The Bewitching Hour

by Mallory Crowe

  Derek forced himself to focus and move forward, focusing on each step. By the time they passed the foyer and down the next hall, he realized it was too late. Whatever Abigail had planned, she’d already done it. He needed to turn back. Get out before he couldn’t do anything. “I need to—”

  Heather twisted around and held a finger to his lips. “Shhh. I know what you need.” Her finger slid down and she replaced it with her lips. The pounding of the drums increased as she kissed him and it seemed to vibrate through his entire body. He reached out, running his hands along the curve of her waist and grabbing her ass, pulling her roughly against his now bulging cock.

  She pulled away and let out a little giggle. “Come on, Detective. We’re almost there.”

  He blinked as he followed her. Had he kissed her? He didn’t want Heather. He wanted Sam. He’d wanted Sam from the second he’d seen her outside his building waiting for him. The second she gave him that amazing coffee. The second he’d seen her have that fucking horrible vision to help him.

  Heather pushed open a set of double doors, and the room where the music was coming from was open to him. The floor was covered with barely dressed bodies dancing and pressing against one another. Some had their heads thrown back, reveling in the moment. Others, in the darker corners of the room, were intertwined with other bodies, the moans a subtle harmony to the pounding drums.

  Heather grabbed his arm and pointed across the room. “Abigail is in the security room. Cross the dance floor and you’ll be right there.”

  He knew that wasn’t an option. He needed to turn and get the hell out of here. But before he could do anything, Heather signaled to three of the women on the edge of the room who immediately closed in, surrounding him. The pounding got louder and he held his head in his hands.

  “Poor guy,” cooed one of the women.

  “You look exhausted,” said another one.

  “Come have fun with us.” As they spoke, they pulled him forward. One—a blonde in a barely there mini-dress—started to tug at his jacket while another one, a redhead, twisted her fingers in his shirt to pull him forward. He wanted to fight, but when the third squeezed to the front, she set her hand on the side of his face and pulled him down.

  When she kissed him, his mind shut down. He kissed her back frantically, barely noticing as his jacket came off. All he could see, think, and feel was the woman in front of him. He didn’t know what she looked like. What her name was. He just cared about touching her. About getting inside her as soon as humanly possible.

  He grabbed her arm, pulling her tightly against him as he kissed her hard. She pulled back, giggling, and angled her head for him to turn his attention to her neck.

  He ran his lips over her skin, breathing in her scent as he looked out at the tangle of bodies in front of him. He couldn’t see faces or details. Just blurs of motion and color. And then—

  Son of a bitch. It was him. Derek pushed the woman in front of him away and he heard her shocked gasp as he kept walking. He reached for his gun but realized nothing was there. Didn’t matter.

  He reached the mass of bodies and started to push people out of the way. The dick he’d seen leaving Sam’s apartment was here, and even if he had to use his bare hands, he was going to kill the bastard.

  Sam could feel the energy pulsing from Abigail’s place over a mile out. By the time she pulled up and parked the car, her heart pounded to the beat, begging her to get inside and soak in all the fun.

  But she wasn’t here for fun. And she tried to keep her pissed-off expression firmly in place as she walked around to the front of the house. Garrett stood by the door, looking disinterestedly out into the darkness. She intended to go right past him, but he moved to stand in front of the door, blocking her path.

  “Garrett, I don’t have time to talk right now. Where’s my mom?”

  “She’s inside. I need to—”

  “Thanks!” Sam started to head past him, but Garrett grabbed her arm, stopping her.

  “Derek Pierce. What do you know about him?”

  She stopped trying to free her arm and froze. “What do you care about Derek?”

  “Your mom asked me to run a full check on him. She’s looking for something to use against him and imagine my surprise when I realized he lives in the same building as you.”

  Sam winced. “Does she know?”

  “Nope. Your mother isn’t the easiest person to deal with. I like to know all the facts possible before she finds out the guy she wants to destroy lives on top of her offspring.”

