by V. Vaughn
I call my mom.
“Hey, honey,” she says when she answers.
“Hey, Mom. Where are you?”
“Oh, you know me. Busy, busy, busy. I’ve got a couple more things to do, and I’ll be back right around five so we can talk. Since I have you, can I ask a favor?”
“Sure. What is it?
“Would you mind terribly if tonight was just about us? It’s not that I don’t want to meet Lance. I do. But I feel like we need a night alone together.”
Her request is a little disappointing, but I quickly realize that waiting for her to meet Lance is probably a good idea. I want to make sure Mom’s as open to him as she can be, and that probably requires time for her to adjust to the idea of me being with a werebear. “That’s fine, Mom. You can meet him another time.”
She lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Dawn. Look at us being so grown up and not fighting.” She chuckles. “I’ll be home soon.”
“You’re welcome, Mom. I’ll see you then.”
While my mother doesn’t want to see Lance, it doesn’t mean I don’t. And I plan to capitalize on the short amount of time I have free. I call him. When he answers, I launch into my plan. “My last client cancelled on me, and my mother won’t be home until five.”
“This is a booty call.” He laughs.
“It really is, because Mom has requested tonight be just the two of us. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You haven’t met my parents yet either.” Lance’s sister just had triplets a few weeks ago, and his parents have been in Connecticut to help her out with their first grandchildren. “Have your girls’ night, and don’t worry about me.”
“I’m glad you’re not upset. Now hurry up and get over here. We don’t have much time.”
“An hour and a half won’t be enough?”
I chuckle. “Of you? Never.”
He lets out his sexy growl and then says, “On my way.”
When Lance arrives, I grab his hand and tug him upstairs to my room.
“Wow.” He chuckles when I release him and pull my shirt over my head. “Maybe we should spend a night apart more often.”
I shake my head. “No.” My jeans drop to the floor with a whoosh. “The fact you aren’t going to be with me again tonight is almost unbearable. Now what are you waiting for? Take off your clothes.”
“Right.” He scans me with his gaze as I remove my panties, and he moves a little faster to get undressed.
Once he’s naked, I step close to him and slide my hands up his chest while he grabs my bottom, but when he leans down to kiss me, I cut it short. “On the bed,” I order. He grins at me as he climbs onto my bed and moves back to lean on his elbows. I waggle my eyebrows as I begin to crawl over him, and I grab his cock and drag my tongue up the shaft.
He lets out a small moan and threads his fingers through my hair. “I like booty calls.”
I continue to tease him with my tongue as I stroke his cock with one hand and fondle his balls with another. He quivers beneath my touch without any filter. Just like Lance has let me into his life, and I’ve taken him into mine. This is the man I want to please without him asking.
His moans and grunts fuel my desire for him. And I’m teasing myself as much as him when I deny what I want to bring him to the edge. When Lance begins to buck his hips, I take him in my mouth, and he groans with pleasure. I work him over until he’s close to orgasm, and then I stop. He whimpers. For a few days, I’ve wanted to ask him to bond with me, so I lift up to gaze at him. “You don’t have any doubts we’re soul mates do you?”
“Not at all. Do you?”
I shake my head. “I’m asking because I’m ready to bond with you. If you are.”
“Oh, Dawn.” His grin covers his face. “Wow.” He shakes his head, and I notice his eyes are glassy. “I feel like you just proposed to me.”
I chuckle. “I think I just did.”
“Yes.” He glances down at his erection. “But this is not the story I’m going to tell our kids.” He sits up and reaches for me.
I say, “Let’s talk about that later.” Now that he’s agreed, I’m also desperate with a need to bond. I straddle his lap to guide him into my channel, slick with anticipation, and I let out a satisfied moan as I lower myself so he’ll fill me. It’s only the beginning of what I want, and I start to ride him to feel more. Slowly at first, but as I let go and fall into our sexual dance, I get taken away.
