“You have no idea how much I want you to touch me,” I began. “I still don’t trust myself with you.”
“I trust you, Gryph,” she assured me. “You’re a good man.”
A humorless bark of laughter escaped my lips. “A good man? No, I am definitely not a good man. I’ve done horrible things that I don’t regret. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone to sing my praises, Sass.”
Then it happened. She did that thing that always left me hard and aching for her—the thing that had first awakened my wolf’s interest in her. Julia yanked her hand out of my grip and smacked my chest. “Knock it off, Gryph.”
Damn if that witch didn’t get me hot when she was standing up to me with no trepidation at all. I wasn’t used to people looking at me with anything other than fear or revulsion, usually both. Julia never looked at me that way.
“What made me think I could let you go?” I asked her with a shake of my head.
“You weren’t given much choice,” she replied on a sigh. “I’m sorry, Gryph.”
“What are you sorry for?” I pushed, suddenly tense and worried she’d try to put distance between us again. I expected her to say she was sorry she couldn’t give me what I wanted from her. This time, I was going to fight for her, but I might need to go for another run if she bluntly turned me down tonight.
“I’m sorry I was so unfair to you before,” she began. “Witches aren’t supposed to be looking for romance, or whatever it is we’ve got going on. We’re all meant to be with the perfect witch or warlock, the one whose magic complements our own. That’s what I’ve been raised to believe. I was trained to test magic between couples and told without a perfect match the relationship is doomed. From my past relationships, I’ve learned how true that is.”
We were at a point where I needed to quickly decide which direction this conversation would take. There were two ways I could handle this. I could ignore her magic moving along my skin and within my body. I could pretend that wasn’t happening and bring it up when I thought Julia was ready to discuss it. The other option was to confront Julia about what was happening.
“Your magic is drawn to me,” I stated. The first choice was never really an option. I wasn’t interested in playing games with Julia.
“Yes,” she admitted without hesitation. “It’s been drawn to you since I saw you in wolf form. I don’t know why that happened, and I’m not sure I’m in any position to try to figure it out tonight. We got really off track here. I know you want me to agree to be your mate, and to just jump in with both feet, but I can’t do that, Gryph.”
My wolf growled beneath the surface of my skin, fighting against her words. The man in me heard them for what they were, the beginning of a negotiation. Unlike the other times, Julia wasn’t shutting me down. She wasn’t rejecting me. “I should have known you couldn’t just agree to be my mate,” I told her. “You’re not a werewolf, and it wasn’t fair to expect you to act like one. I should have given you more time.”
“You’re not good at waiting for what you want,” she added with a laugh. “I imagine you usually just get your way.”
“For the most part,” I agreed. “If I’m going to acclimate to life away from werewolves, this is a skill I need to learn. How about if I court you?”
“Court me?” she asked with a giggle. “Where did you come up with that phrase?”
“It was used more when I was younger,” I explained.
“How old are you?” Julia asked as she studied me closer. “That term hasn’t been used in quite some time.”
“I’m two-hundred and fifteen,” I replied.
Julia gave me a teasing grin. “I guess I’m taking dating an older man to the extreme. I suppose it could be worse. I could have dated my demon professor in college. He was over a thousand years old.”
“I guess you don’t have a thing for ancient demons,” I mused, trying to remind my wolf that we didn’t need to be jealous of a demon she hadn’t even dated.
“I was worried I’d catch something,” she explained.
“You were really tempted?” I asked.
“He had three tongues and a reputation for going down on witches for hours,” Julia explained.
My eyes widened. “You’re fucking with me, right?”
“Nope,” she replied with a grin. “Remember the two pretty demons I helped yesterday?”
“That’s right. You told me they have three tongues,” I stated.
She nodded. “That variety of demon is also very pretty.
“They certainly are, if those two are anything to go by,” I agreed. “I can see why he had so many witches chasing after him. Imagine how loud I could make you scream with three tongues.”
Julia flashed me a flirty smile. “You do just fine with one. I would definitely consider that one of the benefits of dating you.” She cursed under her breath before continuing. “Forget I said that. I tend to turn things into a joke when I’m nervous.”
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “Why don’t we get some sleep? We can go over the details of our courtship when we’re both rested.”
“Go over the details of our courtship?” she asked with a giggle. “You sound like we’re negotiating a peace treaty. If we’re going to try dating, we can see how things go along the way. Negotiating just seems like a way for us to end up arguing about details.”
“I’m not good at doing things without a plan,” I admitted. “It threw me off when Allie agreed to drop Oliver off at Melina’s house tonight since I’d expected him to come home with us. You were right about him needing a distraction after what happened.”
“I hope he’s not being a problem for her,” she admitted. “Oliver doesn’t get along with most people or familiars. While he really likes Mr. Whiskers, he and my brother have always had a strained relationship. When Oliver was a puppy, he liked to pee in Trevor’s shoes whenever we went for a visit. It didn’t matter where Trevor hid them, Oliver found them and peed in them.”
