by Viola Grace
She crawled into bed and pulled the pillow against her face and rubbed her cheek against it. She inhaled deeply, and it was a moment before she realized that she wasn’t alone.
She didn’t turn around. “Argo, is there any reason that you are stalking me?”
“We just wanted to make sure that you were all right.”
“I am fine. A hot shower loosened stiff muscles and got rid of all traces of you.”
“Ouch. If you had stayed at the manor, I could have given you a massage this morning.”
She could feel the heat coming off his body but didn’t turn around to look at him. “If I had stayed at the manor, you two would have passed me back and forth between you.”
“Would that have been so bad?”
“I would have been immobile this morning.”
He chuckled. “We would have taken care of you. You aren’t afraid of sex, but you don’t indulge.”
“No. It causes issues. I prefer a calm and controlled life. Sex skews things.”
“But it is so much fun.” He moved until his hot breath was in her ear. “Why not come with me tonight?”
“Because I have plans for the morning.” She paused. “Wait, where is my car?”
“In your garage.”
She exhaled in relief.
“I could move it to the manor if it meant getting you back to us.”
She turned to glare at him and was nose to nose. “No. I have a life, and it is boring, but it is mine. You and Olmin don’t factor into it.”
“We would like to.”
She sighed. “You are after someone to scratch you behind the ears, and he wants someone to donate energy for sex magic. He had it, I donated it. Done.”
“With the power jolt you gave him, you should have passed out and lost your memories, but you just went to a well-deserved sleep. The power transfer didn’t affect you at all. Do you know how rare that is?”
“Considering that you have an erection just talking about it, pretty rare.”
“I had an erection the moment I transported in here. I would not have pegged you for sleeping naked.”
She snorted. “Clean sheet day. I like the feeling on my skin.”
He grinned. “I like the feeling of your skin.”
“I like the feeling of your fur, but that doesn’t mean I am going to ask you to shift. I don’t know what it costs you.”
He blinked. “I had not thought of that. Would you like to cuddle up with me?”
She blushed. “Yes, but nothing weird.”
“Nothing weirder than you cuddling naked with a large cat.”
She winced. “Fine. I retract my request.”
He kissed her quickly and then shifted into his feline form. He nosed his way under the sheets and blankets, turned against her body, and stretched out from her head to mid-calf. She wrapped an arm around him and stroked his ears, moving down his neck and stroking along his silky body.
He purred and let out low chuffing sounds. She yawned and curled against him, stroking him until she fell asleep.
* * * *
Olmin appeared in her bedroom, drawn by the mark he had placed under her skin. He looked at his friend and familiar, held prisoner against her body and looking very smug about it. The basics of the conversation were transferred in an instant.
“So, she isn’t averse to us, but she is not going to seek us out. Hm. I suppose we will have to apply pressure. Planting a suggestion in Alice’s mind will be easy. Getting her away from work will be more difficult.”
He wanted to touch her, but she snuffled and turned, her bare shoulder gleaming in the light from a distant hallway. Her dark hair slid, and there was no shirt or nighty to stop the progress.
“She’s naked?”
Argo’s thoughts were smug and detailed.
“Come home when she lets you go, but don’t wake her.” Olmin returned to his home, and he paced, trying to come up with a scenario that wouldn’t make him look like an imperious ass. She would notice that right away.
He frowned. He could put pressure on Alice regarding her new manuscript. If Maven was helping her, as Argo had observed, then she would step in to assist if Alice was in distress.
He groaned and closed his eyes, replaying the sighs and moans from the night before. Perfect. She wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but she was very attractive, and when she was aroused, she was gorgeous. Her lips parted, her cheeks glowed, and the soft sounds that she made were designed to drive him insane.
He shuddered and tried to focus. He was a warlock specializing in sex magic. He shouldn’t have idle dreams about a woman, even if that woman produced more sexual energy than any woman he had met in his considerably long life.
Argo was smitten as well. Even when he was guarding her, she still kept calm and treated him like a beast that deserved respect. She also scratched behind his ears. He loved that.
Right now, his best friend was cuddled up against the strongest witch that Olmin had ever met, and he was fucking smug about it.
He really wanted Maven back in his bed by Halloween, but that was only a few days away. It wasn’t for any ritual purpose, he just wanted to see her in a corset again.
* * * *
Sunday went by with only a few stray cat hairs in her bed and no other sign of Argo. She did her shopping for the week, stowed the frozen food, and got back to work.
When her phone rang, she jumped. It was Alice. “Hey, what do you need?”
“This is so exciting. I have just been invited to a formal costume party. I need your help with what I should dress as.”
Maven scowled. “Wait. What? Formal costume party?”
“Yeah. For Halloween night. I got a ticket. It is super exclusive. A full masquerade.”
Maven nodded. “Uh-huh. And what are you planning on doing there?”
“Dancing, drinking, flirting.”
“Where did you get the invitation?”
