by Black, Tasha
“It doesn’t feel right.” Ainsley shook her head. “Besides, they got what they wanted in the end. The moroi is free. If they were going to show up anywhere, it would be at one of the other portals. No. This is something different. Something new.”
Her voice carried despair, and he noticed the way her fingers spread protectively across her belly. Ainsley was tough as nails. It was hard to watch something actually get to her.
“Something’s in the woods, it’s got Owen Blaine,” Erik told the gathered pack mates. “Spread out. Try to pick up any unfamiliar scents.”
Though they weren’t his to command, the gathered wolves sprung into action immediately.
Erik shucked off his jeans to join them.
The concerns of the human world receded a bit and he followed his nose. There were so many wolves in the woods already, each carrying his or her, own special bouquet.
And there was nothing unfamiliar. A whiff of Owen Blaine was present but nothing else. Just trees and campus and wolves and wildlife. Nothing amiss at all.
He went on making wider and wider circles, until there was literally nothing else to check.
Then he left the others to recheck, and shifted to join Ainsley again in the clearing.
She was speaking to Brian in a low voice as the big man stooped with grief. She looked up as Erik joined them, a question in her eyes.
“Nothing,” he shook his head. “If it stayed in the trees, that would make it harder to track, but not impossible. But we’re not picking up anything at all.”
“Like it just vanished?” Ainsley studied him in disbelief.
“Like it was never here.”
Chapter 3
Grace was a puddle of sensation.
The world slid and trembled around her as her whole body thrummed in response. She was asleep and not asleep at the same time.
Her eyes opened.
She was in the back of a police car.
She whipped her head around, the movement sliding her hair against her neck, a feeling so sensual it nearly made her swoon.
Cressida sat beside her.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Cressida smiled.
Grace noticed the curve of Cressida’s swollen lip, the knowing jaunt of her crooked grin, the warmth of her thigh pressed to Grace’s own.
Her eyes moved to the front seat, where Javier sat naked, a blanket covering his lap.
The young wolf’s body was radiating heat. Grace lost herself in the whorls of the tattoos that encircled his biceps. Her fingers itched to trace them, around and around, snatch the blanket from his lap…
Oh god, the magic.
The price of Grace’s magic was desire.
And she had done so much magic just now.
So very, very much…
But knowing why she felt this way wasn’t enough to stop her. Her hungry eyes continued their journey to the driver’s seat where Glenn sat.
He winked at her in the rearview mirror.
“Glad you’re okay,” he said, his soft voice sounding deeper to her ears.
She was so overcome with need she couldn’t speak. Instead, she slid a hand through his hair.
Instantly, a pair of hands tightened around her shoulders, pulling her back.
“Easy, tiger,” Cressida teased, rubbing Grace’s shoulders lightly.
The gentle touch felt amazing. Cressida was amazing.
Grace turned her attention back to her friend.
“Did you really sleep with Ainsley?” she whispered, realizing at the last minute that the car was too small for secrets and she was whispering loudly.
In the front seat, Javier tried to hide a smile.
“I sleep with a lot of people,” Cressida said carelessly.
Javier looked less amused.
“Yes, but did you sleep with my best friend?” Grace pressed.
Cressida just laughed.
“Don’t worry. We’re getting you back to the motel. Just a few more minutes.”
“Why does Ainsley Connor get all the fun?” Grace heard herself mutter.
Control yourself.
Grace startled at the voice in her own head. She could have sworn it was Julian’s.
The magic must have been more than she had thought.
She pressed her face against the cool glass of the window and shut her eyes, her hands fisted at her sides, trying to stay upright in spite of the tidal waves of lust that licked at her.
The drive continued, every bump in the pavement accentuating her torment. At last they pulled up and the car stopped.
Grace unbuckled her seatbelt and the door opened for her.
Glenn was holding it.
How had she not noticed how handsome he was?
He stood over her and she took him in: dark hair, brown eyes, muscular build, and he smelled like soap.
Before she knew what was happening, she had leapt out and pinned him against the car.
She stroked his hair with one hand, while the other slid over his abs and down the front of his jeans.
His reaction was immediate, his eyes widened and his cock was hard as steel.
She felt a responding jolt between her own legs.
Then she was flying through the air.
Cressida had literally grabbed her by the scruff of her jacket to peel her off Glenn.
“Down, girl,” Cress said lightly.
Grace tried not to whimper and failed.
“We’re going inside,” Cressida told her. “Boys, it would be best if you wait in the car.”
Javier nodded and Glenn stayed where he was, seemingly frozen in place with surprise.
Then Cressida was dragging her into their shared motel room.
“Would you like a drink?” Cressida asked, locking the door behind her.
“So you can drug me again?” Grace asked.
“Yeah,” Cressida laughed. “I didn’t think that was actually gonna work a second time. I’ve got something for you, though. Just in case. Picked it up at one of the shops in town.”
She threw her hobo bag on the bed and began to dig through it, while Grace tried not to notice the way her golden hair caught the light, or the curve of her slender body over the bed.
“Aha,” Cressida said, pulling out a box.
