“This isn’t going to happen overnight,” Cohen told her.
“But, I need it to. I need this.”
She felt him step closer, his body heat caressing her skin moments before his fingers did. He pulled her closer. Possessive hands gripped her tight. She wanted to push away, to try to focus, but his presence was too much. She melted into him, her hands running up his chest.
He growled, the sound turning into a purr. Her hands glided up to settle behind his neck.
“We didn’t come out here for a quickie,” he said, even though she could hear the desire in his voice. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent before exhaling with a groan.
“I thought we came out here to find my inner animal.”
Cohen growled. He sank to the ground with her in his arms. “I know one way to become an animal.”
She warmed through and through at the suggestion in his voice. Until the other day, she’d been untouched. Untouchable. No one had ever looked at her the way he did, no one saw the woman behind the witch. She’d tried hard to use a fraction of her magic, the parts that were harmless. Simple incantations. A bit of astral projection.
Yet, she unfurled the full potential of her mother’s power before him and he barely flinched. It was frightening, but so was he. She could feel the strength coiled in his muscles as his hands ran down the length of her. His touch worshipped her, and it made her eyes drift shut.
“Practice,” she managed to whisper.
Cohen paused. When she looked up at him, she saw the indecision cutting him in two. He clearly wanted to move forward, but they both knew they would need the animal inside her for what was coming.
A sly smile cut across his face. It was boyish and took her breath away. She could barely react as his head dipped and his fingers brushed aside the fabric of her dress. The sensation of skin on skin made her gasp. Every time, it was a new sensation.
“Cohen,” she breathed.
The sound in her voice was permission enough. She lost the fight and fell into him. He growled, a deep and rumbling sound that shook through her. It should have terrified her. It should have made her want to run.
But, she was not the rabbit anymore.
She was a predator in her own right.
Cohen’s lips left a trail down her stomach, one that danced with fire. She belonged to him, body and soul. There would never be anyone else who would know her the way he did. There would be no one else to find their way inside her, and she was okay with that. Cohen was all she would ever want.
She reached down, gripping his hair, and gently pulled his head up so that she could kiss his lips. He tasted of salt and earth on her tongue. His hands worked at his belt, fumbling as if he couldn’t move fast enough. The belt came free, then the fly, his jeans sliding down his hips to reveal the length of his hardened cock. He was ready.
She felt her core pulse. She was ready, too. He let out a small groan as his fingers slid between her folds. She arched into him, uncaring of the dirt floor beneath her. She wished she could have said her gaze was caught on the drifting night clouds over head, or the sparkling of the infinite stars, but her gaze was stuck on Cohen as he lowered himself over her.
Her breath caught in her throat as the head of his cock rubbed her entrance. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to that sensation. It heightened as he pressed forward and sank into her. Cohen let out a small sound, somewhere between a sigh and a moan.
He filled her to the brim, almost uncomfortably. Pain tingled around her core, making her bite her lip. Cohen looked down at her, a softness in his eyes, and gently touched her cheek. As his hips began to move, the pain melted away to be replaced by a wave of pleasure. It arched and crashed into her, like the ocean waves on her feet as she stood on the shore.
She rolled her hips, waiting for the big wave to crash and take her away. Her nails raked over his shoulders, catching on the fabric of his shirt. The sound of her moan echoed between the trees. It was followed by his rough groan.
Small creatures skittered through the wet underbrush, running away from their lovemaking as his grunts grew ferocious. He slammed into her. She cried out in surprise. Her nails sunk through his shirt and into flesh.
The beast inside her sank its talons into Cohen. It would never let him go. They were meant to be together. She’d known it since the very beginning. It’d only taken time.
Time she wished they had more of. Before she could think of what was coming, her orgasm rose and thundered through her. Cohen’s hand fisted in her hair, tugging as he gave one, last, hard thrust. He spasmed into her and the thunderous wave of her orgasm multiplied.
Her limbs trembled as the pleasure reached into her fingers and toes to render her boneless. She fell back into the ground, unable to move as it coursed through her, the last of the aftershocks becoming an echo. This time was unlike the first, all at once greater and better.
Cohen sank forward, rolling to lay beside her. “We came out here for a reason. Right?”
Ashe had no words to use. She had no voice. All she could do was turn her head into him and nod. The beast inside her was closer to the surface. Its wings beat against her skin and made her shudder again. Cohen’s arm around her tightened in response.
Even though her legs wobbled beneath her, she forced herself up. She tightened the belt of her dress and readjusted her panties with warm cheeks. Cohen watched her move with hungry eyes before standing and fixing his own pants. Her mouth went dry as she watched his hands deftly tuck his cock back inside his jeans and button them back up.
With their hunger for one another gorged for the time being, they were able to turn back to the mission. Ashe wanted to free the beast inside her, yet, as time passed, she realized it was not going to happen that night.
Frustration tightened her shoulders and made her jaw ache. No matter what they did, the beast stayed tucked away. She started to feel a little ridiculous, throwing her hands into the air as if she could fly away.
“It’s no use,” she cried.
