll drink the liquid gold.”
“I think I have something in the fridge. I’ll be right back.” He retrieved two beers from the refrigerator and handed one to his brother. They twisted off the caps in unison and clanked their bottles together in cheers.
Jack sat down on the matching loveseat to the couch facing Ethan. He took a swig of his beer, then set it down on the coffee table. “So, what did you find out?”
“I discovered the name of the man who killed Mom and Dad—Nigel Price.”
Jack’s jaw clenched, and he fisted his hands at the mere mention of the killer’s name. Coldly, Jack responded, “Tell me all about him.”
“He’s one of the top trusted men in the Hunters’ syndicate. However, my sources tell me he came to Chemainus, and about a month ago, he disappeared without a trace.” Jack noticed a look of vindication, he assumed, in Ethan’s expression. He hoped the Hunter had met his demise. “The syndicate is starting to get restless since two of their men have gone missing and have last been reported contacting their headquarters from this town. Before Nigel went missing, he sent some video footage he’d found to his superiors. I was told the video consisted of a woman using her powers of the wind to blast open a door. An unknown man can be seen running beside her. The Hunters believe the woman lives in this city. They don’t have any names or addresses.”
“I’ve suspected the Hunters were in town, but this is the first time I’ve heard confirmed reports from an insider that they’ve been here. The syndicate has to have been here for a reason, and if two of their men vanished, then we have some paranormal activity going on in this town that I don’t know about. I think you need to stay with me for a while and help me out. I need you to work with me to keep an eye on the town and look for anything strange. If we’ve had two Hunters in this town, they’ll be sending more.”
“I agree. I think I will stay here with you and see what we can find out. It’s the least we can do for Mom and Dad.
Anger welled up in Jack, causing his blood to pulse violently through his veins. The Hunters were a society tracking down people who were gifted with powers beyond the normal human. At first they had only sought out werewolves, but now they were looking at anyone who might be different, from shifters to mermen. They didn’t discriminate and killed all unique people and nonhuman species with equal fervor. If a human dared to get in their way, they met the same fate as a shifter. Their parents had been killed years ago, and they had separated to go on the hunt for their killer. Jack had been drawn to this small community and settled down, feeling a sense of home he hadn’t felt since his parents died. He breathed deeply to calm the rage building inside of him. “Did you keep a copy of the picture you were given?”
“Yes, I have it on my e-mail.”
“Would you mind showing it to me? Who knows, I may recognize the people. If not, I can ask around about them.”
“Sure, where’s your computer?”
“I’ll be right back.” Jack left the room, retrieved his laptop from his office, and then set up the computer on the coffee table in front of Ethan. “All right, it’s all yours.”
Ethan leaned forward and started typing on the laptop. Within a few minutes, he had logged in to his e-mail and entered his password. A moment later, he found the picture. “There she is.”
Jack stared at the amazing photo in awe. A tiny blonde woman had her arms raised in the air while a swirling mass of what looked like a funnel cloud loomed behind her. The picture appeared magical, almost as if the scene were a hoax. He noticed the man beside her and instantly recognized him while his heart sunk with fear. “This isn’t good. That’s either my friend Luke or Levi, who are identical twins, and the woman, with the power of the air, is Skye. God help them both.”
* * * *
Early the next morning, Ethan woke up to Jack standing over him while he lay on the couch. “It’s time to get up. We have some reconnaissance work to do today.”
Ethan stretched his limbs out on the couch, knocking the remaining throw pillows that had managed to hold onto their places throughout the night onto the floor. His limbs felt stiff and his back tight. Why didn’t I sleep in the spare bedroom like Jack suggested? “Can I sleep for another hour?” he begged, not recognizing his own gravelly morning voice.
“I haven’t slept at all. While you were curled up on the couch, I went out and spied on Skye’s house first and then Ivy’s. I wanted to see if I noticed anything out of the ordinary, like someone watching the houses or lurking around.”
“Did you find anything?”
“No. The only one creeping around happened to be me. I want you to get up so I can introduce you to these women. I’d like you to keep an eye on them as much as you can. I’ll have to go to sleep for a couple hours and then go to work at noon. I had no clue Skye had these powers. Come on, let’s go.”
“Can’t I at least have a cup of coffee?”
“I’ll buy you one on the way.”
“All right, but I want an extra large.” Ethan got up, picked a pillow off the floor, and flung the cushion at his brother. They laughed together and got ready to leave.
A short time later, Ethan looked around the small town while they drove to their destination. “This place is gorgeous. I love all the murals painted on the buildings.”
“There’s the shop.” Jack pulled up in front of a small storefront, while Ethan read the name.
“Elemental Magic, what an interesting name. One of these women can control the wind, so does that mean the other three you told me about have the powers of water, earth, and fire?”
Jack put his SUV in park, shut the engine off, and glanced at Ethan with a pensive look on his face. “I never gave the idea a thought. If what you’re suggesting is true, then all of these women are in trouble. The Hunters are going to put them in their sights.”
“You call yourself a cop, and you didn’t figure out the correlation between the store name and the powers?”
“Well, we just found out about Skye’s powers, and I didn’t have the luxury of sleep like you did to come to this conclusion.”
“All right, no need to get testy.” Ethan laughed as Jack punched him lightly in the arm.
“I should warn you, these are four of the most beautiful women you could ever see. Three of them are taken, so if you’re going to hit on any of them, hit on the black-haired beauty, Raine.”
“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll try to behave myself.”
The men left the vehicle and headed inside the store. Behind the counter stood someone Ethan recognized right away, Skye. She looked even lovelier in person with her petite frame, glasses sitting halfway down her nose, and her blonde hair piled casually on top of her head. How can someone so tiny have t
he ability to control the mighty power of the air? She looked up, and a smile lit up her whole face.
“Hello, Jack. What brings you in here today?” Skye’s voice held a warm and inviting tone.
“Good morning, Skye. I’m not here on official business.”
“I can see that by your casual attire, as opposed to your uniform. What’s up?”
“My brother Ethan arrived in town late last night, and I want him to meet my favorite friends. Ethan, this is Skye.”
Walking around the counter, she went up to Ethan and hugged him. “It’s wonderful to meet you. We love Jack, so I know we’ll love you, too.” Her sweetness bubbled over, taking Ethan by surprise.
“Thanks, Skye, it’s great to meet you, too.”
“You better not let Conner and Dillon see you touching another man.” A soft voice came from around the corner, followed by giggling.
Ethan turned and saw two more beautiful women walking toward them. Jack wasn’t kidding when he said these women were gorgeous.
“Good morning, ladies. It’s okay, Ivy, he’s my brother and has been warned about behaving himself around you ladies,” Jack said as he patted Ivy on the shoulder when she stood by him. “Ethan, I’d like you to meet Ivy and Raine.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Ethan couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of Jack’s established relationship with these women.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Ethan,” Ivy said as she stepped forward and hugged Ethan, followed by Raine.
“You better not let Luke and Levi see you touching another man.” Skye mimicked Ivy’s earlier words.
Laughter erupted from the group, and Ethan felt completely at home in their presence. Suddenly, another sweet voice could be heard coming from the back of the store. “I feel like I’m missing out on all the fun. What’s going on?”
Ethan turned to the source of the siren’s call. His heart leapt into his throat as he looked into the sultry green eyes of an angel. Her mane of soft curls framed her ethereal face, while wispy tendrils fell casually over one eye. As if reading his mind, she pushed the curls aside and smiled. Words failed Ethan as he stood staring at the image of beauty personified.
Daisy Dunn Page 2