He took one of her hands and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingers. “What we have will never be gone, Adira.”
“Might as well be.”
He lifted her up and plopped her down on the bed, then kneeled between her legs. “I thought you knew better than to run that mouth of yours?”
Normally his digs would make her blush or smile, but not tonight. “Do you think the regent knows something is up? From your absences?”
“He thinks I’m out looking for you.” Alec sighed. “Well, not you specifically. But someone like you.”
“And you think that when we are all living in that castle, he’s not going to know? You think you’ll be able to hide how you feel?”
Alec leaned over her and kissed her deeply before pulling away. “It’s not me you should be worried about,” he whispered against her lips. As his hand slid up her thigh and under her nightdress, her hips swerved in response. “Can you hide how you feel?”
He slid her underwear to the side and worked his finger inside of her. She moaned against his lips, and her ears burned with heat. His thumb rubbing against her button and his finger working inside of her quickly pushed the more serious thoughts from her mind.
His lips tickled her ear as he whispered, “Tell me what you want.”
She pulled his mouth back to hers again, kissing him. “You know what I want,” she said. “Tell me what you want.”
They both wanted the same thing, of course, but he wasn’t going to give it to her. She’d spent nearly two weeks trying. Adira slid her hands between his legs to rub the head of his cock through his pants, and he bit her lip.
“No, Adira.”
She didn’t stop. His hands came out from under her nightdress, gripping the bed on either side of her. His body rested down against hers, his cock straining against the inside of her thigh. She grinded against him.
“Come on,” she whispered. “We don’t have much time left.”
She pushed out from under him, and he had to roll to get beneath her to stop from falling on the floor.
“We can’t,” he said.
“Okay,” she whispered. She leaned down and nipped at his ear. “Let’s see what we can do, then.”
She trailed her kisses down his neck and chest. Tracing her tongue in small circles, she continued to his abs, over his hip, and along the waistband of his pants.
Slowly, she untied his pants and slid them down. He didn’t stop her, but his gaze was wary. She took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip until his head dropped back against the pillow. He groaned.
She paused, peering up at him. “Should we stop?”
Alec ran his fingers through her hair, taking hold and pulling her mouth back down over him again. His hips pumped up until he nudged the back of her throat, and he cursed under his breath.
She could probably get him to sleep with her now, but she couldn’t live with him knowing she’d had to manipulate him into it. He’d been clear that was the line. Anything but sex. As far as she wanted to go, he would take her—anywhere but to that point.
But he was only human, and he deserved something to remember her by.
Adira tried to take more of him into her mouth, but the effort made her gag, and he pulled her back just enough to relieve her. His hand on her head guided her up and down until his shaft got so hard it made Adira start to moan, too.
Her mouth vibrated against him, and his hips pushed himself a little farther into her mouth, then held her head still as a warm, salty liquid squirted across her tongue and down her throat.
When it was done, he pulled her up against his chest and pressed a kiss along her the widow’s peak of her hairline. “I knew that mouth of yours had to be good for something other than your smart attitude.”
She play-slapped his arm and peeked up at him. He was smiling. This was what it felt like for the world to be right.
The truth was, there was no hiding how Adira felt. At least not the lust and attraction that swam through every cell in her body whenever Alec was near.
But it was more than that, too, and Adira wondered if that was the part neither of them would be able to hide.
Chapter 14
The closer it came to the day Alec would turn Adira in, the harder it became for him to sleep. With today being their last full day together, Alec could hardly keep his eyes closed. Around three in the morning, he gave up and lay down, staring at the ceiling instead and trying to image a tomorrow where Adira slept just a few doors down.
That was half of why he couldn’t sleep. The visions played out in a multitude of ways, but none of them the way they should. Sometimes, he couldn’t imagine her there at all. If he forced himself to envision her with the regent, his stomach turned. And almost every effort to picture her in that room ended with him sleeping with her, which inevitably led to the regent finding out and banishing him from the sector. A certain death.
Despite his inability to envision the future, the fact remained that turning her in was the right thing to do.
He told himself this a dozen times, but other thoughts shouted louder.
Another woman could be queen. The regent didn’t care which witch filled the role. It didn’t have to be the woman Alec loved.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. Loved?
The things he’d done to Adira—and more important, the things he would do to her—those were not things a person did to someone they loved. But it was the right thing to do. As much as he wanted to believe there was another witch out there who could fill the role for her, he knew as well as she did that there was not. She was the strongest witch he’d ever met. Even stronger than the regent. She was a sure thing.
But what if she’s not?
Perhaps Alec should have spent the last thirteen days looking for someone else instead of training her.
With a growl, Alec sat up in his bed and clutched his head in his hands. This was ridiculous. Emotions had no place in his role as lead witch hunter. Adira’s fate was to face a ravager and marry the regent. Her destiny was to bring forth an heir. Maybe in another time or place, things could have been different—should have been different—but in this time and this place, it was the way things needed to be.