Cohen stifled his sigh. “We’ll figure this out. Maybe not this time, but another. We have all the time in the world.”
Her eyes burned. “How can you say that? We don’t know anything. We don’t know if there will be a tomorrow for us.”
His lips formed a flat line. He looked away. They both knew she was right. The future, in that moment, was a precarious precipice. They didn’t know which direction to move, not until something happened. As it was, they were merely passing time until the next shoe dropped.
Unable to get what she wanted, they both stomped back toward the house. While Cohen ducked inside to grab food, she hesitated. She wasn’t ready to face the rest of them. For a brief moment, she’d thought she could be like the rest of them.
Like her Pack.
Yet, she was still trapped in her human body. She pushed Cohen to go ahead and lingered outside the door. The darkness of the night fell and wrapped around her.
Chapter Fourteen
It was quiet, the night motionless. Nothing stirred, surprising for a spring night. Animals should have been frolicking and calling out to their mates. Yet, Ashe stood behind Vancourt house and strained to hear anything.
A cold, creeping feeling ran down her spine. She’d pulled cards earlier, but each card she’d turned had been blank. It’s been a shock through her chest. Each and every card had been faceless, no matter how many she’d overturned. Nothing like that had ever happened before and she wasn’t quite sure how to read it.
Was this the end of the line for her? Or was she supposed to face the next few days with no help?
She ran a hand through her hair. Her world was constantly changing, the arrival of the Vancourt boys some kind of catalyst. There was an equal amount of good and bad. It was only a matter of time before it tipped into the awful. Now that she could no longer gauge the near future, she felt adrift.
“The only sure way to kill a witch is with fire,” a voice muttered.
Ashe spu
n around on the spot to find two male figures in the shadows. She opened her mouth to scream, but one leapt at her and slapped a hand over her mouth. In the light that filtered through the kitchen window into the back yard, she saw Grover’s scowling face.
Fear washed over her, cold and unstoppable. Her knees turned to liquid beneath her. She was so utterly useless. She cursed herself and fumbled to reach for her power, but fear had rendered it to putty in her hands.
Another figure stepped out of the shadows, the pale light turning Killian’s face garish. He smiled, the shadows over his face exaggerated and cartoonish. Her stomach turned. He’d followed through on his promise. She hadn’t delivered and now her own Pack was turning on her.
She tried to scream, tried to struggle, but more figures appeared. They grabbed her and held onto her flailing limbs. She’d always thought they’d come with pitchforks and torches. Instead, they’d come silent in the night, when she’d thought she was strongest. Shame filtered through her. She couldn’t fight back. No matter how much she tried, her power was intangible. Fear turned into ice in her heart.
This was it. This was the end of the line for her.
***
Cohen was woken by a scream. He shot up, breath coming fast. He patted the bed beside him and found it empty. Cold slammed into him like the crash of a wave, so hard it knocked him back. Where was Ashe?
He threw himself out of bed and flew down the stairs. She was there, she had to be. Instead, he found Gage. His brother was breathing heavy, clutching the doorframe. Cohen knew what was wrong as soon as he saw him.
“They’re here,” he whispered.
Gage’s lips formed a grim line. He searched for words, each moment dragging out scraping along Cohen’s consciousness. A note was clutched in Gage’s hand, crumpled as white knuckles gripped it. Where was Ashe?
“There’s only one man,” Gage said, finally. “Just… one.”
“That doesn’t sound half as bad as I thought. I expected an entire pack of Killian duplicates. Why should we fear one man?”
Gage swallowed, the sound echoing through the silent kitchen. “There’s something… something odd about him. While I was out there, I smelled something familiar. This shifter smells like us.”
Cohen thought back to his conversation with Killian. “He did say it was another bear shifter.”
Gage shook his head. “No, it was more than that. I mean this guy smelled like he could be related to us. I don’t know how, but…” His words trailed off.
Cohen could barely focus. He still scanned the kitchen as if Ashe would materialize from the shadows and reach for him at any moment. He wouldn’t put it past the witch and her amazing powers, but he had a sinking feeling she wasn’t around.
The bear roared inside him, a deafening sound that shook his bones. He needed to find her. They needed to make sure she was safe. There was no future, no life without her. She wouldn’t just up and leave them.
Would she?
His eyes dropped to the paper in Gage’s hand. His brother glanced down at it, too. A long moment passed, time suspended between them. Rage flowed through Cohen. He stomped toward his brother, backing him into the wall as the sensation of cold fire enveloped his body.
Gage looked up at his brother, betrayal and anger clear in his eyes. He slapped the paper against Cohen’s chest, shoving him back.
“That’s from your so-called mate.”
Cohen froze. He glanced down at the note, vision blurring for a moment. The words written before him were clear, even if he didn’t want to see it.
Don’t come looking for me because I’m where I belong now. Killing your father was all too easy and you’re all too boring.
Ashe
His heart sank to the floor. The bear shifter Killian had warned them about had arrived and the woman he’d thought was his mate had disappeared. During the fight with Killian, she’d stood behind him. Cohen hadn’t thought much of it, too wrapped up in the fight at the time, but now his mind wandered.