That image was enough to make me laugh. For a little dog, Oliver had a lot of attitude. It was one of his best qualities, in my opinion, but I imagined it rubbed others the wrong way.
“We should head up to bed, Sass,” I told her, reaching out my hand.
When she immediately took my hand, I breathed an inner sigh of relief. We’d agreed to date. After the craptastic day with the new threat to Julia and the reaction of the police, I’d needed something positive. Now, I just had to figure out what dating a witch involved so I didn’t look completely clueless or screw things up.
Chapter 27
The Gentleman Warlock
With the resources of the police on my side, locating the werewolf’s home should have been a simple matter. First, I’d needed to discover the identity of the one-armed werewolf. That part had been easy. There weren’t many one-armed werewolves working security.
Finding the address of the trailer the werewolf had stayed in after being cast out from his pack had also taken little effort. Up until about eight months ago when he’d taken a job protecting Melina Blackwood, there was no record of him doing anything. Since then, the werewolf had taken on other security jobs, ones that would normally have been referred to the local pack. It seemed he was still a force to be reckoned with, and he’d even managed to get a special security clearance from the Council of Witches.
I’d immediately gone to check out the trailer where he’d been staying. Having seen a picture of it, I’d already expected to find it empty. There was no way a witch like Julia Dupree would agree to stay in something that dilapidated. Sure enough, the trailer was empty, and according to the people who’d rented it to him, the werewolf had been gone for months. The trail ended there. It was as if, other than work records, the werewolf had dropped off the face of the Earth.
Sitting back in my chair, I steepled my fingers and tried to come up with another angle to get close to the blonde bitch. Her office seemed like the only option, unless she suddenly decided to return home. A frustrated gr
owl erupted from the back of my throat. I might be forced to settle for punishing someone close to her. Opening another file, I studied the images of her sisters again. Both looked strikingly similar to her, and the loss of either would cause her great pain. I’d gone over the details of their lives, hoping to find some other reason they deserved to die. It would make it easier to justify killing one of them.
In the end, I came to the same conclusion as before; Julia Dupree had to die. I needed to get her alone for a few minutes, and then she’d be mine.
I tugged at the collar of my shirt. Maintaining this form was uncomfortable for long stretches of time. My family’s unique ability involved a form of shapeshifting magic. To me, this had always seemed like a great power, but the Council of Witches felt it proved we were of an inferior bloodline, one tainted by demon blood. The bastards on the council were all too high and mighty.
Demon blood or not, I owed my personal wealth to my shapeshifting ability. It was easy to rob a jewelry store after hours when all I had to do was kill the guard and take his form. The guard would be caught on camera committing the crime before he disappeared, never to be heard from again. Sadly, my parents and sister had never appreciated what could be done with power like ours. It had been years since I’d seen them.
With my wealth, I could have anything I wanted—anything except the elevated rank I desired most. Having Tatiana Ashcroft bound to me would make that possible. It’s why I’d pursued her. I’d bought her every frivolous thing she’d asked for. Her ridiculous request for a fantasy weekend had led to the situation she was in now. Had we never gone to Bliss, Julia Dupree wouldn’t have been able to put doubts in Tatiana’s mind. I wondered how Tatiana was enjoying her time locked away. Sadly, I might need to kill her in the end. I hated the thought of starting over with another witch.
The phone belonging to the shade I was impersonating rang, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I answered in a bored tone.
“We’ve got another crime scene to check out,” the caller announced. “I guess some rich witch disappeared.”
“Kidnapping?” I asked as I gathered up what I’d need.
“Probably not,” he replied. “Looks like she just ran off, but the family’s important, so we’re investigating it as if it’s a kidnapping. We’ll need crime scene techs to prove we’re taking this seriously.”
“Just send me the address and I’ll meet you there,” I said before ending the call.
I chuckled when I saw the address. It looked like the Ashcroft’s had finally discovered their daughter was missing. Just as I’d suspected, the police weren’t taking the complaint from Tatiana’s parents seriously. I’d have to stop by to visit her later, to taunt her with how hopeless her situation truly was. I might not have a way to get to the blonde bitch yet, but this would be an entertaining distraction.
Chapter 28
Gryph
I had blue balls from hell, and it didn’t seem I’d be getting relief any time soon. Julia had been warm and inviting when we’d gone upstairs to bed the night before. She’d invited me to join her in her room, and I’d been tempted. I wanted her with a need that made every part of my body ache, but I couldn’t give in just yet. While we’d talked a little more about what it meant to date a werewolf, Julia still didn’t fully understand, and I wasn’t sure how to explain it all to her without scaring her off.
I’d been tempted to pleasure her again. I’d enjoyed making her come before, and I could have gone into the shower to relieve some tension when I was done. What stopped me was the way her magic moved along my body as our mutual arousal grew. I had no idea what was happening, but by the time we got upstairs, I’d barely been able to walk from the sensation of her magic sliding along my dick. Her magic was even more sexual than I’d guessed.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Julia asked from my side after we stepped into the elevator.
“I’m fine, Sass,” I assured her.
“You’ve been quieter than usual,” she remarked.
