Beyond Bewitching

by Mellanie Szereto

  She dragged the pile of pale green fabric closer, patting the material while holding her breath. Where are the pockets? It has to be there!

  Her hand finally closed over a lump. Digging through the folds, she slid her fingers into the deep side-seam opening, exhaling when she found the precious packet. It was still tied closed, but she checked the contents anyway.

  Samuel’s lock of hair. Mother’s locket. The bloodstone from the coven.

  They were all there, safe and sound. She hadn’t lost them in her travels or during her encounter with Tanner and John. Desperate for a new hiding place, she jerked her legs free of the blankets and crawled to the end of the bed.

  The three suitcases she’d conjured in the woods rested side by side at the footboard. Popping open the first, she found men’s clothing, so she moved to the next. A moss-colored muslin skirt unfolded as she pulled it from the baggage. She breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered a sleeveless top and sweater beneath. Thick cable-knit tights would complete the outfit. The more of her body she concealed, the better. She couldn’t risk another sexual encounter with John and Tanner.

  Stuffing the small packet into the skirt pocket, she dressed. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she traced Tanner’s path along the hallway that resembled a carved tunnel through a wall of rock.

  The channel opened into a mammoth chamber lit by flickering lanterns spaced at intervals on the smooth stone surface. Light reflected off a pool of water at the far end of the room, inviting her to venture closer. An occasional drip made the only sound. If she’d found this place after escaping the fire, she would’ve gladly spent the remainder of her days secluded in the private cavern.

  Moving away from the hall, she scanned the rest of the chamber. John and Tanner seemed to study her from a pair of armchairs positioned across from a couch. The grouping was simple, the sofa and chairs clad in dark leather and the end tables made of rough-hewn slices of tree trunk.

  Their watchful eyes unnerved her, especially since they sat still as statues. Finally, Tanner rose. “I got a bowl of stew ready for you. Will you join us?”

  Rather than disturbing the comforting drip, drip, drip by responding, she walked toward them, the slight chill of the uncarpeted floor seeping through her woolen leggings. She huddled into the corner of the couch, tucking her feet under her as she picked up the steaming bowl of vegetables and thick broth from the table. “Thank you.”

  Sitting back down in his chair, Tanner smiled. “You’re welcome. Are you warm enough?”

  The curve of his mouth sent heat spreading outward from her center.

  Not again.

  Suppressing a groan, she cradled the dish in her palm. “Yes.”

  They ate in relative silence, the steady dripping and the clink of spoons in bowls the only noises. Every minute challenged her to control the returning sexual urges. She wouldn’t capitulate—couldn’t. Another meltdown might destroy her. She’d been a fool to want to feel. Cold, distant, and wary suited her much better.

  John set his empty dish on the table. “It’s time, Sarah. Besides showing us that you aren’t an elder of the Triad, your markings revealed other important things about you.”

  His expression grew serious, warning her she probably wouldn’t want to hear what he was about to tell her. She forced her hand to lift the spoon to her mouth.

  Open. Withdraw the spoon. Chew.

  What else had Naga done? Was she cursed?

  Ha! As if I don’t already know that.

  Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, he glanced toward Tanner and then to her. “You’ve been foretold as the one holding the future in your hands. The prophecy states that a witch without age will create the new generation of the Xanthus clan and make us strong again. Your powers will combine with the abilities we possess.”

  A shiver raced up her arms and down her spine. Something about his words sparked fear in her very soul. Placing her bowl on the table, she wrapped her arms around her waist and lifted her chin. She might be deathly afraid, but they wouldn’t see it. They’d witnessed enough vulnerability in her already.

  His gaze never leaving hers, Tanner steepled his fingers. “The symbols in the ink indicate that you are our mate. John’s and mine. Together, we’ll—”

  “Mate?” Her breath caught in her throat. Half her body readied itself with the hardening of her nipples and a rush of heat and wetness in her pussy. The other half screamed at her to escape. Mating meant continuing what they’d begun earlier—and baring even more of her emotions to them. No amount of desire could make her do that.

