“We blow up cabins?” I asked in a deadpan voice.
“Fuck that cabin, it couldn’t contain us.” He smiled, but there was something in his eyes—sadness? “When you remember everything, you’ll hate me, sweet girl, but I won’t care. Because, again, I kind of like it when you don’t like me,” he whispered.
My breath hitched as a tear rolled down my cheek. “I don’t understand.”
“Are you happy?” he asked again, and I blinked.
“You’re seriously asking me if I’m happy.” I blinked again. “Like right now?” My eyes focused on his throat as he swallowed hard. “I’m naked in the woods with a man I don’t even like. We just destroyed a cabin that didn’t even belong to us to destroy and you’re still inside me. I tried to kidnap you and you let me! You have runes on your crazy ass eight pack that must prevent anything like that from happening. You weren’t really unconscious, were you? Which means I am the world’s biggest idiot right now, and I seriously feel stupid,” I huffed. “We went to war with our bodies, and I mean, not the good kind. I don’t even like pain and yet I already crave more from you. I’m pretty sure I just had the biggest, most earthshattering, cataclysmic orgasm of my entire life because you fucking bit me! Who does that? Who comes apart because some guy they hate bit the shit out of them? I’ll tell you who: crazy people! Normal people don’t do shit like this! I can’t get you out of my head.
“I mean, I cast spells to eradicate whatever the fuck I was seeing, but the moment I close my eyes, you’re there again, waiting for me! I can smell you, I can feel you and I crave you. Yet this is the first time we’ve ever touched! The only plausible explanation is I am insane. I have to be, because even now I want you and again, I fucking hate you! So get the fuck off of me, get your dick out of me, and leave me the fuck alone!” I snapped, fighting to get away from him. “Stay out of my head! Stay away from me, please,” I sobbed.
“You’re perfect, you’ve always been perfect, sweet girl,” he crooned, his voice deepening. “We didn’t fuck, I never got loose, and you got what you wanted from me. When you wake up, Kendra, you will think everything went exactly as you wanted it to. You will not ask the coven to bind your powers, because you’re anything but crazy.”
“That makes no sense,” I mumbled sluggishly; his words were like a drug and my brain absorbed them greedily.
“Sleep. When you wake up, everything will be okay,” he promised, and I blinked as my eyes grew heavy. I was exhausted; mentally, physically, completely fucking wrecked.
Chapter 4
I stared blankly out the window at the old manor across the field from our house, which used to be empty. Several moving trucks had been parked in front of it, and had been blocking our driveway all day. A week had passed since I’d kidnapped Lucian, and he’d left town the day after. No one knew where he’d gone or what he was doing, but he still managed to drive me crazy. Then I found out he’d bought the old place, meaning he’d be right next door now.
“You stare any harder at it, and it might just catch fire,” Kat offered. She was dressed up, ready to head out to Club Chaos.
Pulling my eyes away from the mansion, I gave her a tight smile. “Heading to the club?” I already knew the answer.
“You should come with us; the shipment can wait until tomorrow, couldn’t it?” she questioned.
“No, Mom told me that Lucian ordered it for this weekend, so it needs to be filled by Thursday at the latest, and we can’t afford to lose his business. The economy is crap, and he is the one keeping us afloat,” I muttered, hating that I was defending him. But it was true; since the explosion at the abbey, everything had hit a downward spiral. The tourists who came to the shop were being sent to us by him or by word of mouth from those at his club who had sampled our potions, soaps, lotions, or tea mixtures.
“So you’re going to bail on us, again,” she complained. “You could just make samples and ask him if you could hand them out on the weekend outside his club. That way you could go inside once they’re gone, and I’d have someone other than Dexter to dance with. Love him, but he has two left feet and resembles a fish flopping out of water when he dances.”
“I will go with you next time, promise.” I gave her a small smile as I turned back to watch yet another truck pull up to the manor. “You know there is always such a thing as not dancing and saving your feet that way,” I said, laughing as she scrunched her nose up.