He should just sleep with her. If he did, he might be able to finally think straight.
Alec reached into his bedside drawer and retrieved a bottle of whisky the regent had given him for his loyalty.
He couldn’t sleep with her.
Adira didn’t belong to Alec. She belonged to the regent. She had never been his to kiss, to touch, or to taste. He’d already crossed the line, and though all the excuses he’d made along the way would mean nothing in the end anyway, he simply could not take it any further.
He stared at the bottle in his hands, then twisted the cap open and took a burning swig.
Alec had it all wrong. He didn’t owe his loyalty to the regent. He owed his loyalty to the sector. Although, that didn’t change what he had to do, even as much as he wished it would.
He set the whiskey on the nightstand and blew out a thin breath.
Shouldn’t Adira belong to herself?
Alec drank until there was nothing left. No alcohol, no emotion, nothing but the plain truth—he could not resist that woman forever. If she lived here, Alec would have her eventually. That left him with only one option.
He had to leave.
He had to turn Adira in, leave the castle, and never return.
Regent Dvorak stopped Alec on the way out the door.
“It’s been nearly two weeks. How haven’t you found someone already?”
Alec didn’t lift his gaze to the regent. “I’m close.”
“Close to what?” Dvorak snapped. “How can you be close and not have someone? It’s never taken you this long before. Need I remind you what’s at stake?”
That was the last thing Alec needed. He remembered that just fine. Perhaps if he could forget, he wouldn’t be so damn tormented.
�
��No, sir,” he said, finally looking up at the regent. “The truth is…”
Dvorak raised his eyebrows and rolled his hand. “The truth is…what? Get on with it.”
Alec pulled out the witch-tester device. “The truth is I wanted to find the right witch this time. I altered the settings to find someone stronger than the witches we’ve found before, but then I couldn’t figure out how to change it back.”
The regent snatched the device from his hands. He shook it at Alec. “This isn’t a game, Alec. Now I’ll have to recalibrate this!”
Alec scowled, but he forced the muscles in his face to relax before addressing the regent. “Like I told you, I’m close to finding someone. Didn’t think I should waste the day just because I didn’t have a device. If you recall, I’ve done this job for years without the witch tester.”
Dvorak pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to walk away before I do something I likely wouldn’t regret but don’t have the time to deal with.”
But before the regent made it very far, he turned back around. “I almost forgot,” he said, holding out his hand. “Your sword, please.”
“My sword?” What did the witch tester have to do with his sword?
“Yes, your sword! Did I stutter? If I have to recalibrate this damn thing,” he said, waving the witch tester around again, “I might as well ensure the sword is in working order as well. The enchantment I put on it for you won’t last forever, you know. Which, of course, you do know, don’t you, Alec? That’s why we’re in this whole mess.”
This didn’t feel right, but if Alec resisted, it would cause him a world of trouble he didn’t have time to deal with. He handed over the sword.
“I’ll re-calibrate the device and have it back to you tomorrow morning,” the regent said. “The sword may take a little longer.”
“Thank you, sir,” Alec said, stepping toward the exit again.
Dvorak stood in his path. “So then where are you going today?” The regent’s expression went sour. Eyes narrowed. “Hmm,” he said. “It’s a woman, isn’t it?” he asked, a smile cracking his face. “Well, come on, a man has his needs, Alec. You don’t need to hide it from me.”
He clapped Alec on the shoulder and walked away.
Alec tried to calm his nerves. That whole exchange felt off. Or maybe he was just paranoid because he knew he was doing something wrong. Hiding Adira from the regent was by far the most traitorous thing he’d ever done.
And yet, turning her in felt wrong, too. But he would do it when he said he would, and that would have to be good enough.
On his way out of the castle, he crossed paths with Constantine. There was just no escaping this place today.
“Alec, wait up!” his comrade called, jogging to catch up with him. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you around in days.”
Almost thirteen days, Alec thought to himself. If he could trust anyone with the truth, it would be Constantine. But he couldn’t trust anyone, and that was the thing.
“I’ve been looking for a witch.”
“The one from the market?” Constantine asked, taking stride behind Alec, who was still trying to distance himself from the castle.
“That’s the one,” Alec muttered. “Has anyone had any luck? Any leads?”
Constantine’s lips pulled down in the corners. “Poof. Gone without a trace.”
“Hmm,” Alec said. He stopped suddenly, turning toward his friend.
Constantine’s eyebrows pulled together. “Are you okay?”
Alec nodded. “Let me ask you something. What did you think of the last display? The woman said she wasn’t a witch, but then, after it’s too late, the regent comes out and says he has a device to test for these things.”
His friend narrowed his eyes. “Is this a test, Alec?”
“No, Constantine, this is not a test. I’m serious. What are your thoughts? Between us.”
