by C. C. Wood
“When I told you that I needed no protection, I did not lie,” she continued, moving toward me, an unnatural wind lifting the ends of her hair and tugging at the flimsy robe she wore. “I’m not arrogant nor am I weak. When the witch returns, this is who she will face.”
Ava stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel the lash and withdrawal of her power as it swirled around her. Strangely, it didn’t hurt. In fact, it was warm and nearly comforting. Like I had finally come home.
Mesmerized, I lifted a hand and slid the tips of my fingers along her cheek. The magic glowed just beneath her pale skin, bringing a golden cast to her face. I could feel tendrils of power curling around my fingers and hand, holding me as though her magic wanted to bring me closer. Ava faltered slightly then, her lips parting as she stared up at me.
Abruptly, she pulled the power back into her body. The light and wind that whirled around us vanished without a sound.
“You’re incredible,” I murmured, studying her face with new eyes.
She blinked rapidly for a moment before replying, “Thank you.”
I couldn’t control the jerk at the corner of my mouth. I wanted to smile at her obvious surprise, but I didn’t think that would be the best reaction at the moment.
It was my turn to be surprised when Ava lifted her hand and covered mine where it touched her cheek. Her movement pressed my palm more fully against her flesh and she leaned into my touch.
Her gaze remained on mine when she asked, “Do you understand now?”
I nodded. “I do, but I’m still not going anywhere.”
Instead of the irritation I expected, Ava smiled softly. “I thought you might say that.”
“But I think I’ll stand behind you when Rhiannon shows up,” I joked. “You can protect me for a change.” I couldn’t control my smile when she laughed lightly. It was the first exchange between us that felt comfortable. Usually our conversations were rapid-fire, almost adversarial, and fraught with sexual tension.
She released my hand and moved away, back toward the coffee sitting on the counter.
“And Ava?”
She glanced over her shoulder at me, waiting for me to continue.
“I take my coffee with cream.”
She nodded and took a step toward the fridge. I went back to preparing breakfast, deep in thought.
Despite all that Ava had just revealed to me, that damn itch on my back hadn’t faded at all. If anything it was growing stronger.
Rhiannon was coming for us both and I knew without a doubt that it would be in a way we wouldn’t anticipate and when we least expected it. She knew Ava was more powerful. Her attack wouldn’t be straightforward. No, she would come at us from an angle that would allow her to remain unseen for as long as possible.
Chapter Seven
Ava
I could feel the questions and frustration simmering inside Harrison all morning long. Finally, a short time before Savannah was supposed to arrive for her shift, I managed to talk Macgrath into leaving. Mostly because I batted my eyelashes at him and asked him if he minded picking up my lunch from a cafe down the street.
As soon as he was out the door and I knew he wouldn’t hear me, I marched over to Harrison. When I came to a stop in front of him, crossing my arms over my chest, he stared at me, his face expressionless.
“Spill it, Harrison,” I demanded. “You forget who I am. Something crawled up your ass today and I want to know what it is.”
His brown eyes flared, flashing to pure amber for a split second. I hesitated then. For his eyes to change, his wolf had to be close to the surface. Whatever he was thinking or feeling, it disturbed him on a deep level. He wasn’t just grumpy. He was on edge and barely clinging to his control. I needed to dial back the attitude if I wanted to get to the bottom of his turmoil.
I relaxed my posture, letting my arms drop to my sides, and gentled my tone when I asked, “What’s going on?”
For the first time since the day we met, he dropped his gaze from mine and stared at the floor. Harrison Morris might not be the alpha of the local pack, but it wasn’t because he lacked strength. He was likely the strongest alpha in this part of the state and he would never lower his gaze to anyone without one hell of a fight first.
It threw me completely off balance. Unthinkingly, I reached out and rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, but you’re freaking me out now. What is it?”
When he lifted his eyes again, they were the color of raw honey. His stare was animalistic, devoid of nearly all humanity. “Why is that vampire here?” he asked, his voice little more than a low growl.
I bit back a sigh. I understood shifters and vampires well enough. I should have anticipated that this would be an issue.
“There was an… incident a few weeks before I hired you. Macgrath was involved and now he feels obligated to protect me. And Savannah.”
He stepped closer, getting into my personal space. I hadn’t realized until that moment how much taller he was. He was a peculiar contradiction, Harrison Morris. He was an alpha shifter who worked hard to appear unassuming and non-threatening. A literal wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Now, with his feral amber eyes shining and his body so close to mine, I saw the true shifter beneath the facade. It seemed today was for dropping masks. I’d revealed myself to Macgrath and now Harrison was doing the same with me. I would be lying if I said it was unattractive. A strong male who knew what he wanted and who handled himself with confidence, well, that was something many women would find tempting.
“I’m more than capable of protecting you,” he insisted, his voice little more than a growl. He moved closer still, his body very nearly brushing mine. Heat radiated from him, as though his body temperature was several degrees warmer than human.
Despite the warmth emanating from him, I shivered and almost gave in to the temptation to step back, but I knew that would be a mistake. At this moment, Harrison was more animal than human. If I retreated in any way, his instinct would be to chase me. I would become prey, just not the kind he wanted to eat.