“My publisher. Only three other authors got them.”
“Oh. That sounds nice. Where is it?”
“The old hotel downtown. You know. The one that was just renovated.”
While she spoke, Maven was checking, and there was, indeed, a masquerade gala going on that night. “I hope you have a marvelous time.”
“Will you come with me to help me pick a costume?”
Maven sighed and checked the time. “Today?”
“No, tomorrow right after you finish work. Come grab me, the shop is a short walk away.”
She inhaled and exhaled. “Where will you be?”
“I have an appointment at my publisher at four. You can make it there for five, right?”
“Sure. I will be there.”
“Try and drum up some enthusiasm. This is going to be fun.”
Maven sighed and pasted a smile on her face. “Of course, it will. I will see you there tomorrow.”
When the call was over, she groaned. She didn’t know how, but she knew Olmin was trying to manipulate her somehow by using Alice.
She finished her short story and sent it off to her editor. It might not be a real story, but it was how she managed to buy the costumes that she loved to play with.
Well, she did love costume shops. Perhaps the trip tomorrow wouldn’t be a complete loss.
She tiptoed up to the reception desk and stated that she was waiting for Alice. The receptionist smiled and asked her to have a seat.
She was having a problem breathing. Every time the elevator chimed, she was worried that one of the guys was going to fall out of it. She looked at the clock and noted that Alice was ten minutes late. She checked her phone, and there were no messages, so she sent Alice a text that she was waiting.
She received OMW in return. She hoped that Alice was on her way. Patience was not one of Maven’s virtues.
The receptionist looked up and smiled. “Miss Hoarding? Alice is waiting for you in the boardroom on the sixth floor. It is the th
ird door on the left.”
“So, I can just go up there?”
“Please. Would you like me to walk with you?”
Maven blushed. “Please. I am horrible with directions and don’t want to end up in the wrong place.”
“Not a problem. A lot of our authors get turned around.” The receptionist put up a back in five minutes sign and walked with her to the elevator.
The guys certainly wouldn’t do anything in front of an employee.
The receptionist rode with her to the sixth floor and walked her to the room marked boardroom. She knocked and opened the door. “Miss Hoarding to see you.”
Alice’s voice was excited. “Maven, come here and check this out.”
Maven stepped into the boardroom. A costume shop was arrayed around the walls, and Alice walked out of the change room and twirled in a circle.
“Cinderella?” Maven smiled.
Alice smiled. “Precisely. Isn’t it amazing? Mr. Reckon brought the shop in for the authors who are going. Isn’t this great?”
She twirled.
“You look lovely. Glass shoes?”
The store clerk grinned. “Plastic, but still fairly comfortable.” The clerk looked her over. “I think we have something in your size, miss.”
Maven held up her hand. “I am not going. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, come on. We are paid for the day. A few more costumes won’t harm anything. I have some that would definitely suit your colouring.”
Alice was looking in the mirror and piling her hair upon her head.
Maven looked at the clerk. “Do you have anything simple?”
“I do.” A hangar with a lot of red on it was handed over. “This one comes with boots.”
Maven nodded and went into the change room. There was a petticoat, a gauzy red dress, an overskirt, and a corset in black with roses embroidered on it. Once that was all tight, she put on the chiffon cloak and looked at herself in the mirror. She had to tuck her boobs back into the top of the corset as it wasn’t really made for her cup size.
“Do you need help in there?”
Maven said, “Um, no. I think I am okay.”
“Do you need help with the corset?”
Maven stepped into the boardroom, and the clerk stared. “I think everything is in the right place. Right?”
“Turn slowly, please.”
Maven turned and looked at Alice. Alice had a sour expression on her face.
“Don’t make that face, Alice. It will stick like that.”
The clerk smiled and then blinked. “I forgot. Here is your accessory.”
The basket clinched it. “Red riding hood.”
“The costume looks amazing on you.”
The knock on the door froze her in her tracks. Argo poked his head in and asked, “How are things going in here?”
Alice smiled and gushed. “This is so much fun. Please let Mr. Reckon know how thankful I am for the opportunity to go.”
Argo turned his green gaze toward Maven. “Oh, are you attending on Alice’s extra ticket?”
Maven looked at him and watched the green gaze flicker to grey. “No. I am not attending.”
Alice blushed.
Maven returned to the change room and put on her street clothes. She handed the fabric to the clerk and smiled. “Thanks for letting me play for a while. The boots are in the changeroom.”
Alice grabbed her arm. “I was going to ask you, but you are so busy.”
Maven looked down at her friend’s arm. “You are right. I am busy. Good evening.”
She walked out of the building, concrete confirmation that her friend was trying to keep her from anything regarding socialization. It was one thing to suspect but another entirely to know. She was off to get herself some fucking ice cream.
Chapter Five
Maven sat at home until it was time for bed, and then, she crawled between the sheets with her t-shirt and panties. Nothing like knowing your best friend resented you to put you into a state of depression.