  “Destroy? Destroy how?”

  “Destroy as in getting him to eat out of her palm. She doesn’t like factors she can’t control.”

  “But he’s clean. You didn’t find anything, did you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Shit.” She was happy Garrett didn’t find anything, but Abigail wouldn’t give up. That just meant she’d have to create her own dirt. “Where’s my mom?”

  “Security room, monitoring the festivities.”

  “Thanks for nothing.” Sam put her hand on his chest and focused her power through her palm, sending out the tiniest amount. Except instead of pushing him back, he went flying through the front door and crashed into the furniture in the foyer.

  “Mother—” She never finished the curse as she strode inside and, walking over Garrett, continued onto the security room. The fastest way was through the ballroom, but the people would make it too crowded. Halfway there, she started a jog, urgency tugging at her. She skidded to a halt in front of the security room and pushed the door open to see her mother standing over the monitors, staring intently.

  Abigail jumped as the door slammed against the wall. “Samantha. I didn’t expect you to show up.”

  “What are you doing with Derek?”

  “Derek showed up out of the blue today and was asking questions.”

  “He’s a cop. They tend to do—”

  “He asked about the fire.”

  Sam winced. “He doesn’t know anything, Mom. Just leave him alone.”

  “He has your charm, Sam. The charm your grandmother gave you and only you. This is the best way to get it back.”

  “Whatever your plan was, call it off. Derek is off-limits, Mom.”

  Abigail’s eyes widened and Sam knew she was in trouble. It took a lot to surprise Abigail Harris and Sam had just done it. “He didn’t steal that charm, did he? It was freely given.”

  “He’s a good man, Mom. He’s just trying to help people.”

  Abigail sneered. “No. He’s going to get you killed. I’m helping people. I’m helping you. Go home, Samantha. You haven’t wanted to be a part of this family for years.”

  “What are you going to do to Derek?” she pressed. She wasn’t leaving until she found out.

  “It doesn’t matter what I’m going to do. Once your grandmother finds out you gave him that charm, he’s as good as dead. Cut your losses while you’re ahead.”

  “Is this before or after Grandma finds out you lied about Tommy?”

  Abigail’s calm finally snapped. “I was protecting you!”

  Sam stepped back. There had been so few times she’d ever heard her mother scream, and the sound vibrated within her. She wanted to keep up her show of strength, but she couldn’t manage to look up from the ground. “Just tell me what you’re going to do to Derek. Give me a chance to stop you.”

  “It’s too late. He already drank the Full Moon Potion. It’s just a matter of time before he snaps.” Abigail turned to look over at the wall of monitors. “It’s already started.”

  Sam jerked her gaze to the screens and stepped forward and past her mother to see better. There, in the center of the ballroom, was a crowd of witches and warlocks, but they weren’t dancing to the beat of the drums. They were huddled in a circle, looking at something....

  Recognition slammed into her. Derek was in the middle of an all-out brawl with someone. “He’s here? You gave him the Full Moon Potion here?” Before her mot
her could answer, Sam recognized the man Derek was currently slamming his fists into. “He’s gonna kill him.”

  Abigail scoffed. “I gave orders to keep the detective alive. The last thing I need is another death to cover up. Stop worrying, Samantha.”

  She backed away from the screens, shaking her head. “No. Derek is going to kill Jackson.” She pivoted and ran. She’d been in this house hundreds of times, but the hallway had never felt as long as it did now as she forced her feet to move faster than they ever had before. Once she was in the ballroom, the music and energy only added to the sense of urgency. She heard the screaming encouragement of the crowd.

  Sam roughly pushed her way through the crowd, and when one oversized warlock refused to move, she used her power to shove him. This time, her magic actually listened and he shot ten feet to the left, taking out everyone in his way. After that show of force, everyone else parted for her, but Jackson and Derek were too far gone to notice anything.