His friend pulled him aside, farther from the castle and out of earshot of the other guards. He lowered his voice. “I’m worried about you. Talking like that—it could get you in a lot of trouble.”
“Interesting,” Alec noted, “that your response is concern for me and not a defense of the regent.”
“I’m not saying anything one way or another,” Constantine said. “Nothing other than my allegiance is to you.” He tilted his chin back, then added, “And yours is to the regent, so it’s all good. Right?”
Alec slapped his hand against the back of Constantine’s shoulders. “It’s all good, my friend. It’s all very, very good. Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Look out for her.”
“For who?”
“Our next queen,” Alec said. “Whoever she might be. Look after her the same as you would me.”
“But that’s your job.”
“If anything happens to me,” Alec said.
Constantine’s face fell. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Of course not,” Alec said. He paused to share a knowing stare with his friend. “Theoretically speaking, is all.”
“Theoretically,” Constantine repeated. “In any case, I have your back. Trust that.”
“I just did.”
Then, without another word, Alec continued through the castle gates and took the path along the Vltava River. He cut through the woods and paused when he reached the fork that would lead him either to the marketplace in the inner city or the old woman’s home in the outer city.
A rustling in the bushes. A twig cracking. Alec headed toward the marketplace. He couldn’t be sure, but he sensed he was being followed. Of course, he could have turned around to check, but then if anyone were on his tail, they would know he was on to them.
Well, if anyone was following him, he would lose them in the marketplace, and they wouldn’t know it was intentional.
Either Alec was paranoid or the regent really did suspect something and had sent other guards to follow him. If that were the case, it wasn’t just some dummies in a bush he needed to worry about. Anyone could be trying to keep an eye on him.
He marched to the first door in a long row and knocked loudly. “Open up!”
He really could use a witch-testing device right now, but he would have to handle it the old-fashioned way now that the regent was “fixing” it.
The door swung open to an older man. “May I help you?”
Alec tilted up his chin. “I need to check your home. Move aside, please.”
Had this job really felt natural and right once? At this moment, everything about it felt wrong. Invasive.
“Yes, of course,” the old man said, stepping back from the door.
“Thank you.” Alec brushed past him and pretended to search the house for any signs of magic. When he was done, he thanked the man and left.
He continued this process for a dozen or so houses, taking his time in a few of them to give the illusion he was genuinely searching. If anyone were watching him, they wouldn’t know he’d gone “missing” until it was too late.
In the next home, he completed his search and headed out in the back alley near where he had first caught Adira. His heart caught in his throat as his gaze fell on the door to the abandoned apartment. There was little time for memory, though. He needed to get to the old woman’s house without anyone seeing him. Just once more. To have this one last day with Adira and do everything he could to make sure she was prepared for tomorrow.
Alec darted to the outer city and quickly lost himself in their alleys. Once he was certain no one was following him, he jogged over to Miss Balek’s home and let himself in.
He leaned against the door to catch his breath.
Anastazie ran down the hall and wrapped her arms around his legs. “Alec, you came! You’re late,” she said, letting go of him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall. “You have to see what Adira did!”
Alec followed the girl to the entrance to the training room, but he didn’t follow her inside. A
dira’s gaze caught his, her smile freezing him in place.
“You came,” she said, striding toward him.
No need to worry her with the specifics as to why. “Anastazie said you… Well, she didn’t say what you did.”
Adira nodded, linked her elbow around his arm, and led him toward one of the tables. “It’s nothing, really,” she said, lifting a leather cord from the table. Draping from the middle was what looked like a miniature sundial made from stone. “But I thought you would like it.”
As the pendant came to rest on his palm, his heart sank to his stomach. “A…a gift?”
She pressed up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Not just any gift. It’s enchanted. To protect you.”
Alec could do nothing but stare down at the small stone in his palm.
“Adira,” he said, imploring her with his gaze. “You didn’t…you didn’t use the regent’s cloves for this, did you? Those were for your protection.”
She beamed. “No,” she whispered, stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. “I used my own. My own magic, my own cloves…and my own runestone.”
“Your own…” He shook his head. He couldn’t have heard that right. “What do you mean, your own runestone?”
She flipped the sundial over, revealing a carving on the back of the stone. “I mean…my own runestone. That I made.”
Suddenly, the excited energy in the room and the way everyone was standing around watching them made sense.
“You sure?” he asked. “No one’s made a runestone since—”
“The original sixteen,” Anastazie provided, bouncing on her toes. “Can you believe it, Alec?”
No, he couldn’t. He lifted the leather cord until the sundial stone dangled before his eyes. “It works?” he asked, cutting his gaze toward Adira. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. He’d never seen her smile this much before. “I can save the sector,” she said. “You were right. I was meant for this.”
This was amazing news.
So why did he feel like such shit?
He grasped the sundial in his hand and forced a smile. “You did great, Adira. And thank you. I love it.”
Origin: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 1) Page 11