“I like him, a lot. My parents, on the other hand, think our line needs a stronger bloodline mixed with it,” she frowned.
“You think you have bloodline problems? My grandmother keeps pushing me to approach Blackstone to procreate. Could you imagine? Me and Lucian making a baby,” I mused softly, but my body heated, and my cheeks flushed with heat involuntarily as I considered it. “They should trust us to find a match without meddling.”
“There’s another ball being held. Pretty sure this one is going to be at his club sometime next week,” she said excitedly, ignoring me. Or so I thought, until I glimpsed the speculative look in her eyes. “You could approach him, then, ya know, he watches you when you’re not looking. And I hate to say it, but you guys would make a very powerful line.”
“He has a tendency to run away when I get near him, and you’re also forgetting that I don’t like him, and I’d have to have sex with him to make a child. I don’t think he’d be happy to just donate to the cause—oh, and not to mention, he’s refused all offers from every family who has placed a request for his swimmers.”
“Semen. Say it with me, s-e-m-e-n,” she spelled it out slowly. “Come. Protein-filled frosting, which, considering how he looks, probably tastes like heaven.” She snorted with laughter.
“That’s disgusting.” I cringed and shook my head. “No wonder your last guy can’t get over you. What did you do to him, you dirty, dirty girl?” I laughed, smiling until my eyes hurt and my stomach ached from it. “We’re horrible creatures, you know. We shop for men to use based solely on their blood and power. Almost like shopping for a sugar daddy, based on his bank account.”
“And? Men know what we want from them, it’s not like we’re hiding the fact that we want their semen and that’s it. Yes, we sometimes keep the men around if we like them, but it’s not new. We’ve been doing this forever, and those we choose from know the rules. And you changed the subject; I know you don’t like him, but I’m guessing Mister Owns-A-Genuine-Sex-Club knows how to fuck. So, it’s not like it would be a horrible time, and don’t tell me you two don’t have a ‘wow’ factor going on—you do. I’ve seen you looking at him and I see the way he watches you. One night, no strings, and wham! Happy grandma and maybe the most powerful child this coven has ever had cooking in the oven. Everyone is happy. It’s not like you’d have to marry him, and you know it.”
“You’re missing the point. He doesn’t want to breed, and I don’t want to breed with him—end of discussion.”
“The ball, it’s a setup, Kendra,” she pressed. “There’s a reason it’s being held at his club, and that reason is because he hasn’t been to any of the ones held in the last three weeks, and neither have you. This one is mandatory attendance, to celebrate the solar eclipse happening on the same day that Venus and Mars will be aligned,” she hinted.
“Are you serious?” I asked as I slipped into my jacket and turned to glare out the window one last time. “I mean, I knew we’d be doing something for the event since they don’t happen very often, but setting me up is a little asshole-ish, even for them,” I groaned as I pulled my hair out of the jacket and tied it up into a messy heap atop my head.
“Just think about it? You’d be the most popular witch in the coven if you land him,” she said with a note of hopefulness in her tone.
“I’ll see you later,” I replied, giving her another tight-lipped smile as I started towards the door. “Kat, be careful at the club. I still don’t trust him or his crew. Plus, the
re’s still the demon infestation, which seems to get worse when he leaves.”
“I will; we’re always ready for the demons,” she said, blowing a raspberry at me as she headed out. “Go be the mad scientist and make those love potions.” Her voice floated back through the hall as the sound of her footsteps quieted as she moved down the staircase.
I slung my backpack on my shoulder, grabbed my cell phone, and headed downstairs, only to pause as the sound of laughter and music tickled my eardrums. I set my stuff down on the couch and moved towards the kitchen, finding Alden and my mother dancing to the high-pitched, nasal sounds of Bob Dylan. I leaned against the doorjamb, smiling as he clumsily moved her to the beat of the drums and harmonica.
She was laughing so much, her eyes sparkled with it. I hadn’t seen her happy in a very long time. Not since we were all together, before Joshua had gone off to boot camp. I should have turned away, leaving them to their happiness, but I wanted this moment, this moment in time to see her smiling, to hear her laughter.
