by T. S. Ryder
She put a cast iron pot on the floor within the circle and threw in a few ripped out pages from a paperback and lit them on fire.
“Sit,” she ordered Cain and he obliged.
She threw in the sage and myrrh, filling the air around them with a sweet and smoky smell. “I don’t know what to do, you have to guide me.”
“I’ve never...I’ve never done this before,” he said kneeling on the bed.
“Trusts your instincts, they’ll guide you,” Michelle said. She poured a glass of deep red wine and staring Cain in the eye she took a sip, she handed him the cup and he took a sip, after that they lifted Brock’s head and he sipped the wine down as well.
The smoke and herbs were swimming in the air around them. Even though it had only been one glass of wine, she felt a little tipsy. It was a strong wine, but even stronger was the magic she put into it.
She stared at Cain and his aura erupted around him as he squeezed her hand. Below them, Brock’s aura was an undulating white and green, both colors mixing together, but not blending. The green was slowly overtaking the white.
She took Brock’s hand in hers and kissed his knuckles, looking down at his shivering form. Still holding Brock’s hand with her right hand, she took Cain’s hand with her left hand next, and repeated the action, laying a series of kisses along his knuckles.
“Show us the way,” she whispered. “Save him. You know how to do it.”
He leaned forward and kissed her, his hands holding her by the neck and pulling her closer and closer. The herbs and smoke and wine were mingling and she felt that strange weightlessness that came from magic. Spells were otherworldly, they were something else. They didn’t follow the normal rules of the physical world.
She kissed him back as the smoke blossomed and grew. It was more smoke than her small fire could have made. The smoke was thick and swirling, but it wasn’t burning her lungs or her eyes. The smoke was like a hurricane. It was swirling all around them, obscuring everything else in the room. But they were in the eye, the small bed with the three of them was free of smoke, the air was clear.
Everything was clear. Everything was standing out in harsh light. The sensation of Cain’s hands on her body was intense. It was like electricity coursing through her veins, lighting along her skin. She felt charged. She gasped as Cain moved down to her neck, kissing and licking the sensitive skin there. She leaned into him, desperate for more. Her hands were tangling in his hair.
She looked up at him and saw not his crystal blue eyes, but the dark, yellow eyes of the dragon. She was not afraid. She reached up and caressed the skin of his cheek. He leaned into her touch as his hand moved down her neck and to her breasts.
She felt someone behind her. He touched her skin and his touch was fire. She cried out in pleasure, as he traced fire over her shoulders and neck. It was Brock. He was breathing deeply. It was the harsh ragged breath of the dragon. He pulled her back against him. She could feel his erection pushing against her back as his hands came up and captured her breasts.
Brock was laying kisses along the back of her neck and then Cain was in front of her, kissing her mouth, his tongue dancing with hers. The sensations were too much, she couldn’t tell who was touching what, but she wanted none of it to stop.
“Yes,” she cried out, throwing her head back. Cain took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her chest while Brock unzipped her dress. He traced kisses down her back as the zipper went lower and lower. Goosebumps erupted on her arms when Cain pulled the front of her dress down until she was in nothing but her bra and panties.
Brock unsnapped her bra and Cain pulled it off. He took her breast in his mouth. Cain licked her nipple and then bit down gently, making her shudder. She tried to pull away, but that only pushed her back into Brock. They were both so powerful and strong, all of their attention focused on her. Their hands and lips and tongues were moving over every inch of her skin teasing her and driving her wild.
She brought Cain’s head up from her breast and kissed him. The she looked behind her and kissed Brock. She looked between the two men and finally they looked at each other and then they were leaning in and kissing each other while their hands explored her.
It was the hottest thing she had ever seen. These two huge strong men in bed with her. Brocks’ hands pushed her down on the bed and her panties slid off of her.
“Undress each other,” she said quietly. She wanted to watch. She laid on her back and as Cain slipped Brock’s shirt over his head, Brock unbuttoned Cain’s pants. She was so turned on, her body physically ached from wanting them. She couldn't stand to just watch. She reached up to their strong shoulders and pulled both of them down onto bed with her.
They were a tangle of lips and hands and arms and legs. She didn’t know who was who or where they were. There was nothing but the inescapable pleasure of the three of them moving in bed together. She felt someone slip their fingers into her and she arched her back, clinging to someone’s hard shoulders as fingers spun within her. Strong fingers were gentle and teasing, caressing her most sensitive places.
Another set of hands massaged her breasts as a mouth came down to kiss her lips. She was awash in sensations, straining for their touch. Someone’s tongue circled the tip of her breast and she buried her hands in his hair urging him for more. She was writhing on the bed, unsure of where she was and what was happening. Michelle was overwhelmed with the dedicated attentions these two men were paying to her body. She never wanted it to stop.
Cain and Brock were on the bed kissing and touching each other and her. She didn’t know where she ended and they begin. Her orgasm was building up inside of her, growing more powerful with every lick and touch. She arched her back and cried out the word YES! when Cain entered her. Her body strained to contain him. Fire coursed through her veins as he slid into her and began to move in and out in a heady rhythm that matched her heartbeat.