The bear refused to listen. It growled and thrashed, but Cohen could see the truth. She’d used them. For what, he wasn’t sure. But, he could see the signs of betrayal. He could see that she might not have ever been his in the first place. Ashe had belonged to this other bear.
His hand absently rose to the bite mark on his shoulder. No, absently wasn’t the right word. The bear moved his fingers to rub against the lingering scar. She belonged to them, the bear whispered. She was faithful. She was loyal.
But, Cohen couldn’t listen. He couldn’t even breathe.
“Are you alright,” Gage asked, his anger slipping into concern. As his brother stepped toward him, the bond of Pack settled over Cohen and his bear. It helped him think straight, helped the bear calm down. “Dad warned us about her. We should have seen this coming.”
Cohen snarled, unable to control himself. “Wake up your mate. Both of you need to start making calls.” He bit the words out from between clenched teeth. Anger boiled over him, seething and singeing.
This new bear and the betraying witch would die. No one would come onto his Territory and hurt his people. No one.
No one.
Chapter Fifteen
Ashe’s fear had turned to anger. A man crouched in front of her, a twisted version of her mate. Sampson’s words came rushing back to her, now lit by a whole new light.
Look out for my eldest son.
He hadn’t been asking her to take care of Cohen. No, he’d been issuing a warning. She stared back at the familiar honey brown eyes and scowled. His lips split into a smile. He laughed in her face before standing again.
“So, what do you think?” Killian asked. There was a nervous energy to his aggressive stance. He looked between the shifter and Ashe.
“I think she’s trouble,” the shifter said. There was a horrible familiarity to him. He looked so much like his brothers, yet there was a vicious light in his eyes that promised untamed violence that made Ashe’s stomach churn. “We should just burn her like Grover wanted.”
Ashe’s gaze flicked to the man with silver temples standing off to the side. He was watching her with furious intent. She narrowed her eyes and made a silent promise to give the man exactly what he deserved.
“What are you doing here, Grover?”
“I’m trying to find an Alpha who will actually step up to the plate and do something.” He gestured to the eldest Vancourt brother, a man she’d never met let alone heard of.
This shifter looked as though he might have five or six years on Cohen, his beard flush and his arms roped with shiny scars. At the sound of her voice he turned back toward her and crouched. He cupped her chin with his massive hand, not bothering to be gentle as he yanked her forward.
She could see Cohen in his face and it disgusted her. This man, a Vancourt brother they’d never heard of, was dangerous. She could see that he took after his father, his ruthless streak evident in the way he touched her, in the way he inspected her like a cow.
“No. No one has need of a witch. The last one had me kicked out of my own Pack and thrust from the memories of my family.”
Realization was sharp as it cut through her. Her whole body tingled. He was talking about her mother. She looked up at the shifter and he caught the surprise in her eyes.
The laugh that escaped him was rough, like gravel. “Yeah, that bitch. My father asked her for help when he realized I was going to overthrow him. He had her place a binding over me that kept me from being able to come back. As long as Sampson lived, I couldn’t set foot in Stonefall again.
“She even went the extra step and wiped my family’s minds. She wiped the minds of her pack to keep them from asking questions. She fucked with my family, so I fucked with her. It was fun to watch her melt into paranoia. Even better when I got to watch her ruin everything as she bound her husband to her for protection from me.”
It was this shifter’s fault that her mother was dead. He’d terrified her for what she’d done to help Sampson. He’d
made her think the only way to be safe was to bind a shifter to herself. Ashe looked back up at the man. He had to have been quite a bit older than Cohen, shifting having slowed the aging process.
She jerked her chin from his grasp. It was hard to breathe. She could do no more than drag in a shallow breaths, leaving her weak. Sampson had known what his death would cause. Her head snapped up and she found Killian. He’d known, too. He’d grown impatient, her remedies doing too much for the old man, and so he had gotten someone to kill Sampson.
Once he was dead, Killian’s Alpha could return.
Ashe had only one choice. Because Grover only knew her as a witch, he hadn’t bound her in silver. The metal meant nothing as long as she wasn’t a shifter. She turned inside herself and found the winged creature. The wide owl eyes looked back at her. It was wise and steady, a predator of the skies who would not be intimidated by this monster.
Now, she just needed to bring it out.
Oh, and she needed to learn how to fly very quickly.
She wanted to fall flat on the ground. How was she supposed to get out of this? The only trick she had up her sleeve was shaky at best. It was sudden death at worst.
Wait. She was forgetting herself. She had more strengths than the new animal inside herself. She’d had these strengths all along. Forcing her eyes shut, she reached inside herself and grabbed her soul. Yanking it free, she sent it toward Cohen. All she could do was warn him, but it was better than nothing.
***
Just as soon as Gage spotted him, the mysterious new shifter disappeared. Cohen, Gage, and Kaylee hunted through the woods for the shifter, but they caught nothing. The longer they searched, the more the scent became distant. It shouldn’t have faded so fast. It was as if they were already forgetting what the shifter had smelled like.
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