Her mind drifted to the vision of the creatures in her dream, and her heart pounded with the realization she had dreamed of Xander on and off for years. Should she mention it to him? Should she tell him about his starring role? What did it mean? Was she meant to recognize him in the bar and offer her help? She struggled to think it through, and then it was as if a giant cold hand wrapped itself around her heart. She froze in place. Becky! Rancher cowboy was not what he seemed. It no longer seemed too bizarre to consider. Becky had gone off with a goat man. Xander and the goat men might be related, but they weren’t friendly, so it stood to reason if Xander was a good guy, then Becky was in trouble. Unless Xander of the amazing sex wasn’t a good guy. Jolene carefully extricated herself from his arms and slid to the floor, crawling along to pick up her discarded pieces of clothing. Her shirt was beyond repair, and she pulled it off, using it to wipe her thighs and between her legs. Xander’s T-shirt would more than cover her, so she hurriedly yanked it over her head after adjusting her bra. The scent of him nearly overwhelmed her, and her heart pounded, and her clit perked again. She pushed those feelings aside and focused on Becky. Her panties were damp from her earlier periods of arousal, but she couldn’t wear jeans without underwear, so she clenched her teeth and got on with it. Xander muttered in his sleep, and she started. However, he didn’t wake, so she backed toward the door. Her boots and purse were on the floor in the foyer, and she sat down to tug on the damn footwear. She sorted through the contents of her bag, searching for the car keys. Shit, shit, shit.
“I took the precaution of putting the keys in my pocket, witch.”
Jolene stifled a scream. Xander stood not ten feet from her, naked and looking totally buff and hot. She tried not to stare at his cock as it hardened and began to climb toward his muscled belly. The blond hair at his groin looked so silky, like a pelt. She licked suddenly dry lips and watched as Xander’s face darkened with desire.
“I’ll give you a taste another time, witch, but for now we have to talk about what you saw tonight. Come here.”
Jolene wanted to smack him. She hated that he read her so easily and fumed at his arrogance. Well, she wasn’t going to give him any more satisfaction of any sort.
“You can’t keep me here against my will. I have a friend to find, and you’ll just have to accept that. Give me the keys.”
“No.”
Jolene thought hard. Time was slipping by, and she wasn’t certain she could actually win an argument with Xander, and she might need his help. The police would hardly believe her story.
“Then come with me while I look for her. We can talk on the way.”
“We will talk first.”
“Damn you, Xander! Becky went home with a creature from the bar tonight. Not a horse but a goat.”
Jolene wasn’t prepared for Xander’s reaction. He crossed to her and grabbed her shoulders, hauling her up on tiptoe and bending forward to nearly touch her nose with his own.
“Tell me.”
“I saw goatlike creatures when I went back into the bar the first time,” she quickly explained, wincing at his strong hold on her shoulders, her words tumbling out and over one another. “I thought I’d had too much to drink. But then I saw you and realized that as insane as it sounds, if you exist, so do they. And Becky went home with one!”
“Why did you leave the bar and return?”
Jolene hesitated. How could she tell him she hadn’t been able to resist when those cowboys, correction, goat men, dragged him out? That there’d been something about him, something that drew her even then, and now she realized she’d dreamed of him…
“Witch! Explain. I need to know everything that happened tonight. We want the same thing, I believe.”
“Same thing? I doubt it. I want to find Becky.”
“And I want to find out why the Caprines are crossing over to your world and staying here. Finding your friend may shed more light on the situation. Caprines are another hoofed species from my world. They resemble goats in a way and are highly sexed and very interested in human females. And probably some of your males when I think about it.”
Jolene bit her lip and made her decision. “I saw them grab you and pull you out the door, so I went to help if I could. I don’t know what came over me. I just had to do it. Anyway, I couldn’t find you, so I went back inside and hallucinated those goat guys, or so I thought. Then Becky and I fought, and she went home with Terry or Todd somebody. I need to find her.”