There was something else. She could feel the magic enter her and course through her veins. It was red and green and yellow and it was taking over her body as it moved into her. It felt wonderful and amazing, driving her wild from the inside out. She could do nothing but writhe underneath him and beg for more, her breath catching in her throat. Brock leaned over her and kissed her as Cain continued to thrust.
She slipped her tongue over Brock’s lip and felt the magic pass through her to him. He breathed in the scent of it and kissed her harder, desperate for more. His hands were on her shoulders and then her breasts. She was holding onto him as her orgasm built up inside of her.
A wave of pleasure was passing between them, growing with every second. Every touch and every movement sparking the shared fire within them. They were nothing but pleasure and sex and love and friendship and sweat, all moving together in a perfect rhythm. It was too much, too big for one person to contain. Her body tensed as the last of the dragon’s magic passed through her lips into Brocks’ and the wave of pleasure crested and crashed down on all three of them.
She was awash in pleasure, reaching out to hold onto both of them as her body moved out of control. The smoke around them swirled to a fever pitch. With a dragon’s scream, Cain finished and the spell was broken.
They flopped down in bed, a heap of tangled limbs as the smoke around them slowly dissipated. Brock was to her left, leaning on her bare shoulder and she saw that his fever had broken. He had stopped shaking and his skin was back to its healthy color. He looked normal again.
His aura was different. The bright, innocent human light was gone. Now it matched Cain’s. It was burning with yellows and angry reds that flickered and licked the air around him. They had saved him. Brock was no longer a normal human man. He was a Dragon Shifter now.
*****
THE END
Bonus Book 4: The Shifter's Nanny
Description
Does this hot panther shifter need me to take care of his daughter or does he want my curves for another reason as well?
Rose Doctor needs a job. After y
ears of emotional abuse by her ex-boyfriend, she’s broke and deeply scarred. So when a gorgeous shifter needs her help to take care of his infant daughter, she accepts.
Her new boss is hot as hell. But she’s not going to let her heart get the best of her. Not this time.
Devon was always a loner. He’s not looking for romance, much less a mate. All he needs is a nanny. Yes, she has curves in all the right places. But no, she’s here to look after his daughter, and that’s it.
But everything changes when Rose’s past catches up with her. Her ex-boyfriend is back and will stop at nothing to force her to take him back...
Will Devon do what it takes to protect Rose? Can he resist the primal urge that’s roared to life in him? And can Rose find it in herself and trust again?
Sometimes risking everything is the only way to find out…
Chapter One – Rose
Maybe I should have worn something a little more casual. After all, I'm interviewing to be a nanny, not a supernanny.
Rose self-consciously smoothed down the plum pencil skirt that she wore to all her interviews, glad she had at least matched her business suit with a fun frog-themed necklace and had kept her dyed autumn-red hair in loose waves around her face. It showed that she was fun as well as professional. At least, that's what she hoped it showed and didn't make her look crazy.
I look fantastic, she told herself to try to calm her churning gut. Anybody would be lucky to have me working with them.
She took a deep breath before she knocked on the front door. Her pep-talk wasn't helping the butterflies in her stomach at all, but then she hadn't thought it would. This was her first job interview in nearly five years. She didn’t know what to expect anymore.
The door opened, revealing her potential employer. The first thing that struck her about him was the suspicious squint in his silver-grey eyes. They swept up and down her, and she got the feeling that if he didn't like what he saw, she wouldn’t even get the interview. She tried to stand a little straighter, unconsciously sucking in her gut to try to make herself look thinner. Not that it was possible… her ex-boyfriend was always fond of telling her how she needed to trim down for him, and she'd only gained weight since she left him.
"Hello." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Rose Doctor, here to interview for the position of nanny."
"Devon McGullicuddy," the man replied. He didn't shake her hand. "We'll sit out here for the interview."
Rose nodded. She thought it was strange that he wanted to interview her at his home but was relieved she wasn't going to have to insist on not setting foot into his house just yet. She wanted to get to know him a little better first. They sat on a couple of chairs set out on the covered porch.
"Miss Doctor," Devon started, setting down. "Before we start, you are aware of my heritage, yes?"
Rose's gaze swept down his strongly muscled body. What did he mean by that? His ethnic heritage? If he came from money? Did he have some sort of famous ancestor? His bronzed skin spoke to a more temperate climate, but what was she supposed to guess?
"Er…"
"I'm a shifter," Devon clarified.
Heat rushed to her cheeks. "Oh! Yes, yes I understand that. And the baby is a shifter as well, yes?"
He nodded. "She is, yes. She won't start shifting until she's a little older, though, so you don't have to worry about knowing how to care for a kitten."
"A kitten. So what are you?"
What did I ask him that for?
Rose bit her lower lip, ducking her head. She hated it when people walked up to her and asked her that question. Her Eurasian heritage was something she was proud of, but for some reason, people thought that they ought to be privy to her heritage. It annoyed her to no end–and here she was asking the same question!
"I'm sorry," she blurted. "That's none of my business."
