Lilith Mercury, Werewolf Hunter Series (Boxed Set, Books 1-3)

by Tracey H. Kitts

  “So, you know him?” he asked, apparently noticing my pause.

  “Yes.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “It’s nice that you don’t try to hide the fact, for that would only make the conversation more difficult, don’t you think?” He twirled me again with these words.

  When I didn’t respond he continued, “You see, I knew The Seducer well and holding your hand is almost like being in his presence again. I noticed your father’s physical resemblance as well, but I feel his power in you.” He looked at me intently for a moment and then smiled again. “Have no great concern, my dear, I will keep this matter between us. It is not the business of everyone that the power of The Seducer has been reborn. After all, he’s not exactly on the same team any more, is he?”

  I laughed at this. “Surely you don’t mean people would be offended because his powers have passed to a woman?”

  “Offended? No. Intimidated, perhaps, maybe even afraid.”

  “And you, what do you think about it?” I couldn’t resist asking.

  “I am … intrigued.”

  A new song started to play and he quickly asked, “Do you tango?”

  I barely had time to nod, before he swept me off my feet. I gripped his hand tightly, deliberately pressing my bare skin against his. I wanted to know what he really thought. To my chagrin he responded abruptly, “If you would like to know what I think, I would much prefer to be asked.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond, but he went on as if I had apologized, “It’s quite all right. After all, most people would never know the difference. But if you want to know what I really think, it is a bit frightening, and yet fascinating.”

  “What is exactly?”

  “The thought of being able to experience his power from a new perspective, of course.”

  He dipped me as I replied, “Would you feel better if I promised not to seduce you?”

  “My dear,” he replied with a warm smile, “your very presence has the effect.”

  Mathias Alexander did not have the best of reputations, but he was one of the most powerful wizards in recorded history. He had passed on to me what was known as the voice of seduction. His power was seduction, and everything about him worked toward this end. I felt a power warm and sinuous flow through my veins as I flipped that switch in my mind that controlled my power. I took every unfulfilled desire, every explicit fantasy, and put them into my voice. Aldan pulled me against him and I stroked his long silver hair gently as I purred, “I assure you, my voice can do much more.”

  He gasped as a look of complete rapture passed over his features. “So it can,” he replied breathlessly.

  “I am not irresponsible with my abilities,” I said, my voice returned to normal.

  “All the same, I am impressed. I did not expect you to have mastered the voice.”

  After a few moments pause, and the completion of our dance, he informed me, “I am confident you would do well in heading up your local division of H.A.V.O.C.”

  “Thank you—”

  “However, I feel it would be a waste of your capabilities to limit you to it.”

  “Excuse me?” I wasn’t sure I liked where the conversation was leading.

  “I would like for you to head the division entirely, having all other division leaders answer to you.”

  “And who would I answer to?”

  “Why, to your father, of course.” He gestured toward where my father stood near the back of the room talking to Alfred.

  “But why—?”

  “Am I so confident? Because I like you.”

  “But—”

  “And I don’t like a lot of people.” He smiled. “I trust you, though I couldn’t say why. You’re a good person, Lilith. Never let yourself be told otherwise.”

  I was taken slightly aback by his comments. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”

  “Mathias was a good person too,” he said kindly.

  My eyes stung unexpectedly and my vision became a bit misty.

  Aldan either didn’t notice I was fighting back tears at the mention of the ancestor I’d never met in person, or he chose to graciously overlook it.

  “If you will excuse me, my dear,” Aldan said as he bowed. “I have many much more unpleasant tasks to perform this evening,” he added with another smile.

  With that Aldan Medwin turned back in the direction of my father and Alfred.

  Chapter Three

  Before I could take a step back toward the refreshments Julius once again blocked my path. “Don’t think you can walk all over me just because you’ve seen me naked.” He smiled wickedly, and I must say it suited him. “Now, how about that dance?”

  Julius pulled me close, and we twirled in graceful circles ever closer to the ceiling. I did not recall the ceiling ever looking as it did that night. It appeared to be open straight into the night sky. Julius caught me staring and explained, “Aldan enchanted it for the evening. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  I smiled, unable to take my eyes from the many twinkling stars above us. Julius held me tighter as he flew closer so that I could get a better look at the magically enhanced ceiling. He never even lost time with the music. Talk about grace.

  “You’re light on your feet,” I teased.

  “Did you wear any underwear?” He winked.

  “Yes, thankfully.” I laughed. “Otherwise, I’m sure people would be pointing and laughing by now.”

  He laughed, and I was reminded painfully it was my fault I hadn’t heard that laugh in such a long time. The music became slow once more and he held me closer as he whispered something about not wanting me to fall. Truthfully, I had no fear of falling. I knew Julius would be loathed to let me go, even if we were on solid ground.