Xander stared at her for a moment but didn’t ask the question she anticipated. Instead, he asked, “What did you fight about?”
“She wanted me to make up a foursome with Terry’s friend. I wasn’t interested. All those guys hit on me all night. They hit on all the single women there, and had considerable success.”
“Why did you want to help me?”
Ah, there was question she dreaded, the one making her even more vulnerable. She decided not to tell him the truth. “I really don’t know. I just needed to.”
Xander shuddered, and his muscles rippled across his chest. Jolene was fascinated by the play and movement under his burnished skin but forced her mind back to the present. If only he would put some clothes on, perhaps she could keep her focus. She wondered what caused him to react like that.
“What was that about?
“We appear to be destined, witch, and I confess that I find it disturbing, as I am sure you can appreciate, although not insurmountable.”
Jolene felt as though she’d been slapped. Thank god she hadn’t been more forthcoming, opening herself up to yet more insult. The jerk enjoyed fucking her but apparently found any hint of a connection beyond that unpalatable. Sex was dandy, but an emotional component wasn’t on the agenda. Human men and horse men weren’t so different after all, and she’d always sworn she wouldn’t be used. When she really thought about it, that was what the bastard had been doing. He seduced her to make it easier to interrogate her. Wonderful. Feeling used was just the perfect end to this insanity. Fine, she would use him to find Becky, but he had better not touch her again or she’d figure out how to utilize the thing simmering within her against him. She was pretty certain he wouldn’t like what would happen then. Maybe there was credibility to this magic after all because something was speaking to her, and the power it gave her seemed over the top.
“So put Destiny aside,” she announced, “and maybe we can focus on the real issue here. Becky. I have a picture of Terry’s license, so we have an address and presumably somewhere to start.”
Xander stared at her, an assessing look on his face. Jolene kept her own features blank and waited him out. Finally, he nodded and went back into the bedroom where she could hear him opening and closing drawers. When he emerged wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was easier to remain detached if he was covered, although her anger and hurt was an adequate shield at the moment.
“There is a Caprine, a leader of sorts, named Terach. I would think he might be this Terry you speak of.” Xander tucked his shirt into his jeans and ran his hands through his hair to push it off his face.
“I apologize if I offended you earlier.” He shoved his feet into his shoes.
“Offended me?” Jolene asked sweetly and with just a hint of the poison she wanted to drip into his veins. “Oh, you mean me having sex with a horse? Not to worry, Xander. The sex was fine, and I like to think of myself as open-minded and nondiscriminatory.”
Xander visibly recoiled at her statement, and Jolene was gratified to see a hint of color rise in his face. She hurried to seal the deal.
“Now it’s like a business, Mr. Steed. No more sex. You won’t like what happens if you forget that. You know, my magic and all. I’m assuming you can control yourself?”
“Yes, Miss Phillips, I can. And my last name is Ahearn. It means horse lord, just as yours means lover of horses. And I was apologizing for suggesting you are less than I. It is simply that we are from very di
fferent worlds. Let us proceed.”
Xander’s cold tone made Jolene feel chastised and slightly ashamed, but she forced herself to nod coolly. Good grief. Lover of horses. Who knew? She stood back as he opened the door and gestured for her to precede him. Carefully avoiding even a whisper of contact, she rushed through it and made her way to the car, not looking back to see if he followed. She could feel him, sense him, and she struggled to focus and fervently wished for the night to be over and for it all to have been a dream.
She entered Terry’s address into the GPS and waited for the satellites to provide directions. Xander climbed into the passenger side and set the keys on the dash. He clearly couldn’t bear to touch even her fingers. The prick. Her feelings and her pride were hurt, that was what it was, and she deserved it. She knew better than to indulge in a one-night stand. Jolene snatched them up and stabbed them into the ignition, turning the engine over. She backed out of the parking space, allowing the disembodied voice to take charge and hopefully direct her to Becky. She ignored the being sitting beside her and fought to control the roiling, swirling sense of power permeating her body. Power that seemed to become stronger with his proximity.