She grabbed the pillow that Argo had slept on and pressed her face into it. It smelled like dust, sunshine, and a bit of male.
* * * *
Olmin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, that backfired. I thought I was being so clever.”
Argo finished making dinner and set the table. “You couldn’t have known that Alice was that devious. It now explains why she wouldn’t bring anyone to any of the publisher events. She can’t stand to be outshone.”
“So, how did Maven take it?”
“According to the clerk, she simply thanked her, handed back the costume, and left.”
Olmin poured a glass of wine. “Was she upset?”
“She was polite.”
Olmin winced. “We both know what that means.”
“Yes. Maven is upset.” Argo sat with him, and they ate. He paused and looked up. “I think I know how to salvage this.”
He smiled and said to Olmin, “When is the last time you played fairy godmother?”
* * * *
Halloween was a fun day at work. She finished early and headed home. The black limo outside of her workplace was new. Her name on a whiteboard was a little surprising.
She walked toward the limo, and the driver smiled. “Welcome, Miss Hoarding.”
He opened the door and held her hand as she eased inside. There was a bottle that was labeled as a drink me potion, and an orb that said hold me.
She bit her lip and sniffed at the contents of the bottle. It smelled like nothing. She tipped the bottle back, and a tablespoon of fluid ran down her throat. Hmm. Nothing.
The orb was warm, and when she picked it up, the red colour ran up and over her, dissolving her clothing as it went. She was left in a very elegant and very risqué version of the red riding hood costume. The corset fit, so that was something. She touched her face, and the mask was in place. She hoped this lasted past midnight, or she was going to get cold.
The driver began moving, and they were on the way to their next stop. It was Halloween, so she was socially acceptable anywhere she went.
They pulled up outside the publishing house, and Olmin and Argo walked toward the limo, their coats folded over their arms, cuffs turned back, and ties loose.
The driver opened the door, and Olmin slid inside, pausing to take her in. “Hello, Maven.”
She grabbed him by his tie and pulled him toward her. “Thanks for the costume, Olmin.”
She kissed him sweetly, and he was surprised. When she leaned back, he whispered, “You look...”
“In danger of falling out of this corset? Trapped in the autumn without underwear?” She grinned at Argo as he settled in across from her. “And thank you for thinking of this.”
Olmin muttered, “How did you know it was his idea?”
“Because you didn’t rummage through my costume collection while I was asleep.” She stroked his cheek.
Argo chuckled.
She smiled. “So, what are you two going to dress up as tonight?”
They looked at each other and grinned. “Wolves.”
She blinked. “What?”
Olmin smiled. “If we are to indulge your penchant for costumes, we are to be the wolves. We have to return to the manor to change, of course.”
Argo nodded. “Of course.”
She knew that they wanted her to give a bit of a fashion show, but she was still rather nervous about returning to the manor. “I think I might wait outside.”
Argo smiled. “Are you sure you want to be alone outside with two wolves in the vicinity?”
She blinked. “Maybe I’ll just wait in the car?”
Olmin wrapped his arm under her and pulled her onto his lap. “I think that this isn’t the safest place for a woman in your state. You should be safe in the house.”
She looked into his icy grey eyes. “Should?”
He smiled. “We could make a deal.”
He slid his hand under the skirts. “We are very trustworthy.”
She unbuttoned his black shirt and stroked his skin. “Are you?”
He cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. “Oh, definitely. For you, I am exceedingly trustworthy.”
She inhaled the scent of him, and her body jolted to life at the taste of him. She stroked her tongue along his, and their slow make-out session continued until the limo came to a halt. She tried to lift her head, but he held her with a soft growl.
Maven squirmed to try and get away from him, but he gripped her thigh with the hand not locked in her hair. She got irritated and reached into his shirt, tweaking his nipple hard. That got his attention.
He let her go. “Ow.”
She sighed. “Can we go inside the house now?”
“Oh, we’re here?”
She snorted. “Yes. We are.”
She looked behind her, and Argo was sitting with a smug expression on his face. “It seems you have lost a bit of your wariness with us, Maven.”
She snorted. “You helped me through my cramps, so that is something that gives you a bit of leeway, but I have also noticed that you two aren’t letting up the pursuit, so I don’t have the energy to keep fighting. You two are exhausting.”
Olmin blinked. “So, you are just giving up because you are tired?”
She looked at him seriously. “Yes.”
Argo nodded and headed for the door. “We will take it.”
Olmin shrugged and grinned. “He isn’t wrong. Come on.”
He shifted her off his lap and handed her out to Argo. Argo helped her to stand, and he leaned her against him while Olmin left the limo.
Olmin took her hand, kissed her wrist, and walked her into the manor. Argo spoke to the driver, and they headed into the building where things had started less than a week earlier.
Olmin led her down the hall toward his room, and she got a little nervous. “We aren’t going to the party?”