Personal Massager was written on the top.
“Oh,” Grace said.
Cressida opened the box, pulled out the massager.
It was plain white, clean and institutional looking. It had nothing to do with what Grace was craving.
“Here,” Cressida said, offering it.
Ignoring the awful device, Grace noticed the gentle curve of Cressida’s arm, and traced it with her fingertip.
“I don’t think that’s going to do the trick,” she said.
“You’d be surprised,” Cressida chuckled. She was so close. Grace could smell the sweetness of her breath.
Grace leaned in, wanting to taste those teasing lips, but not quite daring.
“Surprise me,” she whispered.
Without hesitation, Cressida lowered the massager between them.
Grace felt the cool hardness of it against her, a teasing reminder of the hardness she really wanted - the thing this toy could never replace.
There was an audible click as Cressida turned it on.
Grace gasped as it buzzed to life. Even through her jeans the sensation made her legs go wobbly.
She threaded her fingers into Cressida’s golden hair, forgetting why she shouldn’t, and kissed her long and hard. Cressida tasted like butterscotch and reckless abandon.
These are a few of my favorite things, Grace’s mind yammered thoughtlessly.
“Arms up,” Cressida whispered, pulling away to slide Grace’s shirt off.
Grace moaned at the loss of the kiss and the wonderful toy.
The air was cool and pleasant, but her body was burning.
Then Cressida was hard at work, peeling off Grace’s jeans.
When she stood before her friend in n
othing but a bra and panties, Cressida reached for the shard around her neck.
Grace slapped her hand away, hard.
“Geez,” Cressida murmured.
For a moment, Grace was afraid Cressida wouldn’t help her and she would actually die of the towering ache that was pounding through her.
But her friend pushed her down onto the bed, crawled up to her, pressed the toy firmly against her swollen sex again.
The sensation through the thin, drenched satin was overwhelming. Grace’s eyes rolled back in her head.
“Can you take it from here, baby?” Cressida’s whisper skittered across Grace’s nerve endings.
But Grace was overcome and when Cressida moved away the toy fell to her side.
Grace whined helplessly.
“Fuck, I’ve got to do everything myself,” Cressida muttered.
But a second later the exquisite hum of the toy was back against Grace and she moaned gratefully as the incredible pleasure made her forget her friend’s resentment.
Cressida laughed and worked the toy against Grace, rolling it, then lifting it just out of reach.
Grace jogged her hips up shamelessly to meet it.
When it touched her again, she bucked and the shard jumped off her chest, hitting her in the tooth.
“Take that off,” Cressida crooned. “You’re going to hurt yourself with it.”
But Grace wrapped her hand around the shard protectively.
The world rocked suddenly on its axis and she was no longer in the motel bed.
Darkness surrounded her until there was nothing but an eerie yellow glow allowing her to see only a few feet beyond herself.
But Grace didn’t care.
Julian was there with her, his lean, muscular body wrapped around hers, his hands on her sex, shimmying lightly against her clit until she thought she would die.
Just as she was about to climax, he lifted his hand.
“Please,” she whimpered brokenly, hips quivering.
“I don’t want it to end,” he whispered.
His breath was hot in her hair.
The happiness of being near him filled her, but the urgency of her need was overwhelming.
His fingers went to work again, teasing her lightly, then stroking and dancing against her poor clit.
“I love you,” he said into her neck.
“Please,” she whispered, managing not to lift her hips up greedily, chasing his hand.
“Good girl,” he told her.
Then his hand was moving like lightning and she was exploding with relief and ecstasy - a light bulb bursting, a mirror shattering.
And then there was darkness.
Grace awoke to singing.
She was tangled in the sheets of the motel bed, her satin underthings still on.
The sounds of the shower and Cressida belting out Lynyrd Skynrd lyrics told her she wasn’t alone.
Grace sat up.
She felt fantastic, no pounding headache like the other times she’d used magic lately.
Her cheeks grew warm as she thought about how she’d come by that relief.
The bathroom door flew open, and Cressida stepped into the room, unabashedly naked.
Grace fumbled with the sheet, trying to cover up.
“Seriously?” Cressida asked her with one brow arched. She was holding the… toy in her hand.
“Were you just…?” Grace couldn’t form the question.
“Oh, you think you and Ainsley Connor get all the fun, huh?” Cressida teased. “Relax. It’s water proof and it gets the job done. Which is more than I can say for you.”
“Oh, um,” Grace fumbled.
“Yes,” Cress continued, “you’re a very selfish lover. I mean my god. You blacked out and left me hanging at the best part.”
“I’m s-sorry,” Grace stammered, mortified.
“I’m kidding,” Cressida laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. And you owe me one, by the way. Because I didn’t let you sleep with Glenn. Even though you were acting like you wanted to, and I wanted you to, and he sure as hell wanted to. I took one for the team.”
“Thank you,” Grace said with feeling.
Cressida looked down modestly.
“Whatever,” she said in a pleased way.
Grace nodded.
There was a knock at the door.
“Cress?” Javier’s voice sounded worried.