Chapter Six
Xander struggled to contain the strong emotions his witch evoked. Damn it all. He offended her while trying to ignore the portent of the night. He told her the truth. She did indeed disturb him, and he was totally opposed to any kind of a relationship with anyone not of his world. He was xenophobic for good reason, and perhaps he could explain it to her at a later time. That didn’t stop his crippling desire for her and the need to learn more about her, or his compelling need to protect her. He was worried about what they would find tonight, if they were able to find her friend. The Caprines were taking things past casual sex if indeed they were preying on all available women and keeping them for more than a one-night encounter. He didn’t know what it meant, but he needed to find out, and he only hoped there was no nefarious purpose behind it all. Moreover, he required help. He fished his cell out of his pocket and sent a text to Arion. Arion could use his magyk in either world and would come to his aid once he picked up the message. He would also bring a team, and hopefully it would be in time. Xander winced when he realized his brother would be part of that team and likely be as susceptible to the witch as he was. It was going to be a long and difficult night.
Jolene stared ahead into the darkness, competently steering the car along the twisting road, obviously intent on ignoring him. He could feel the magyk emanating from her sweet body and wondered that she could focus. She had to be aware of it, too. And if it truly was so new to her, then she would be terrified by the power of it. He tentatively reached out and placed his hand over hers where it clenched the steering wheel. She flung him off.
“Don’t touch me, buddy. The way I’m feeling right now might spoil your whole day.”
Xander winced. Her fleeting touch actually scorched him, and if she chose to turn her gift on him, as untutored as she was, well, he wouldn’t think about the consequences. Better if they could be allies in this fight, but he had only himself to blame. He’d seduced her and then appeared to scorn her. Things were moving too quickly, but he had to try.
“Jolene. Miss Phillips. We need to put our differences aside if we are to help your friend.”
It was the right approach. He felt her relax, infinitesimally. He went on. “You have magyk, considerable power, but there is no time for you to learn how to use it. I have left a message for a friend, someone who also has such a gift. If he arrives in time, he will help you, but if he doesn’t, then we must do this together, as allies if not friends.”
“Give me a plan.”
Her abrupt order didn’t sit well with him, but at least she was talking.
“If your friend is at this address, if indeed it is an existing address, then it will not be simple to gain entrance. We must be cautious in our approach and find a way inside.”
“It’s a ranch.”
Xander cursed. If he hadn’t been sidetracked by his lust and the incredible sex, he would have debriefed her more effectively. The Caprines had bought a ranch, a place where their real form could easily be explained away or at least disguised if necessary. They’d clearly been planning something for some time and acting on it. But why did they want to leave their home and cross over to live here? It didn’t make sense.
Jolene had already come to a similar conclusion about the ranch from her response. “Well, I guess it won’t be hard to figure out who the bad guys are when we get there. We’ll just look for the four-legged variety.”
Xander kept his mouth shut with an effort. She spoke in such a demeaning, patronizing tone that he knew she was still angry at his earlier remarks. He supposed he couldn’t blame her, but he couldn’t prevent a snort, however.
“What?”
“Don’t you like animals?”
“I did, a whole lot, until tonight, and then my best friend got kidnapped by a goat, no pun intended. And I got fucked by a horse as a means to an end and was told I disturb him. And not in a good way. You can probably understand my ambivalence.”
Xander wanted to remind her she really liked being fucked by a horse but managed to restrain himself. There was no percentage in it. And he now better understood just how much he offended her, hurt her, actually. He took a deep breath. His brother was much better with females than he, and Sulieman might have made more appropriate choices tonight. Sulie was going to give Xander such shit when he arrived with the team. Sometimes having a twin was a curse, especially when there was a very good chance, despite the barrier, Sulie would have known what took place in Xander’s bed tonight. It was almost unprecedented that Xander took a female without his brother present, when it came down to it. They shared everything. Twins were rare in his realm because they hardly ever survived after birth, and as a result were extremely close.