“The girls left,” Alden murmured close to her ear, a husky note in his tone that indicated it was time for me to get lost. “I don’t know what I want to nibble on more, you or that lamb in the oven.”
I turned to leave and cringed as my mother answered.
“Grab the wine, screw the lamb, let it burn. I will let you nibble on me wherever you want… Kendra!” she screeched.
I scrunched up my face as I turned back, my silent retreat noticed. I tilted my head, smiled, and wiggled my fingers in a silent wave.
“We thought you left,” she shrilled with a guilty flush that rose to her cheeks, creating a mottled blush. “We heard the door.”
“Kat left to go to Club Chaos. I have to go to the shop tonight to make sure the shipment for Lucian’s club is ready to be picked up on time.” I awkwardly waited for her to dismiss me. They looked like naughty kids caught pilfering from the cookie jar, which was cute in a nauseating way.
“Can’t it wait? You should be out there with her, at the club. You’re not getting any younger, and rumor has it that Lucian is there tonight,” she chided.
“Rumor also has it that you’re setting me up with him,” I shot back, watching her guilty blush deepen and spread. “Don’t do that for me, please. I’m not interested.”
“It’s a good match; his blood is as old as ours, if not older, Kendra. Your pregnancy test came back negative when the coven cast the sands for you. You have to produce a child soon, you know that. Magdalena is gone and Joshua is dead, so you are the only one who can carry on this line now.”
“I know, Mother, I’m aware of my obligations and I am looking into matches, but not with him. I don’t like him, and you know it.”
She frowned. “You don’t have to like him to do what is needed to produce a child. At least consider it, for me?”
“Fine, but don’t get your hopes up. Besides, she may come back eventually,” I mumbled.
“Who,” she questioned softly.
“Your other daughter,” I replied sharply with a tight frown.
“You’re right, but her powers wouldn’t be awakened for a few years, and the coven needs numbers added to it now, magical ones who will eventually receive powers around the same time. Think about it, you will love motherhood.” She smiled, her hands wringing the soft folds of her skirt as I nodded—and a flash of mischievous inspiration struck me.
“You know, I’m really not the last in the bloodline that can carry on the line. I mean, you two might pop a little bun in the magical oven if you are up to what I think you are up to,” I teased. Alden looked at me sharply and my mother turned about fifteen shades of red. Oh, yeah. Getting a little payback of my own felt pretty good. “Okay, you two crazy kids be good. I won’t be home until morning. Lucian ordered enough potions to keep me busy for a week,” I grumbled, even though I was thankful. It gave me an excuse to hide. “Love you.” I turned towards the living room to retrieve my bag.
“Kendra,” Alden called out as I reached for the door.
“Yeah?” I asked, turning to look at him.
“Be careful tonight; the demons are out thicker than they’ve been in a while. I placed a salt circle around the shop earlier today and added some wards to keep you and your mother safe while you work, but it doesn’t guarantee they won’t be able to get inside. These ones are stronger than most demons; something is fueling their power—something or someone.”
“I’m always careful, Alden. And thank you. She hasn’t laughed like that in a long time—but if you hurt her? I’ll rip your heart out and feed it to the cats.”
Chapter 5
I pulled into the empty parking lot of Midnight Emporium a little before nine. We’d picked the new name when we created the branding for the relaunch. Mom and Alden had come up with the idea to add a café that had outside seating, which had bumped the profit margin up. We sold mostly herbal teas that we made to order, or some of the baked goods that my mom and grandmother made on-site in the new kitchen.
It was a typical tourist store in the front, with baubles and whatnots that lined the windows, grabbing tourists’ curiosity. The front consisted of non-magical items, with the occasional harmless trinket that was spelled for prosperity or safekeeping. The back was where the real magic was, and where I made soaps, shampoos, and lotions, enriched in magic and herbs.