When my movements become frantic and my cries louder, Lance flips me onto my back and hovers over me to gaze deeply into my eyes. “Are you ready?”
I nod. “Yes.” My heart is tight as I try to hold my emotions, and I say, “I love you so much. Mark me, Lance.”
“I love you too, Dawn.”
I watch as he lets his bear teeth extend, and he moves slowly toward my shoulder at the base of my neck. I arch to allow him better access as I wait for the pain. Lance laps at me first and pumps his hips to bring me toward my release. I move with him, and at the point I’m about to crash, he sinks his teeth into my flesh. White-hot heat, red-hot pleasure, and golden-yellow love drown me in a delirious cocktail that makes me scream out. And as I do, I see us standing together as the threads of our love intertwine between us in an unbreakable bond. I let out a gasp at the beauty that encompasses all my senses.
“Yes,” Lance says. He smiles down at me as he communicates with me telepathically now that we’re bonded. “I saw it too. And it’s more beautiful than I imagined.”
I snuggle into his embrace as I think about how my life is forever changed. And in my heart, I know this is where I’m supposed to be.
Chapter 13
Lance left a few minutes before five, and I’m putting tea mugs in the dishwasher when Mom gets home. I hear the front door open, and I adjust the scarf I put on to cover my fresh wound. When I turn to greet her, I’m surprised by the fact she’s with two older men.
“Dawn,” she says in a serious tone, “this is Alfred, and this is Walter.”
The two men nod at me.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” I say as I wonder why they’re here, and my witchy senses begin to tingle with the threat of danger.
“We’d like to talk to you, Dawn,” says Alfred, who is wearing a gray suit that matches the silvery hair at his temples.
“Sure.” I have the distinct feeling I should stall them and ask, “Can I get anyone some tea? Coffee?”
“That won’t be necessary,” says Walter. “This shouldn’t take too long.”
“Okay,” I say as I look at my mother, hoping for a clue. But when she won’t make eye contact, I worry I’m in danger.
The two men step closer to me. “We hear you’ve been seeing a member of our clan by the name of Lance,” says Walter.
And there it is. My guess is these two are not open to the idea of a witch-and-werebear relationship. I say, “Yes. I have.”
“You are a witch, are you not?” asks Alfred.
Jeez. What is this? The Salem witch trials? “Correct. I am a witch.” Now both men are practically in my space. Because they are well over six feet compared to my height of five feet four inches, their size is intimidating. And I hate that my voice shakes when I ask, “Why?”
“You are also aware that witches and werebear are not allowed to have romantic relationships,” says Alfred.
“Actually,” I begin, but I don’t get to say more because they both grab one of my arms. “What are you doing?” I ask as I try to squirm out of their grasp.
“We’re not going to hurt you, Dawn,” says Alfred as they begin to walk with me toward the front door.
I look at my mother, who has our jackets over her arm. “Mom? What is going on?”
This time she does look at me, but what I see in her eyes is not the woman I know. Her voice isn’t the same either. It comes out sounding like a man’s when she says, “You’re going back to Florida on a chartered plane tonight, and I’m taking over for you.”
Oh my god! Little oddities f
rom today click into place as the truth of my situation slams into me, and my powers tell me the whole story of why Mom has been acting so strangely. When she was going through Tokala’s supplies, she happened upon one spelled with his influence. One that was designed to make the witch who touched it take on his characteristics. It’s no surprise to me that he wouldn’t want an age-old taboo like witch-werebear relationships to happen. And I bet he even gave my mother the right information for her to find some of the old guard to help her put a stop to my relationship.
But what Tokala probably didn’t plan on is that while this witch may be cautious about new situations, she is not afraid to do what needs to be done in an emergency. I scream in my head, “Lance! I’m being kidnapped. Call Bella. They’re taking me to the airport. Charter flight.”
“Got it,” he replies instantly. “Are you hurt?”
“No. I’m fine.”