“Once we arrive, I will transform and infiltrate the ranch,” he said, choosing to ignore her tirade and accepting that another attempt at an apology would likely fail. “It is likely the Caprines have other animals there as camouflage, and in the dark I will pass easily. I will attempt to find out where your friend is, and come back for you if I can.”
“Nope.”
“Do you have a better plan?” he asked, restraining himself only with considerable effort. He didn’t tolerate disobedient, cheeky females well, and wondered if having her bottom paddled would correct her attitude. Once again, Sulie would have cajoled appropriate, submissive behavior. Except Xander found the idea of Jolene acting meek and mild simply didn’t sit well with him. Chiron! He had to focus.
“I’ll let you out, and you can shift forms or whatever it is you do,” she said. “I’m going to go up and bang on the door. If those goat guys want to keep a low profile, then one of them will let me in and try to convince me that Becky’s fine. Once I see her I’ll figure out a way to get her out of there, a way for us to leave.”
“And have you thought about the possibility they might let you in and not let you leave?”
“Uh-huh, but you and your magical friend can do a distraction or something, and I’ll take advantage of that.”
The little witch’s plan actually didn’t sound too bad. The Caprines would be surprised she turned up, for one thing. And if they were smart, they would release her and Becky, rather than risk the fact Jolene might have shared the address with someone else, told someone else. But Xander knew the species. Jolene wouldn’t get out of that place without first being fucked. And probably by not just by one of them. It was in their nature, and Caprines didn’t pass up any opportunity. Plus, they liked to share. Not that he didn’t, if only with his brother, but the thought of anyone else touching this witch made Xander wild. He attributed his possessiveness to her magyk, but it didn’t in any way change how he felt. She wasn’t going into that place. She might be able to use her magyk to protect herself, but it was too new to her, and he wasn’t going to risk it.
<
br /> “If you go inside, I doubt there is any distraction that will deter them. They are highly sexed creatures, and you will not avoid the sex act. With any of them.”
Jolene said, with a tremor in her voice, “Are you saying they’ll rape me?”
“They wouldn’t see it that way. If you weren’t a witch, you probably would have succumbed to one of them earlier tonight. Willingly. You would likely be in that house right along with your friend.”
“Oh God. Becky. Do you think she will be okay?”
“She went with one. So he will probably claim her as his own, at least for now. Unless he has a brother or a close friend he shares with.”
“Shares? Are you talking about a threesome?” Jolene’s focus was now off the road and on him.
“Watch the road, Jolene!” Xander’s harsh tone served to make her pay attention to her driving. “A threesome or more. But they won’t hurt her. I assure you the Caprines will give her only pleasure.”
Jolene drove in silence for a few minutes. “So you’ll come back for me. Then what?”
“Then we make a plan based on what I discover. And hopefully Arion and the rest of the team will be here by then.”
Chapter Seven
Jolene sat in the locked car, her forehead resting against the steering wheel. Her brain ticked over at warp speed, trying to figure out how insane she really was and if there was a cure. A voice she didn’t recognize told her she was powerful and not to despair. Great, now she was hearing voices, just like nutty, if loveable, Great-Uncle Marshall. Mind you, if he was here now he would make her smile and feel happy and calm. Uncle Marshall lived off by himself in a cottage near the small rural town where she originally came from, once he came back from his travels. Her parents and the rest of the family viewed him with tolerance and affection, making sure his social security checks got deposited and that he got driven to town at least once a month to get his groceries and stuff. They visited him, too. As children, Jolene and her siblings and cousins were allowed to stay with him when he was “doing well.” That meant when he wasn’t talking to things other people couldn’t see. He had a real affinity for animals and was always taking in strays and patching up injured wildlife. The community thought he was a nut, but harmless, and the only bad thing that ever happened to Uncle Marshall was the odd bite from less-than-appreciative animals.
Riding Magyk Page 4