Love & Accusations

by Selena Page

  “Damnit, Jackson. I wish you weren’t caught up in all this.” Her voice was weary, anxious.

  He stood up slowly, moving toward the bed, frowning, “Tell me everything, Cari. Tell me what we’re dealing with.”

  She exhaled slowly and nodded. “First, I think I know what you are. It’s rare, Jackson. And it can be dangerous. We call people like you Augmenters. They can—you can—enhance someone’s powers. They connect to people on a spiritual level, and they can amp up their natural abilities. The connection often comes with telepathy, hell, I’ve heard of some—years ago—that could connect with a room full of people. They usually come into their powers when they are adults, often something traumatic happens to stir it loose.” She shook her head, a look of frustration falling over her face. “I haven’t heard of one in years, and when they do surface they...well, they don’t last very long, Jackson.”

  Jackson nodded once, absorbing the information. Augmenter? Powers? He didn’t understand what she meant by any of it, but he trusted her, and her words somehow rang true. He’d always known there was something different about him, something off. “Why don’t they last very long?”

  “Jackson…”

  “Why, Cari? Tell me.”

  “People use them, OK?” She was frustrated, angry. “When someone powerful finds an Augmenter, they lock them away and drain them. They harness all of their energy and use it for their own purposes, and it never ends well.”

  “And what happens to the Augmenter when they do that?”

  She looked down at her hands, falling quiet for a long moment. “They die.”

  Uncomfortable silence stretched between them, and Jackson nodded once, exhaling slowly. “Great. So. This thing that came here, that killed those women, it wants me? It wants to harness me and use me?”

  “I think so, yeah.” Cari lifted her head, her eyes tinted with sorrow. “I’m sorry, Jackson. I really am. I never wanted you to be involved in any of this.”

  Jackson ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I know. How do you know all this? What was it that you did out there?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know.” She was silent for a moment. “My family, we have...abilities. Or, we used to. We lost much of it a long time ago. When we…” She stopped, a look of horror dawning on her face.

  “What? When you what?” Jackson leaned forward, watching her intently.

  “I know what it was. Centuries ago, there was a creature, a Ravager. They called him Marbok. He was extremely powerful, an evil spirit that was possessing people and murdering them, stealing their life force. The witches of the seven great families fought against it to try and bind it. My family we...we were already cursed by the time he showed up, and he was picking us off one by one. He would find a witch out on her own, drain her dry, and then kill more. All of the other families were looking for a way to stop them, they had this great plan. They figured they could do a massive binding and shove him into the earth.”

  Cari paused for a long moment, running her fingers through her hair. “My family was disgraced. We were still one of the great families, but only because we always had been. There was talk of us being replaced...so we took action. Legend says that my ancestors decided they would try to take it down on their own, even without their power. If they couldn’t kill Marbok, they would hopefully weaken it...and if they died in the process, at least they would have reclaimed some of what we had lost. We came together, all of the Caprice family, and we had our power back. Not all of it, no one individual could have done it then, but together my family was able to bind it and seal it in the earth. We were able to remain one of the great families, and the creature was thought to be gone for good.”

  She slipped off the bed, wincing as she started to pace. “I don’t know how it escaped, but he’s not as powerful as he used to be. My family, we used to have this immense power, but someone fucked up, and then it was gone. For centuries, we’ve had nothing more than minor abilities. The last few years though...some of it has started coming back, I think. Nothing like what we used to be able to do, but minor things. Glamours, making plants grow, just little things. Jackson, I think that’s what this is, I think he’s back, and he wants to take you and use you against us.”

  Jackson stood, moving around the other side of the bed until he was facing her. His mind whirled with the information she’d given him. He had met her family, they’d always been a little strange, but he never would have expected anything like this. He grabbed her arms, gently maneuvering her back to the bed. “OK, just sit down, Cari. Calm down. We’ll handle this.”