  Jackson was strong and with pretty much anyone else would have had a chance. But his magic wasn’t working on Derek and not a single blow landed. Jackson kept blocking and ducking, but Derek was relentless. And then he stopped mid-punch and grabbed Jackson’s wrist when he tried to block; with one vicious twist, the sound of the resounding crack echoed through the loud, crowded room.

  “Stop!” screamed Sam, but neither of the men heard her.

  Jackson’s face contorted in a mix of agony and rage as he screamed. The power of the scream reverberated through Sam and she knew that if Derek hadn’t still been keeping her charm close, he would’ve died. Jackson reached back with his good hand to go for Derek once more, but Derek beat him to the punch, literally, and the crack of knuckles against Jackson’s face caused Sam to shudder.

  “Hey!” she screamed again, still getting no reaction from either of the men. But when Derek reached back to give another punch to a now barely coherent Jackson, Sam knew she had to do something.

  The split second before Derek struck Jackson, she jumped forward and grabbed his wrist. The added force wasn’t enough to stop the blow, but she was able to deflect it so his knuckles just glanced off the cheekbone.

  Derek dropped Jackson and twisted around, turning his fury toward Sam. “You,” he breathed.

  Sam dropped his wrist and stumbled back. “Can’t seem to get rid of me,” she muttered.

  “You slept with him.”

  Derek’s eyes were black under the dim lighting of the room. He was under the full force of the spell, and the energy that swirled around them was only making things worse. “I was weak. I needed to regain my full powers and—”

  Derek’s hand shot to her throat, cutting her off mid-sentence. It was only belatedly that she realized she could still breathe. He wasn’t squeezing her throat. Just holding her. She wrapped her fingers around his arm, the muscles tense beneath her touch. A reminder of how perilous her situation was.

  “Never again!” he screamed.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Sam saw Garrett behind Derek, raising his gun. Abigail hadn’t intended to kill him, but Sam was betting that if he didn’t let her go soon, he’d be a dead man no matter what the original plan was.

  She held up one hand, signaling Garrett to hold back. “Never again,” she said softly. She racked her mind for what she knew about the Full Moon Potion. Derek was in his most primal state right now. If she wanted to get him out of this, she needed to appeal to his beastly side. “From now on, I’m yours.”

  Derek brought her closer and stared down at her. “You’re mine.”

  Sam’s heart beat faster as she tried to catch her breath. “All yours.”

  The seconds stretched out as she waited for his next move, but then he closed the distance between them and crushed his mouth against hers.

  Sam smiled in relief as she kissed him back. His hand was still on her neck, but it slowly changed from the commanding presence to a caress. A commanding caress, but less threatening all the same. His lips and teeth pressed against her and his other hand reached around her, settling at the small of her back and pulling her roughly against him, where he pressed the hard evidence of his arousal against her.

  Sam ripped herself away and tried to speak but needed to take a second to catch her breath. “Come on.” She reached up and rested her fingers against his and guided his hand from her neck. “Let’s go to my room.”

  Derek was just as out of breath as she was, and she wasn’t sure how much he could comprehend through the fog of the potion, but he didn’t stop her as she pulled away and took his hand. When she turned, the entire crowd parted for them. She tried to ignore the dozens of eyes on her, but Derek squeezed her hand. She wasn’t sure whether he was offering her comfort or it was one more way of declaring his possession.

  Once they were out of the ballroom, Derek tugged on her hand and she was back in his arms. He kissed her again, backing her against the wall as he raised one of her legs and pressed his hard cock right where it belonged. Sam moaned as he rubbed against her and started to tug at her shirt. Three buttons immediately popped off, bringing her back to reality. She needed to get him somewhere private or he was going to start fucking her right here where someone was bound to walk out any minute.

  And, considering Derek was under the influence of her family’s magic, she didn’t want him doing anything he’d regret in the morning. Well, he would do her, but at this point she just had to hope the idea wasn’t all that repulsive to him.