Devon grunted. If Rose's heart sunk any lower, it'd be on her feet. This was exactly the kind of disaster she was worried about on her first new job interview. Social awkwardness combined with five years of emotional abuse from someone she loved was not a good combination.
"I suppose if you are going to work for me, it is something you ought to know… I'm a Panther." Devon folded his arms and scowled at her.
If she wasn't so desperate for a job, she would have run right then. Not because of his alternate form, but because of his expression. She didn't need any more short-tempered men in her life, and from the look on his face, Devon looked like somebody who always wanted things done his way and fast.
"I read your resume. You just graduated college with a degree in early childhood education. Why are you looking to be a nanny instead of working at a school or a daycare?"
Good. It was a question she was prepared for. Rose took a deep breath and raised her head again, meeting the shifter's eye. "I would ideally like to be a teacher, but there are no openings in the city right now, and I really need a job. I have student loans to pay off, I need a new car, and I haven't worked in five years. I love kids, and I need something that will help me feel like I'm making a difference. That I'm helping somebody."
"Why haven't you worked in five years?"
"Um… school, mostly," Rose lied, looking at her feet again.
She wasn't going to tell this perfect stranger that her ex didn't want her working… He wanted her to stay home and keep the house clean and make sure a meal was ready as soon as he got home from work.
And if it wasn't, there was hell to pay. That was why it took her five years to complete a two-year program. She had to plan her school schedule around taking care of Percy.
Devon jumped to his feet. At first Rose flinched, thinking that he was going to order her away, but he ran into the house without a word. Rose stayed where she was, frozen in shock. Was that his way of ending the interview? But moments later she heard a wailing baby, and her shoulders relaxed. It wasn't her, it was his daughter that had made him leave so abruptly.
"There, there, Jamie. What's wrong?" The gruff tones Devon had been using on her have completely melted away to a voice that was like buttery caramel.
Something shivered from Rose's stomach, working its way up and down her limbs just hearing that voice. She stood and peeked into the doorway. Devon stood in the middle of a modestly decorated living room, gently rocking a blanket that was messily tucked around a flailing baby.
Rose stepped into the room, not wanting to assume Devon was helpless, but the baby's crying tugged at her heartstrings. She couldn’t just leave. "Do you mind? I'm not so great with words, but I can show you how well I work with babies."
A fierce glare answered her, but at another, louder wail, Devon's gaze softened. He handed the baby to Rose–reluctantly, she thought–and hovered at her shoulder as she checked baby Jamie's diaper. She frowned. The diaper was dry, but it was put on backward.
"She wants to eat. When did you last feed her?"
"At 11:02," Devon replied promptly. "The books say babies need to be fed every two hours. She shouldn’t be hungry for another hour."
Rose nodded. "She's probably just tired then and wants something to suck on for comfort. Do you have a pacifier?"
"The books say pacifiers can ruin children's teeth."
"She doesn't have any teeth yet," Rose reminded him gently. She knelt on the floor and unwrapped Jamie before burritoing her up tightly. The baby still cried, until she was snuggled up against Rose's chest as she bounced and swayed from side to side.
Within five minutes, Jamie had dropped off to sleep again. Rose smiled as the little body became utterly relaxed in her arms. She smiled up at Devon, who looked so surprised it was actually comical. He smiled at her and nodded.
"Can you start tomorrow?"
Rose jolted in surprise. "You want to hire me?"
"Yes."
"Oh." A wide smile broke over Rose's face. Maybe the interview didn't get off to a great start, but at least things were looking up! A job would really help her find her feet again. She nodded. "Yeah, I can start tomorro
w."
"Good. I'm a veterinarian and I've been away from the practice for too long already. My boss is getting antsy about it. Now, I need your cell phone number… do you have all emergency personnel, fire department, 911, police, etc. in your phone directory?"
Rose shook her head.
"If you're going to watch after my daughter, you need that. And you have infant CPR training, so we're okay with that. And I have Nanny cams around the house. That's something I thought you should know."
Rose frowned. She didn't like the idea of him being able to watch her without her knowing about it. But he did tell her about the cams, so he wasn't looking to sneakily spy on her.
"Oh!" Devon nodded and headed for the kitchen. "I'll show you how to make a bottle. I don't want you microwaving it. In fact, I'd prefer you not to use the microwave at all. Or cell phones around Jamie, so if you have any calls you have to make, please use the landline unless it's in a case of emergency."
"You can calm down, you know." Rose shifted the baby into one arm and laid her free hand on Devon's arm. "She's going to be fine with me. I promise."
Devon stared at her hand on his arm. Rose suddenly realized how strong the muscles beneath her fingertips were. He was like a god, carved to perfection from the hand of an artist. Her heart rate spiked and a rush of heat rose to her face. She coughed and stepped away.
"Where is her crib?"
"Upstairs in the bedroom." Devon's head cocked to one side. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Rose tensed. She narrowed her eyes at her new employer while backing away from him. "If I'm going to work for you, I'll be taking care of Jamie. I'm not here as your… playmate."
He held his hands up in the air. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate of me. But I'm glad to hear you are so forceful about the issue. I've heard of women taking care of single men's children in the hopes of getting married… especially where shifters are concerned."