  She took a deep breath as she sat, her face ashen. “I don’t know if we can handle this, Jackson. It took over a hundred witches against him last time.”

  He gave her a crooked smile, gently cupping her face. “Yeah, but last time, you didn’t have me on your side, did you?”

  Chapter 10

  Carmina shifted slightly on the bed. It was hard to look at him, at his open and honest face, and the sparkling blue eyes that were filled with worry. He was gorgeous, and the close proximity to him wasn’t helping her keep her mind clear. She wanted to touch him again, to feel his body close to hers. She wanted to delve into that beautiful mind of his, and find out what made him tick. She wanted to take him apart and put him back together again.

  She reached out, brushing her fingertips against his arm. Her hand thrummed where she touched him, and the aches of her body started to slip away. Being close to him helped the pain. Beneath the pain, another desire stirred. Maybe the timing was terrible, but she didn’t care anymore. She wanted him.

  Jackson glanced up, meeting her eyes. She could see confusion there, and it was understandable. It had been a long day. But another, more familiar look smoothed over his features, and he leaned into her.

  Cari closed the distance, her hand sliding into his hair as she tugged him closer, her lips crashing against his. Her body reacted to him immediately, and she felt him inside her mind, his energy filling her body. His lips parted with a needy groan, arms encircling her waist as he settled onto the bed, pulling her into his lap. She moaned into the kiss as she pressed against him, her tongue tentatively seeking his.

  God, it had been too long since she'd felt like this. A warm and welcoming body beneath her, hands roaming over her skin. She wanted to drown in him.

  He was already hardening beneath her, and her hips seemed to take on a life of their own. She ground against him. Wetness pooled between her thighs as she pulled him closer, opening her mind and body to him.

  Strong arms maneuvered her back onto the bed, laying her down carefully without breaking the kiss. Need flowed through his body, yet he still wanted to make sure she was safe. He didn’t want to hurt her. One hand trailed up from her waist, his thumbs lightly stroking her side.

  Jackson pulled back from the kiss slightly, murmuring in a husky voice, “You OK?”

  Carmina nodded once, her fingers roaming the planes of his chest. “Uh huh…”

  He took her consent and attacked her lips again, his hand worming its way beneath her fitted shirt. Cari’s eyes flickered closed as his hand caressed the sensitive flesh beneath her breasts.

  Too many clothes. Too many layers between her and his bare skin.

  She whimpered as she dragged her hands up his back, hooking his shirt with her fingers and tugging it up. He laughed warmly as he helped her to remove it, throwing it to the side. Sculpted muscles proved her earlier assumption—he was definitely more than a boring English teacher. She let her hands roam over his chest, grinning as his eyes closed with a groan, reveling in the feel of his skin.

  When she moved to pull her own shirt off to match his bare chest, he gently pushed her hands aside. A playful smile danced on his lips. “Now, now. You’re injured. Let me do that.”

  The bastard was teasing her. She bit back a moan as his hands slowly inched the shirt up over her stomach. He shifted from between her thighs, bending so he could kiss and gently nibble at her abs, following
the trail of her shirt up. Her fingers laced into his hair, tugging as she tried to urge him to move faster. She needed to feel him inside her, but he was having none of it. He was clearly moving at his own pace, soaking in every moan and gasp he pulled from her lips.

  Jackson paused before he pulled the shirt over her breasts, his fingers dancing across her chest. She arched her back into his touch, growling softly. “Jesus...stop fucking teasing me, Jax.”

  He laughed as he carefully worked the shirt up and over her head, leaning down to kiss her again. She melted into his lips, her breath escaping her as he bent his head to her throat, kissing softly. “If you’d only stop making those sweet sounds, Cari, then maybe I could.”

  Kisses trailed down toward her cleavage, his hands sliding behind her to unclip the bra. He paused for a moment as he took in her tits with a groan. “Fuck, you are gorgeous. I’ve missed you.”