  Shift! Run! Hide!

  She had no choice. She’d rather go up against Naga completely alone than let anyone that close.

  Concentrating on the change from solid to vapor, she pictured the one place she’d successfully hidden for three long years of her life. A thicket in the wilds was certainly uncivilized, but it had kept her safe. She closed her eyes and waited for the current to carry her away.

  A second passed, then two, and three. The faint drip, drip, drip still chanted in her ears. Damp chill clung to her skin, and the deep sigh of one of the men joined in the hushed chorus.

  She blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes. Tanner and John hadn’t moved from their seats, but neither looked pleased. They’d likely guessed that she’d tried to leave. For whatever reason, she hadn’t succeeded.

  Picking up his and John’s dishes, Tanner shook his head as he skulked toward the pool. He made a quick left and vanished through a doorway before he reached the water.

  “You don’t trust us.” John lowered his head to his hands. “Only Tanner and I are capable of spellcasting inside the protection charm. Explore the cavern if you wish, and the bedroom you were in is yours. We’ll sleep elsewhere.”

  The frustration in his voice held no anger, even though she’d told them she’d try to trust them. He rose, and she swallowed the urge to justify her reaction. Explaining herself wouldn’t do any good. Attraction or not, she was too damaged to extend the same belief in him and Tanner as they had in her.

  He pushed to his feet, gathering her dishes as he headed in the direction Tanner had gone. His footsteps echoed off the walls and ceiling, its sound leaving her hollow.

  They’d left her alone, just as she wished.

  * * * *

  Tightening his grip on the edge of the kitchen sink, Tanner slowly counted to thirty. Ten hadn’t begun to ease his impulse to smash the crockery bowls to shattered bits against the stone counter. Twenty almost put his frustration in perspective, but thirty reminded him of the reward of patience.

  John’s booted footfalls sounded behind him. “Three hundred fifty years of trusting no one won’t change overnight.”

  “I know.” Tanner turned to face his friend. “But we haven’t given her any reason to think she should run away from us. We pledged ourselves to her, for Goddess’s sake, and her first instinct was to leave us in her dust.”

  “We’ll just have to work harder to prove we aren’t like the other men she’s known.” Reaching past him, John rinsed the dishes. “I’m just glad she was too exhausted to break through the protection spell. Hopefully, she’ll think she can’t and won’t try again.”

  “Yeah. I can’t even imagine where she might’ve gone. Do you think she knows her fertility cycle is messing with her powers?”

  John stacked the bowls and spoons in the dish drainer. “From the way she broke down when she came, I’m not sure she realizes her fertility cycle has started. I doubt she’s spent much more than a few minutes in the present over her time as Naga’s pawn.”

  “I’ve been wondering if she had anything to do with the success of the seven new witch matings. Maybe she set up Kazmer to be taken out by Romána Macska.”

  A thoughtful smirk replaced John’s grim expression. “I think she’s been planning the ruin of the Black Triad all along. First, she influences the matings while Kazmer’s trying to stop them. Then, she makes sure everybody’s
in the right place at the right time for the Macska matriarch to destroy him. Now, she’s on the hunt for a supposed replacement.”

  “Except the Triad has never been the power of three. Naga is the only elder left, and she’s strong enough to do what Romána did.” A sudden realization made Tanner’s stomach pitch. “You don’t think she’s going to sacrifice herself to get rid of Naga, do you?”

  John scowled. “Over my dead body. We need to convince her we’re better off together—fighting Naga and as mates.”

  “How the hell are we supposed to do that when she’d rather be anywhere other than here with us?”

  “I don’t know yet. Let’s get some sleep while we have the chance.”

  Giving a nod, Tanner followed John out of the kitchen and through the now-empty living area. They walked side by side along the wide tunnel leading to the lookout room. At the entrance, both men kicked off their boots and stripped out of their clothes.

  Although no one could approach the cavern without being diverted by the spell, they’d spent many a night watching and listening during their years of training. Sleeping in the open-air wing off the main chamber was an old habit now. The only way to break it was if their mate allowed them to share her bed. That wasn’t happening this night.