Well, maybe in the metaphorical sense. I knew by his body language he was interested in me in a sexual way and werewolves loved nothing more than to chase the females they wanted. If I backed down, he would see that as an invitation.
Instead, I lifted my chin and called up my own power. I wouldn’t fight him, but I needed to make it clear that here, in this place, I was in charge. If I gave him an inch now, he would become more overbearing and it was likely that he and Macgrath would come to blows over his territorial attitude.
As magic spread beneath my skin, effervescent and warm in a different way, he growled low in his throat. He didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t backing down, but he still had enough control not to pounce. I hadn’t known Harrison for long, but I paid attention. In order to keep his meek mask in place, he must possess iron control.
I counted on that self-control right now as I said, “You need to stand down, Harrison.” My voice echoed with power and he winced slightly, the magical timbre likely hurting his sensitive ears. “This is my place and I am the one who decides who stays and goes.”
He took a deep breath and I saw awareness returning to his eyes. I was getting through to him. Before I could speak again, the door crashed open and a blur moved through the shop. Then I was shoved back, two hands gripping my hips and holding me against a broad male back.
Two low growls rumbled through the space, so deep they were nearly inaudible even as they resonated in my own body.
Shit, fuck, damn, and hell. This was all I needed, a shifter and a vampire battling it out in a place where humans and witches alike could walk in at any moment. I called my power up, the sudden influx causing a blast of wind to ripple from my body.
Neither of the males facing off in front of me noticed.
But before I could cast the spell I intended to use, a bolt of electrical energy struck the floor between them. As one, the three of us turned towa
rd the door.
Rhys, Savannah’s fiancé, stood framed in the doorway, his hands still sparking with magic. “What the fuck is going on here?” he roared.
I could see Savannah peeking around his body, her face both curious and slightly amused. She knew exactly what was going on here: a territory dispute. And I was the territory in question.
I rolled my eyes and blew out a breath, the situation already diffused. Though Harrison and Macgrath were still tense, they were no longer on the verge of trying to rip out the other male’s throat.
I realized then that Macgrath still held my hips in his hands, keeping me pressed against his back. Shielding me from any possible threat, even if that meant he left himself undefended.
The epiphany made my chest tighten and my stomach clench. The idea that the vampire was not only willing to protect me but to possibly die for me, it struck a chord deep within me. The stone wall that had surrounded my heart for the last two thousand years began to crumble. Savannah and Rhys had cracked it, but Macgrath had the power to destroy it completely.
Instinctually, I placed a hand in the center of the vampire’s back, aiming to soothe him. Instead he tensed further, his hands gripping me tighter.
Resigned to staying where I was for the moment, I peered around Macgrath’s arm toward Rhys. “It’s all right. Just a misunderstanding.”
I shot a sideways glance to Harrison and found that his eyes were once again dark brown, though anger still simmered in their depths. His gaze dropped to where Macgrath held me and the muscles in his jaw flexed as though he was grinding his teeth. I would have to try to talk to him again later after he’d had a chance to calm down. Right now, I needed to soothe the vampire holding me in a death grip.
“Macgrath,” I murmured, rubbing the stiff muscles over his spine. “It’s fine. Harrison and I were having a minor disagreement. It’s all right now.”
He shuddered, releasing a breath, and some of the tension left his body. Some, but not all. Though he moved forward and put space between his body and mine, he didn’t release me completely. One of his hands fell to his side but the other reached out and clasped my hand, lacing our fingers and pressing our palms together.
The last of the electrical energy faded from Rhys’ fingers as he watched Macgrath’s actions.
I glanced around, encompassing everyone in my look, and said, “Give us just a minute, please.” My gaze rested on Harrison for a moment. “Why don’t you take your lunch break right now and we’ll talk later, okay?” My tone was soft but firm. Now was his chance to prove to me that he was willing to take direction from me. It was the only one he was going to get.
His eyes were searching as they met mine and I knew he saw the ultimatum there because he nodded. “I’ll be back in an hour,” he murmured.
But it wasn’t until he walked away, his back to the spot where Macgrath and I stood, that I understood he intended to be reasonable.
Once he left the coffee shop, I walked toward the reading room niche. I doubted that Macgrath would release my hand and I was right. He followed behind me, his fingers tightening around mine.
“Savannah, why don’t you make Rhys a cup of coffee?” I suggested. “Macgrath and I will be done in just a moment.”
Her grin was mischievous and her eyes gleamed as I shut the curtain between us.
I turned toward Macgrath, trying to figure out what in the hell I was going to say. Before I could decide where to start, his hands were back on my hips and he lifted me up, pushing me back against the wall. Then he moved in, pressing his body fully against mine and burying his face against my neck.
His mouth worked against my throat, lips and tongue tasting me. I sucked in a sharp breath as his fangs grazed my skin, the points barely touching my flesh.
My hands closed reflexively over his shoulders. My body wanted to pull him closer but my brain wanted to remind me that he’d been a possessive jerk.