  Big, strong hands encircled her breasts and she let out a mewling moan as he teased and caressed her. He kissed down into her cleavage, moving to one breast, his tongue flicking out to encircle her nipple.

  She clenched his hair with a needy moan, her hips moving against him. His hand encircled her other breast, teasing without ever touching her sensitive bud. With a mischievous grin, he switched, his tongue trailing over her breasts as he sought her other nipple.

  “Please…” She hated begging. But she didn’t care anymore. She needed more of him. Her nails trailed up his back, and she was rewarded with a happy moan from the man above her.

  “Please what?”

  She gave him a look that she hoped was demanding and hard, but probably came out as needy and filled with desire. She wiggled her hips beneath him and he laughed, his mouth continuing to work at her nipples as his hand drifted down her stomach. He hovered above the band of her jeans.

  “Is this what you want?” His eyes burned with desire. She nodded once and swallowed hard. He smirked as he unbuttoned her jeans. She lifted her hips for him as he slid them off, tossing them in the direction of their shirts. The scent of her arousal filled the room, and his nostrils flared. She had to commend him for his restraint.

  He kissed down her stomach, watching her intently as his fingers trailed over the wetness soaking her panties. She closed her eyes as her fingers threaded through his hair again, urging him lower. He slowly pushed her sensible panties to the side, his long, deft fingers sliding up her slit.

  He delved into her with a groan that was matched by her own needy keening. Her panties quickly joined her jeans on the floor, and then his mouth was on her, his tongue slowly swirling around her clit. She balled her hands up in the sheets, her back arching.

  She was so close to cumming, and he hadn’t even entered her yet. He must have read her mind as he pushed one finger deep inside her.

  Cari felt like the world was ending as her climax ripped through her. She cried out his name as she thrashed beneath him, her hips moving to meet his mouth. He was relentless, his lips and tongue working her clit as a second finger joined the first. He pushed her through her climax until she was shaking beneath him.

  Jackson’s eyes met hers as she dragged her fingers into his hair, urging him up her body. She kissed him deeply, her tongue searching his mouth. The taste of him on her lips nearly sent her over the edge again, but she wanted something more. She tilted her head to nibble at his neck, her fingers working at his jeans.

  He moaned her name as he pushed his jeans off, tossing them to the side, his hard cock springing out. She wrapped one hand around him, stroking him, his eyes rolling back into his head. He caught her lips as he lined himself up against her, her hips shifting to meet him, long legs sliding around his hips.

  In one swift motion, he was fully sheathed inside her. She moaned into his lips, her nails digging into his back as she adjusted to his girth. He filled her completely, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt anything so divine.

  Jackson leaned his forehead against hers as he started to thrust inside her. She could tell he was holding back, taking care to not hurt her. Her fingers danced over his cheeks, and she murmur to him, “Please, Jax.”

  His mouth found hers, nipping at her bottom lip as he set a steady pace. He groaned as his fingers pressed into her skin. “Christ, Cari, you feel so fucking amazing.”

  “Just don’t stop...please, don’t stop…” Cari could feel another climax building, her hips moving in time with his. Everything else melted away from her mind—the creature, the bond money, her injuries—all that mattered was the two of them, together, bodies entwined in a dusty abandoned cabin. Her fingers found purchase in his hair, and she moaned into another kiss, her tongue delving into his mouth.

  She could tell he was close as he moved to nibble at her neck, his muscles straining as he supported himself above her. His pace quickened, thrusting deep inside her with every movement. His hands traveled up her body to cup her face, gazing deep into her eyes.

  The swell of her climax overtook her. She cried out his name in ecstasy, writhing beneath him. He moaned her name as he followed her with one final, deep thrust, their bodies riding through their shared ecstasy.

  Chapter 11

  Jackson wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened, and he wasn’t sure he really cared. He held Cari as she snuggled into his arms, resting his chin on her head. It was a comfortable feeling, one that he’d missed. Over ten years since he’d seen her, and he had never forgotten the way her body felt pressed against his. Jackson could still feel the presence of the thing against his consciousness. Whatever it was, it was still out there. Waiting.