I moved to stand in front of her and grinned when she took a step back. As I closed the distance between us, she leaned against the elevator wall and looked up at me. Leaning in, I cradled her face in my hand and brushed my lips against hers.
“Don’t worry, Sass,” I murmured close to her lips. “I just have a lot on my mind after last night.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
I pulled away when the elevator dinged, and Julia laughed at me. “You look like you’re worried about getting caught kissing me,” she said around a laugh.
“I don’t want to embarrass you,” I admitted as I stepped out into the empty Bliss lobby. “Last night, after I left you at your room, I got to thinking about all the differences between courting for witches and werewolves. I’m sure I’ve broken a lot of rules with you. That’s probably part of the reason you didn’t think I was serious.”
When I looked over at Julia, I found her lips twitching. It was clear she was struggling to keep her laughter under control. “A lot has changed since you were a young man,” she began. “I’m not embarrassed to be seen kissing you. I promise to tell you if you’re pushing things.”
“That seems fair enough,” I agreed at the door to Julia’s office. “I’m going to check on a few things.”
Before I could walk away, Julia caught my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You are absolutely adorable.”
I let out a startled bark of laughter. “Adorable? I’m not sure anyone’s ever called me adorable.”
“Your mother must have called you adorable when you were a little boy,” she insisted.
“Nope,” I assured her. “I was scary even back then.”
“Well, you’re adorable when you’re trying to figure out how to court me,” she insisted as she sat behind her desk.
I was shaking my head in wonder as I walked away from her office. That witch constantly surprised me. Despite Julia’s insistence that we just see where things went with me courting her, I needed a plan. I’d never been the type to do anything without a plan. Figuring Allie would be able to help me, I headed to her office after setting up the laptop in the conference room and checking to make sure all the video feeds were working. I’d scan the feeds from the night before after I talked to Allie since I needed to get to her before her first appointment.
Persephone was just setting up at her desk when I exited the conference room to head toward Allie’s office. “Good morning, Gryph,” she called out cheerfully. Persephone was always cheerful. From what I’d heard, she’d been homeschooled in a small town and didn’t have much experience with other preternatural creatures. Her parents had even kept her away from other witches.
“Good morning, Miss Persephone,” I responded with a smile. “Have you had any luck finding a new place to live?”
“I should hear back on the place I put in an application for today,” she told me. “It’s in a human apartment complex.” The last was said in a near whisper as if it was some big secret.
“Have you spent much time around humans?” I asked.
“Other than my parents, that’s who I spent all my time around growing up,” she replied. “Out here, spending too much time around humans seems to be frowned upon.”
I stopped to consider what she’d said. It was true. Most in the preternatural community avoided humans, except for vampires who needed them for food, and shades who sometimes took possession of their bodies. “It seems you had a healthier upbringing in that respect,” I remarked.
“I’d agree with you if my upbringing hadn’t been to keep me away from other witches,” she added with a shrug. “Oh well. It’s all water under the bridge now. My parents did what they thought was best. I’d better get to work.”
“Is Allie in her office?” I asked. “I was hoping to catch her before her first meeting.”
“She just came in, and she doesn’t have any clients for the next two hours,” Persephone replied.
“Thanks,” I told her as
I hurried toward Allie’s office.
As soon as I slammed the door behind me, Allie regarded me with a raised eyebrow. Her reaction made sense since I wasn’t one to just barge into a room. I’d been raised better than that.
“Sorry,” I began. “I know it’s rude to just come in here unannounced, not to mention slamming your door like that.”
Allie waved off my apology. “We’re friends, Gryph. You can get away with being rude. What’s wrong?”
“I could really use some advice,” I told her.
As a half-succubus, Allie likely sensed I was also dealing with an insane amount of sexual tension, but she said nothing. “Is this about Julia?”
“Yes,” I began before clarifying. “It is, but it isn’t. I need help in a general sense. It does have to do with Julia, but I’m not here to ask you about Julia specifically.”
Allie shook her head to clear it. “Why don’t you have a seat and see if you can explain this a little better?” she suggested.
I nodded and sat directly in front of her desk. “I’ve come to a compromise with Julia regarding our situation.”
“That’s good,” Allie remarked. “At least, I think it’s good. You still seem really stressed. Is this a compromise you aren’t happy about?”
“I’m happy with our agreement,” I assured her. “I’m going to court Julia.”
“That sounds like a smart move,” Allie agreed. “Dating will give you both a chance to get to know each other better.”
“I don’t know how to court someone,” I confessed.
“Werewolves don’t date?” Allie asked.
“They do,” I told her. “It’s likely different from what others do, but most werewolves have a courtship of sorts. I thought I understood more about witch courtships, but it seems any knowledge I have is out of date. I became an enforcer at sixteen, so there wasn’t much time for socializing.”
“Wow! That’s a really long time to be in that role,” Allie remarked. “You missed out on so much.”
“It was fine,” I assured her. “Being an enforcer was what I wanted most, so I didn’t mind making sacrifices. This is the first time I’ve ever wanted to court someone.”
Seductively Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 3) Page 12