“Fine, we’re fine,” Cress yelled back. “Hang on.”
Grace hurriedly slipped her clothes on as Cressida opened the door naked.
“We’ve got to go find Harrison Briggs,” Cressida told him.
He stared back at her in open admiration.
“Do we, um, have to go now?”
“Yes,” Cressida said firmly.
“I’m gonna track down Glenn,” Grace said, “see if we can follow up on that cake,” slipping past Javier and out the door in case Cressida changed her mind.
Chapter 4
Ainsley the wolf lay on Erik’s front porch.
The cool floorboards felt delightful against her furry belly, and although it was hot out, steady panting kept her blood cool.
A very slight breeze went past, carrying with it the scents of the woods and creek. Ainsley closed her eyes, letting her tongue loll out to the side in utter bliss.
If you had to be pregnant in a humid Tarker’s Hollow summer without central air, it was better to do it as a wolf.
Clearly, Ainsley hadn’t properly appreciated the year round climate control in her Manhattan penthouse.
The scent of a visitor met her nose and she opened her eyes. Thankfully, the guest was one of the Copper Creek wolves, not the rare Mormon missionary or delivery person who might come all the way out here and be terrified to find a massive wolf resting on the front porch.
Ainsley shifted and slipped on the summer dress she had laid on the couch next to her.
“Hi, Jenny,” she said.
The girl squinted up at her. Jenny was pregnant too. It was pretty much all they had in common. Besides the fact that they were wolves, of course.
“You won’t be able to do that much longer,” Jenny said, glancing down at Ainsley’s swollen belly.
“Do what?” Ainsley asked.
“Shift,” Jenny said simply.
“Why not?”
“Because the baby is getting too big,” Jenny said. “And she’s too young to shift with you.”
“Oh,” Ainsley said, surprised. She had never thought of that. Although she had noticed that shifting was getting a little uncomfortable. Along with everything else.
Jenny stared up at her from the walkway.
“Come on in,” Ainsley said. “Erik’s not here right now but he’ll be back soon. I’m sorry I don’t have any news on Megan or Owen.”
Or anyone else, she thought to herself. At this point even the number of people who might have been taken by this… thing was a total mystery. Many of the Copper Creek wolves had left Tarker’s Hollow voluntarily.
Or so they had thought. Since the disappearances started, they had only been able to contact a handful, leaving big question marks hanging over at least a dozen missing wolves.
Jenny came in and plopped down on the leather couch, sweeping her long blond hair over her shoulder, as if she had been sitting on that sofa, watching Ainsley pace back and forth all her life.
“I know both packs are doing all they can,” Ainsley continued. “Erik says he has guys combing every inch of the woods.”
“I know,” Jenny said.
“And I’m putting something together,” Ainsley added. “In case that doesn’t work.”
“Thanks,” Jenny said. “But that’s not why I came.”
“Oh,” Ainsley stopped pacing - surprised for the second time in five minutes.
“I miss Megan,” Jenny said.
Oh.
Ainsley felt a pang of sympathy. This poor girl had left everything she knew behind. And now her best friend was missing. Ainsley knew a thing or t
wo about not having her friends around. And since she’d given Javier permission to go off to Fletcher’s Cove, her days hadn’t exactly been full of company.
“I don’t have any real friends up here,” Jenny continued as if echoing Ainsley’s thoughts. “And it seems like you don’t know… I mean, not that you don’t know, but…” She trailed off, looking embarrassed.
Ainsley laughed.
“You mean it seems like I don’t know the first thing about being a pregnant wolf?”
The girl squirmed and nodded.
“You’re not wrong,” Ainsley said. “I’m kind of learning on the job.”
Jenny smiled, looking relieved.
Ainsley smiled back. She was impressed with the kid. It took a lot of gumption to offer your friendship to an alpha.
“How far along are you?” Ainsley asked.
“I feel like I could pop at any minute,” Jenny grinned.
“Nice,” Ainsley said. “How do you feel?”
Jenny shrugged.
“Big, but mostly okay. My ankles are swollen and I get some weird aches and pains here and there but I’m alright.”
She looked like she had more than that on her mind, and Ainsley could guess that she had her own set of worries about being a single mom in a new town without much money.
She could also guess that Jenny was too proud for Ainsley to be able to broach the subject head on. It would have to come out on its own, when they knew each other better.
“Hey, have you ever tried mommy yoga?” Ainsley asked.
“We really didn’t have stuff like that in Copper Creek,” Jenny said, her expression telling Ainsley she thought yoga was for rich, city-types.
Like Ainsley.
“You’ll love it,” Ainsley told her anyway. “Come with me tonight.”
“Yeah, okay,” Jenny smiled.
“One more thing,” Ainsley added. “Do you have a key to Megan’s apartment?”
“I can get in,” Jenny said.
“When you come back tonight, would you bring me something personal of hers?”
Jenny stared at her like she had two heads.
“Personal?”
Damn.
She’d meant to ask it lightly, but there was probably no breezy way to ask for such a creepy thing. Didn’t matter though, because Ainsley was damned well going to try and find Jenny’s friend.