  “So. Now what?”

  Cari groaned quietly, “No, no, no... can’t we just do pillow talk?”

  He laughed, his fingertips trailing down her back. “Well, as much as I’d like that, we have a malevolent spirit out there that is wreaking havoc in my name. I just…” He paused for a moment, taking a breath. “I don’t want anyone else to die. We have to stop it.”

  Cari nodded, propping herself up on her elbow and glancing over at him. She closed her eyes for a moment, pursing her lips. “Yes. Yes, we do. And we will stop it. You’re right, they didn’t have an Augmenter last time, and it’s not as powerful as it was back then. If it was, we would both already be dead. Or at least I’d be dead, and you’d be completely under its thrall. Last time it was at the height of its power, it was practically unstoppable.”

  “How? I mean, we drove him away. Should we call in your family for help?”

  She groaned, flopping down and rubbing her temples. “No. I don’t know. I mean, there is lore about this thing, sure, but it’s ancient. And binding it last time wasn’t an easy task. I can get ahold of the lore books and see what I can find, but I don’t think my family can pull in the power they used to have. We don’t have nearly the magical oomph we did before, and while there are a lot of us, most of us aren’t powerful.”

  “All right. Well, we’re not going to sacrifice anyone or anything. And we can’t call your family in if we don’t know they’ll be safe. You did something though, we did something.”

  “I don’t know, Jackson. I don’t know what that was. I don’t know how to control it. I don’t even know if we can do it again.”

  “Cari.” He smiled, brushing the hair from her eyes. “I know we can figure this out. I don’t know what it was, and I don’t know how it happened, but it was something with the two of us.”

  She nodded and sighed, sliding out of bed and grabbing her shirt. When she glanced at him, his bedroom eyes were gone, replaced by pure business. “All right. I’m going to make some calls.” Cari glanced toward the window for a moment, a shudder running through her. “It’s still out there. I don’t think we can make a run for it safely.”

  Jackson stood, pulling on his jeans and running a hand through his hair. “No. He’s waiting for us, and I don’t think we have much time until he decides he can come back to play.”

  “Can you hear him? Get in his mind?”

  Jackson hesi
tated for a moment, the image of her blood on his hands stark in his memory. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. If I go in, then it opens a door back to me. He...wants to possess me. To use me. To hurt you.”

  She turned to him, her arms crossed over her ample breasts. “Revenge.”

  “Yeah, I think.”

  Cari shrugged, slipping into her jeans. “Well, we’re not going to let him get it.”

  Jackson rummaged through bags of groceries, looking for something suitable to eat. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night, and Cari was going to need her strength if she was going to pull off any kind of major magic. He had no idea how he knew that, but he could feel her flagging strength. Their last engagement with the creature had taken a lot out of her.

  He settled on a boxed dinner and lit the burner on the small camp stove. The creature was out there, in the woods, stalking around the cabin. Judging their position and gaining strength.

  “Hey.”

  Jackson jumped slightly at Cari’s voice near his shoulder. He hadn’t heard her approach, and she looked furious.

  “Find anything out?”

  She shook her head, peering at the food in the pan and nodding once. “No. No cell service.”

  Jackson shot her a confused look and pulled out his own phone. “It was working just fine…”

  “It cut us off. And I bet even if we did make it to one of the cars, we’d find the tires slashed or something. It wants us isolated, Jackson. It wants us afraid.”

  He quirked a cocky smile at her. “Pfft. Who’s afraid of a shadow? We can do this.”

  Cari laughed bitterly. “Still the eternal optimist, I see. You have no idea the kind of magic I would need to perform. Hell, Jackson, I don’t even know if I can, even if I was ready.”

  Jackson set down the spoon and turned toward her, resting his hands on her waist.,