He nipped my ear then whispered, “Wrap your legs around me.” His hips moved against my lower body and I felt the growing length of his erection there. When I didn’t comply immediately, his hands slid down from my hips to my thighs, simultaneously lifting and parting them. I gasped again when he rocked between my spread legs, his cock lining up perfectly with my center.
“Macgrath, wait,” I murmured. Despite my words, my hands moved up the back of his neck and fisted in the short strands of his hair. Between what his body was currently doing to mine and the way his lips moved over my throat, I was rapidly losing my ability to think clearly.
“Just once,” he whispered, his mouth roving over my jawline to the corner of my lips. “Just once, let me touch you.” I could feel the tremor in his fingers. “I need it.”
All the reasons I shouldn’t be doing this flew out of my head as his tongue whispered over my top lip. The only thing I could think about now was his mouth. I wanted it more than I wanted my next breath. I turned my head toward his and latched my mouth to his, my teeth sinking into his bottom lip and tugging lightly.
He groaned and plastered his body fully to mine, his hands no longer holding my thighs around his waist but moving up to dive into my hair. He fisted the long strands and pulled with delicious roughness, tilting my head back further.
My legs locked around him tightly and I moved with him as our tongues tangled. I tried to follow his mouth when he lifted his head, but his lips moved down my throat. One hand released my hair, sliding below my bottom and lifting me up higher until my collarbones were even with his chin. His other hand kept my head pulled back, baring my neck to him, before he finally released me.
I trembled in his grip as his mouth continued to move lower, over the skin revealed by the vee neck of my top. Using his torso to pin my lower body to the wall, he slipped both hands beneath the hem of my top and lifted, baring my sheer lace bra.
His lips closed over the tight nipple of my right breast, his tongue laving me through the material. My hands clutched his head to me and I arched my back, moaning loudly.
I’d forgotten everything and everyone, too lost in the sensations of his mouth, teeth, hands, and body against mine. Savannah and Rhys didn’t exist. Nor did Rhiannon. We had no past, no future. Just this one moment of insane, intense pleasure.
When Macgrath stiffened, his mouth leaving my breast, I moaned in frustration. I tried to tug him closer once again, but he resisted.
I suddenly understood why when I heard Savannah’s voice outside the curtain. While the spells on the framework and curtain kept the people outside from hearing what was going on inside the reading room, sound could still travel behind the curtain.
“Uh, Ava, I know you and Macgrath need to talk, but my two o’clock will be here any minute.”
“Shit,” Macgrath muttered against my sternum, his lips tickling me as they brushed my skin.
His eyes searched mine as he slowly lowered me to the floor. I met his gaze calmly and tugged my shirt back into place. He seemed confused by my lack of obvious reaction to what had just occurred between us.
As I set about putting my appearance to right, using magic to tame my hair and hide the redness I knew the stubble on his chin had left on my neck, he studied me.
Suddenly, he put a hand against the wall next to my head, leaned over me, and whispered, “I know what you’re doing, but I don’t care what barrier you put between us right now. I don’t regret what happened.” His mouth moved even closer, his lips barely brushing the shell of my ear as he continued speaking. “Because I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure it happens again.”
Shit, how did he read me so easily? Still, I couldn’t find it in myself to regret what just happened either. At least not right now. Maybe later, when I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to trust him until he’d earned it. At the moment, my hormones were in charge and those bitches were stupid and drunk on lust. I needed to keep the wall between us intact until they were no longer making my decisions for me. Once I was able to think clearly, I’d decide what to d
o about the chemistry between us.
While a denial wanted to fall from my lips, I swallowed it and lifted my hands to Macgrath’s chest, pushing him back a little. “I think it’s obvious you and I need to discuss this, but now isn’t the time or place.”
He saw right through my calm facade and the corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile. “So when is the time and where is the place?”
Once I was satisfied I no longer looked as if I’d been mauled, even though I had been in the most pleasurable way possible, I glanced up at him. “Later.”
His gaze sharpened and I knew he was enjoying this. He was a predator after all. They loved nothing more than the chase. “That’s not an answer,” he commented, his voice little more than a growl.
I pulled the curtain back with a sweep of my arm. “It’s the only one you’re going to get.”
His retort was lost in an explosion of glass and magical flame. A blast of heat reached my face just before a heavy weight hit my back. My head struck something hard and I groaned. Just as my vision began to fade, I lifted a hand and whispered one word. The word that would save us all.
As the spell snapped into place, I sank into the black.
Chapter Eight
Macgrath
I was too late. Too fucking late.
As I tackled Ava, I felt the hot breath of the explosion fly over our falling bodies. I did everything I could to cushion her, trying to twist my torso so she could fall on top of me, but we still hit the floor with a hard thump.
She murmured something I couldn’t understand and magic swelled around us. Tremendous pressure surrounded me. My ears popped and my chest compressed causing my breath to leave my lungs in a rush.
Then the flames and heat were gone and Ava’s body went limp beneath mine.
“Oh, fuck. Ava,” I said, rolling off her and to my knees. I bent over her boneless form, turned her over, and brushed her hair away from her face. Ava’s cheeks were pale and cool to the touch. Her eyes were closed but her chest moved with slow, even breaths. A large knot rose on her forehead, rapidly turning red.