The shop had barely been above the red when Lucian made my mother an offer. He’d wanted a potion to enhance sexual stimulation. Of course, we’d said yes when he’d named the price he would purchase them for. It was unheard of, but then, I was sure he knew what a pain in the ass they were to brew, and didn’t want to deal with the manufacturing process himself. Magic was released during the brewing which went airborne when the magic mixed with the heat from simmering a batch for a few hours, so I’d be a mess distilling them.
I turned off the ignition and grabbed my overnight bag, then slipped it over my shoulder. When I stepped out of the car, I paused as the fine hair on my neck rose. Scanning the dark parking lot, I shivered and rushed for the shop. Once there, I dropped the keys and bent over to pick them up, but felt something touch my back. I spun around defensively, searching the lot, but found nothing. I exhaled as I turned, slipping the key into the lock and entering the store. Closing the door, I reached for the light switch, and murmured the words to ignite the protection candles which were positioned around the store.
I shook my head, knowing I’d let Alden’s warning slink around my mind, and was just reacting to it. I hated that we had little to no knowledge of why the demons were here, or why they were converging on this town as if it was some focal point of evil. While the majority of them remained just on the outskirts of town, there were an occasional few that made it past the wards. The other thing was, the demons were unpredictable and tended to show up when you least expected them.
Walking through the store, I righted items that were out of place or messed up from people picking them up and then setting them back down once they’d eyed something else. It was a never-ending process to keep everything where it belonged. The store was always busiest on the weekend, before and after the never-ending shenanigans at Club Chaos began or ended, depending on your viewpoint. I hated admitting it, but that club brought in the sexually curious who were a lot more open-minded than out-of-towners passing through here on their way to or from Canada.
Opening the door to the potion room, I dropped my bag on the couch and checked the supplies. I left the door open, because being here alone was creepy, but not being able to hear outside the room added to it even more. Plus, brewing in the room was horrible, the heat unmanageable if all of the state-of-the-art stovetops were brewing potions at the same time.
Moving to the couch, I slipped out of my pants and shirt and put on a sexy pair of ruffle shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top that I could easily move in and not melt from the stifling heat. I had resorted to c
ooking or creating potions at night, since it gave Alden and my mother some alone time, and allowed me to work more efficiently in less clothing. I quickly put my hair in a bun and turned on Ed Sheeran’s sultry voice. Music filled the room, and the last bit of stress from the day washed away.
Next, I headed into the very back of the store, where we had a small greenhouse that stored the fresh herbs. Most of them were exotic or foreign to the United States and were a lot more potent if they were grown fresh on site. I piled a basket full of the ingredients I needed and got to work filling the heavy pots. Pouring dried aniseed into the stone bowl, I began crushing it into a fine powder along with cinnamon, cloves, and fennel seed. When it had the consistency of dust, I poured equal parts into the boiling water. Sweat trickled down my neck and back as I used my wrist to push away a strand of hair that had plastered to my temple.
My hips swayed to the music as I ground the dried fruit that would reduce the black licorice flavor of the aniseed. Aniseed was the main reason black jelly beans and Jägermeister found their unique flavor, and it was renowned for its aphrodisiac properties around the world. Cinnamon, clove, and fennel had natural analgesic properties and the fruit I used was pomegranates to help blood flow, which of course added to the pleasure for both men and women.
Once the dust had been added, I placed the seeds of the fruit in and then a spoonful of raw honey and chanted the spell to increase the sexual potency of the potions.
My body ached already, pulsing with the magic from the potion that left me aching for release. Once I reduced the heat to a low simmer, I moved to the couch and retrieved the book I was reading, a naughty erotica that was my guilty pleasure.
I sat down, reaching back to rub my shoulder, which had a knot in it from the tension I’d been dealing with over the last few days. Alden’s training was more like military school. It left us mentally and physically drained, and considering he was having us show up three times a week, I was exhausted from the craziness of it all. We trained twice a week in magic, and one day was spent learning to defend ourselves, to fight back. On the bright side, I was learning to harness and control my powers, which hadn’t been easy.
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