I don’t want to tip off a Tokala-influenced Mom, so as Walter ushers me to a black Cadillac, I ask her, “Why are you doing this? Tori has said she’ll allow witch-and-werebear relationships. Two are already happening in other clans.”
“If everyone were jumping off a bridge, would you follow them?” she asks before she gets into the front of the car, and I’m shoved into the back seat with Walter.
I shake my head because—oh. When I was a kid, my dad said that to me once, and Mom and I teased him about how ridiculous it sounded. It became a family joke. I think Mom is trying to give me a message. Only I’m way ahead of her, so I say, “I know. I get it.” But I also need Tokala to believe I’m too upset to have a plan to fight back, and I ask, “But what about Lance?” I even force my eyes to tear up by thinking about how worried he must be.
“As far as you are concerned,” says Walter, “there is no Lance. You are never to speak to him again.”
“This is insane,” I say. “You can’t do this! I demand to talk to Tori.” I reach for the door handle as Alfred begins to back out of the driveway, but my mother shoots out some magic and makes the handle glow red with heat. I yank my hand back in pain.
“What the hell, Mom?” I scream at her as my anger surfaces. I’m tempted to slam some magic at her in retaliation, but I think I might need to save up my energy for when I have Bella’s help. Now that I’ve been using my magic regularly, I think I could easily take down my mother and two werebear on my own, but Tokala was well versed in black magic, and I have no idea what I’m dealing with.
“Calm down, Dawn,” Mom says in her voice now. “This can go smoothly or badly.”
“Really. So what do you think is going to happen? I’m just going to return to Florida and forget about Lance and my life up here because you and two goons manhandle me onto an airplane?”
“No.” Her voice gets deeper again. “I think you’re going to go easily and stay there, because your father’s health depends on it.”
My heart stops because I should have realized there would be a failsafe in place. “What do you mean by that?”
“Years of fried foods and beer take a toll on a man.” Her voice changes to Tokala’s again. “Some of them have strokes or heart attacks.”
“What? You wouldn’t. Mom,” I plead. “I know you’re in there. You can’t let that happen.”
“She has no choice,” says Walter. “I suggest you listen.”
“This is insane. You’ve somehow managed to pit my mother against my father. What is wrong with you people?”
“Not a damn thing,” Alfred says. “She’s doing what’s best for the clan. The way you should have.”
Lance speaks to me in my head. “Dawn.”
I lean back against the seat as if I’m defeated as I talk to Lance. “I’m here.”
“Bella and I are on the way to the airport,” he says. “What can you tell me?”
“Tell her Tokala has managed to possess my mother. They’re sending me to Florida, and if I try to come back, the spell they have on my father will kill him.”
I wait a moment for Lance’s reply since I’m sure he’s relaying the information to Bella. He says, “Bella says we’re on it. We’ll meet you at security.”
“Thanks.”
“Hold on, Dawn. We’re going to get you out of this.”
Tears prick my eyes because I’m not so sure. I notice it’s snowing as I think about how Alfred and Walter know they have me with the curse on my father, and the idea of being away from my mate slices through my heart. “I know. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Mom puts her hand on my arm. “It’s for the best, Dawn. There is nothing natural about witches and werebear.”
I frown at her and wonder if that’s my mother or Tokala talking. “Natural?”
She sighs. “You’re mad. I’ll wait to talk to you about this when you calm down.”
My jaw drops, but I snap it shut because I realize words aren’t going to get me a thing. I cross my arms in defiance, but inside, I’m letting my anger come to a raging boil so I can unleash as much power as possible.
Chapter 14
When we arrive at the airport, the snow is coming down so fast that it’s hard to see. It makes me think my flight might be delayed, buying me more time. But once we get out of the car and walk toward the private jet, I realize it doesn’t matter, because Lance and Bella are standing by the ramp and the pilot is nowhere to be seen. We splash through puddles of melted snow on the asphalt as we walk toward them.