  The straw on the dirt floor crinkled with every step, and Tanner breathed in the night air, savoring the crisp, green aroma of the surrounding forest. A sliver of moon peeked through the leafy branches. In a couple days, black would fill the sky, a week of Sarah’s fertility cycle gone.

  The change came without conscious thought. His hearing grew sharper, and his sense of smell captured new scents. The low rumble of relief in his throat became nickering. Goddess, it seems like weeks since we’ve shifted.

  John’s answering snort sent a cloud of steam into the chill. Too damn long.

  Standing at the window-like opening, Tanner savored the brush of his coarse tail on his hindquarters. This form gave him such a feeling of freedom. He imagined racing over the ground, his hooves barely touching the earth and the wind blowing through his mane. Sarah’s long black hair would flow out behind her as she—

  John, we need to shift in front of Sarah. Show her what we are. Remember what the bay told us about her? Maybe she’ll be more receptive.

  That’s perfect. We can go for a walk in the woods. I bet she wouldn’t say no if we asked whether she wanted to ride us.

  Tanner’s human brain immediately pictured her astride his hips, rocking back and forth as she fucked him. His cock responded, sliding out from its retracted state.

  I really don’t need to see that, Tanner. Forget I said “ride.”

  Too late.

  Light footsteps carried to Tanner’s flicking ears from behind him, and he curved his neck around to look over his flank. The familiar fragrance of Sarah made his nostrils flare.

  John swiveled to look toward the doorway as she stopped. The mind link faded, ensuring she wouldn’t detect the buzzing she’d claimed she could hear.

  After a brief hesitation, she continued into their sleeping quarters. “Did they leave you to your own devices as well?”

  Her hand eased forward to Tanner’s chin, and he nuzzled her palm to welcome her. A smile brightened her face, the first true sign of happiness she’d shown in their time together.

  “You’re quite a handsome fellow.” She combed her fingers through his forelock and then turned toward John when he nudged her arm. Her quiet laughter was music in the near darkness. “Jealous, are you? Not to worry. You’re just as handsome, and I have plenty of attention for both of you.”

  Standing between him and John, she ran her hands down their necks in long, firm strokes. Tanner didn’t even bother to try controlling his body’s response to her touch. He’d already been aroused from his thoughts, and she was only adding to the rush of desire. Had she been a mare, he would’ve wooed her into letting him mount her. As it was, he’d have to settle for petting and a one-way conversation.

  “Would you mind if I stay out here with you tonight? My bed reminds me of the things John and Tanner did to me.” She pressed her cheek to John’s muzzle. “I don’t want to remember. Letting them bring me pleasure made me feel weak and helpless. I have to be strong.”

  Her admission triggered a shot of guilt straight to Tanner’s gut. She’d never forgive them for not speaking up about having shifted. Of course, she also wouldn’t have confessed her weakness and alleviated his worry that she hadn’t really enjoyed their encounter.

  “Do you get to run free in the woods? Or does their spell keep you trapped like me?” Her palm glided over his withers and along his back.

  He turned to butt his head against her hip, hoping she’d understand his hint to climb onto him. A quick jog outside the cavern would do all of them good.

  She laughed again as she grasped his mane and hopped up to swing her leg over him. “Okay, but it’s your fault if Tanner and John get mad.”

  Waiting until she tightened her knees against him, he set off at a walk for the end of the sheltered stable. With a firm bump to the gate, John pushed it open, leaving Tanner to follow him onto the worn path leading toward the woods.

  His breath steamed in front of his face, and the dim reflection of the moon’s rays on the fresh snow lit the trail enough to guide him. He set off at a trot, testing her stability. Her body moved with the shift of his weight from leg to leg, a sign of her riding experience. Ahead of him, John broke into a gallop, his gait eating up the ground between the cavern and dense forest.

  Sarah clutched at Tanner’s mane and leaned over his neck to become part of him. “Faster!”