  No. The spell only amplified what was already there. Derek started to pull her shirt over her shoulders and Sam pushed him away. “Bed,” she said, full sentences too difficult at this point.

  “Fuck,” said Derek, apparently agreeing with her more simplistic language choice as he reached between her legs and cupped her wet panties.

  Sam’s jaw dropped as she caught her breath. Bed. Sooner rather than later.

  “Fuck soon. Bed now.” She had never actually lived in this house, but Abigail kept a room for her at all times. Now she just had to remember where it was....

  Derek pulled her into the first door on the left. No bed but there was a couch. Yep. This was going to have to work. She pushed the door shut and tore herself away from the haze Derek had pulled her into. She locked the door and gave an extra magical boost to make sure no one could get in.

  Before she could check to see whether it worked, Derek grabbed her hips and pulled her back against him. “I have you alone now.”

  She sucked in a breath and he guided her ruined shirt over her shoulders, moving himself just far enough to let it drop to the floor. He wrapped an arm around her bare waist and bent forward, taking her earlobe in his teeth. This time it was she who closed the distance between them, searching out his heat. She flashed back to the first time she’d ever seen him. Just a quick introduction while passing on the stairs. He’d been so damn hot and so untouchable to her. She reached down and set her hands over the arm holding her against him. Now she could touch all she wanted.

  She twisted in his arms and didn’t hold herself back this time. She devoured him the same way he devoured her. She let go until she accessed that same primal part of her that he was embodying. He groaned as he picked her up, twisting around until he reached the table next to the window. He rested her ass right on the edge as he fisted his hand in her hair, bending her until her neck was bared. He bit at the soft skin before he gave her a gentle kiss, the hard and soft sending shocks of arousal through her. She hooked her legs around his waist and pulled him in close.

  He thrust against her, through the layers of her panties and his pants, as his mouth moved lower. He cupped her breasts through the cups of her purple bra and pushed them up and together, taking a soft bite of one of the mounds before he reached around with one hand to unhook the clasp in a quick motion. A second later, the bra was on the floor and his mouth was on her nipples. Even in his caveman state, he knew exactly how to touch her and she arched her back.

  As he switched to her other breast, o
ne of his hands reached between their bodies and without any preamble, he ripped her panties, the sharp tug a sudden shot of pain mixed with her arousal that he’d just ripped off her panties. She grabbed onto his shoulders and her nails bit into them as she waited for his next move.

  For the night, her body was his and she was just waiting to see what he’d do with her next. And damned if that thought didn’t turn her on like hell.

  Abruptly, he pulled away and stepped back. Before she could ask what was happening, he tugged at her hips until she stood on shaky feet. He turned her around until she faced away from him, then set a hand between her shoulder blades until she was bent in front of him, her elbows resting on the table. He ran his hand down her back slowly. “Mine,” he breathed again. She didn’t know whether he even knew he said it. but before she could think much into it, he pushed her skirt up and over her hips so she was bared to him. The pads of his fingertips just brushed over her ass before he slid two fingers inside.

  She bit back a moan at the sudden sensation. She knew he’d find her so ready for him. She felt as if she was going to explode if he didn’t fuck her soon.

  “You’re so fucking wet,” he said from behind her.

  Well, duh. She was pretty sure the entire house was vibrating with her arousal, but then he was moving his fingers inside her and she didn’t care. His thumb brushed her clit and she unintentionally jerked away from him. No....

  The sound of his zipper going down seemed to echo in the sexually charged room and then he was there, his cock pushing at her entrance. She held her breath as he slid home in one smooth stroke. He paused for a moment inside her and she adjusted to his size.

  “Sam,” he breathed. Softly, almost a question. The real Derek surfacing for one quick moment.

  “Just fuck me,” she said. They’d worry about repercussions tomorrow. For right now, they both needed this. Hell, she didn’t think she was capable of just walking away at this point.