“Fancy meeting you here,” says Bella with ice in her voice. She then sighs dramatically. “I’m not happy. I can’t believe you’d send Dawn off without a going-away party.” She twirls her finger in the air, and sparks shoot out of it, making it crystal clear she’s a witch. I bring my magic up to hover at the surface, ready to react quickly if my mother lashes out.
Lance is standing with his arms crossed and his eyes squinted. He says, “Let’s just make this simple, guys. What do you say? Reverse the spell, and we all go home quietly.”
“Never,” says my mother, and she lifts her arm in what I think is going to be an attack.
Bella’s too fast for her, and a shield is immediately thrown up to protect her and Lance. The blast of my mother’s magic bounces off of it, and Mom lets out a cry of anger. While she’s screaming, I manage to encase her in a protective bubble to add another layer of safety. But neither Bella nor I are prepared for the gun Walter draws and points at me while Alfred points one in Lance and Bella’s direction.
Walter grins at me. “I know a thing or two about magic, Dawn. If Bella tries to stop me from putting you on that plane, her shield has to go down. That leaves Lance and her vulnerable. And if you decide to drop your protective bubble around your mother to do something to me, I’ve got two choices as well. Kill you. Or her.”
Alfred says, “You really should go with Walter, Dawn.” He lets out an evil laugh. “He doesn’t like it when things don’t go his way.”
I’m not sure what to do, but I’ve never let fear paralyze me, and I’m not about to now. I speak to buy myself some time for something to come to me. “Oh please,” I say. “Like we’re afraid of two cranky old werebear.” I look at Bella and think about her fireworks she loves to show off. Fireworks. That’s it!
“Lance, grab Bella’s hand,” I say to him as I look at Bella. I make an exploding motion with both of my hands.
She smiles at me and says, “It really is rude that you still plan to send Dawn off without so much as a—” She taps her chin as if she’s thinking, and that’s when I open the channel to Lance through our soul-mate connection. I’m not sure if he knows how to use it, but because he’s touching Bella, it can travel through him to Bella when I let loose. Bella finishes her sentence. “Bang!”
A whole lot of things happen at once. The bubble around my mother evaporates as I send my magic to Bella. Bella’s shield disappears as she creates an explosion. A red haze envelops us, and because we have the element of surprise, I’m able to yank the guns out of the two old werebears’ hands wi
th my telekinetic power. I haven’t quite perfected it yet, so I use more force than necessary, and pain radiates through my fingers when the heavy metal objects slam hard into my palms.
As the fog clears, I manage to work through the agony of my aching hands to grip the guns and point them at each man. Bella holds up her arm and throws a stream of magic toward my mother. But Tokala’s powers are legendary for a reason, and Mom blocks it instantly.
Damn it! Lance has come to my side, and I hand him the guns so I can help Bella with my mother. I throw a fireball toward Mom designed to knock her off her feet with the hope I can stun her long enough to get in and paralyze her with a spell. But she deflects my shot too.
Bella follows up with a fireball of her own, which is quickly rebounded by Mom, and I realize we could go on like this for a while. I change my tactic to something so simple a warlock like Tokala would never think of it. As Bella shoots another fireball, I throw a sub-zero blast of cold air toward the puddle beneath my mother’s feet, making it slick with ice, and then follow up quickly with a fireball. When Mom turns to deflect my shot, she slips, and while her fall isn’t nearly as spectacular as mine was, it works because Bella manages to shout out a spell to paralyze her before Mom has time to protect herself.
“We’ve got to get the talisman from your mom and disable Tokala’s influence!”
“How do we do it without transferring him to one of us?” I ask as we both go to hover over Mom.
“With these.” Bella smiles as she holds up a pair of mittens, and she puts them on before she squats down to go through Mom’s pockets. She finds a wrinkled brown object that looks like a cross between a mushroom and an ear.
We both say, “Ewww.”
And I add, “I don’t want to know what that is.”
Bella says, “We need a container. Go see if you can find something on the plane.”