  Obeying her command, he lunged forward to chase down his friend. Her careless laughter echoed through the late-night quiet as he kicked up wisps of snow with each muffled hoofbeat. His muscles stretched and flexed, and he lengthened his stride, gaining on John. Sarah relaxed lower to Tanner’s neck, seeming to urge him on.

  They circled around when they reached the edge of the woods, heading back toward their cave home. He focused on the warmth of her pussy and thighs surrounding him. She was made to ride him—in both his forms. The Fates and the prophecy had chosen well for him and John.

  He slowed near the gate, reluctant to end the run but aware of her sudden shivering. Her sweater obviously wasn’t warm enough for the winter temperatures. She’d freeze if he and John didn’t share their body heat with her during the night. Keeping her warm wouldn’t be a hardship, though.

  His puffing breaths faded when he entered the stable, the overhang holding in a little of the heat from the main cavern. He and John would have to work a subtle spell to block out some of the cold night air.

  Stopping at the wide ledge jutting out from the wall near the doorway, he nickered at her and she climbed from his back to the ledge. John crowded in behind her, giving her a boost when she climbed onto the makeshift seat. She tucked her skirt beneath her legs and cuddled closer as Tanner offered his shoulder for a pillow.

  “Thank you.” Her whisper held true contentment.

  Warm mist rose around her from his and John’s exhales, and in only a few minutes, her breathing slowed to a relaxed, even rhythm. They’d deal with the consequences of their deception in the morning.

  Chapter 9

  Snuggling into the warm blanket, Sarah tried to ignore the ache in her hip, but it didn’t ease even when she turned to her back. In fact, the stiffness spread. She gave up on sleep and pried her eyes open.

  Dim light filtered through tree branches and leaves to cast shadows through the thick forest. Although time was of no importance to her, she peered past the overhanging roof to judge the hour. How long had she slept in the company of the two stallions?

  She sat up, gathering the wool covering around her as she scanned the partially enclosed space.

  Empty.

  Had Tanner and John taken the horses for a ride or put them out to pasture? They must’ve wrapped the blanket around her as well.

  The soft echo
of boots on stone carried to her from inside the cavern, and she scrambled down from the ledge to stare out into the woods. The straw muffled the footsteps, warning her one of the men had entered the stable.

  “Do you like tea or coffee with your breakfast?” John’s casual question suggested he wasn’t going to chastise her for spending the night in the equivalent of a horse barn. Not that she cared if he did.

  “Tea please.” She pivoted to look at him, her years of polite behavior at Wyndham House ingrained in her.

  She would’ve missed his almost imperceptible nod if she hadn’t been watching for it. He started to head back into the main chamber.

  “Where are the horses?” Curiosity had gotten the better of her. Besides, the beautiful beasts had been excellent companions last night, listening without judging, allowing her to experience true happiness, and keeping her warm.

  John froze mid-step, his jaw tightening. “They come and go as they wish.”

  “Oh.”

  Was he angry because she preferred sleeping with the horses to sleeping with him and Tanner? She only had their word that she was their mate.

  Mate to two men?

  While she had no qualms about a woman taking multiple lovers, her experience with sex left her with a preference to remain celibate. If she’d been inclined to mate, John and Tanner would probably top her choice of men.

  “Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.” John’s parting words were fraught with an emotion she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

  Frustration? Hopelessness? Anxiety?

  She had no idea. “Okay.”

  He strode away, leaving her to watch the movement of his wide shoulders, firm backside, and muscular thighs. A powerful flood of sexual need stole her breath, and she steadied herself on the waist-high wall that edged the stall.

  What’s wrong with me?

  More than anything, she wanted to climb onto the back of one of the horses and run free through miles of wide-open fields, escaping whatever compulsion drove her to desire. Why did this strange craving have to attack her now, when she needed to concentrate on her plan to destroy Naga? She also had to find a way out of the cavern so her powers would return. She’d vowed long ago to take care of herself and never depend on anyone else. Dependence equaled vulnerability and frailty.