  “How has my fallen angel been doing?” I asked softly, as I rested my face against his shoulder. The gentle swish of his wings was soothing and I sighed contently, gazing once more at the stars above. I tried to ignore how good he looked, but couldn’t help noticing all the same. Julius wore a long black robe, almost the same style as the wizards wore, but it opened in front more like a jacket, and in back to accommodate his wings. His chest was bare beneath the dark robe as was the fashion among the Icarum men.

  “I’m all right,” he answered slowly. “How are you?” He paused and when I didn’t answer he said, “I saw that little scene out front. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” I sighed, burying my face against his shoulder once again, mostly to avoid eye contact. “That ‘scene’ was a long time overdue.”

  “Are you seeing someone?” he asked.

  “You see that man talking to my father, the one who probably doesn’t look happy about me dancing with you?” I smirked.

  “You’re seeing Alfred?” He looked skeptical.

  “Yes.”

  “For how long?”

  “About five months now.”

  “But—”

  “I’m happy, Julius.”

  “Admit it, you just don’t want feathers in your bed.” His tone was light, but his eyes looked hurt.

  “You know that’s not true. When we dated before, it was just too soon.”

  “After Peter, I know,” he said softly.

  Peter was my first love, and the son of one of my father’s deceased colleagues. We were dating when I was attacked, and I’d told him everything. He had been the first person to call me a monster. Part of me had never recovered.

  “And now,” I whispered as I stroked the side of his lovely face, “it’s just too late.”

  “I understand. You know, I’ll never get over you?” he teased.

  “That’s all right; you’ve never gotten over yourself either.”

  We laughed and reminisced about old times before I said, “I recognized the members of the council, but who was that younger wizard out front?”

  Julius laughed. “The one in the horrible orange robes? That’s Aldan’s nephew.”

  “But for only seven t
o be born every century, what are the odds of having two in the same family at the same time?”

  “It’s rare to say the least, but apparently Eric is a bit of an embarrassment.” Julius laughed harder and it made dimples in his cheeks.

  “Absolutely pathetic.” I shook my head.

  “Yes, he is actually. He doesn’t seem to take life seriously. Who knows if he has any real talent or not?”

  “I was referring to how good you still look,” I said, smiling.

  “What did you expect, bald spots?” He fluttered his wings slightly and I laughed as we began to float back to the dance floor below.

  Unfortunately, Alfred didn’t dance. I saw that he was still talking to my father, so I made my way again toward the entrance hall after saying a brief farewell to Julius. I walked over to the table of refreshments and poured myself a glass of punch. I found Aldan’s nephew still lurking around, but this time he was staring at the mural covering the ceiling. I walked over to him.

  “Eric, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” he said, but didn’t look at me.

  “Make it strong,” I said, holding out my punch.

  He smiled at me appreciatively, and flicked his wrist over my glass. “Enjoy.” He winked and went back to looking at the ceiling. After a moment, I figured I didn’t have anything else to do, so I looked with him.

  “You know, you’re only the second wizard I’ve ever met?” I said conversationally.

  “Really? You poor thing, only your second wizard and it had to be me.” He turned to me then and smiled. “Well, at least it’s not your first time.”

  I laughed and nearly spilled my punch.

  “Lilith Mercury, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.” I extended my hand in greeting.

  I noticed then that Eric Medwin wasn’t completely unattractive. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but he had charisma. His bright red hair clashed horribly with the orange of his robes, but he seemed to be enjoying the fact that he stood out.

  “A pleasure to meet a fellow redhead,” he said with a wink. “You know you should be careful?”

  “Of what?”

  “He has a thing for redheads.”

  I was confused. “Who?”

  Eric looked back up to the painting and a chill ran through me. What was it about those eyes? Then I had a feeling, I almost knew the answer.

  “How could you possibly—?”

  “Know that? I have no idea,” he replied blandly, as if he hadn’t said anything strange at all. Whoever thought Eric Medwin did not have talent hadn’t paid close attention. But before I could question him further, Alfred walked up followed by Aldan.

  “Ready to be gone are you?” He smiled at us both.

  “Yes,” I answered, catching Alfred’s eye. “Actually, I’ve got a headache.”

  “I could fix that,” Aldan offered. “Or, is it just an excuse?”

  When I didn’t answer he laughed and put an arm around me, “Oh well, I won’t tell anyone. Let’s all be off then, shall we?”

  I looked back at Alfred and found him following with a smile, apparently enjoying the show. I wasn’t exactly sure how to react to Aldan’s instant liking. Truthfully, I found myself enjoying his company as well. Eric was a bit strange, but so was I. I liked him too. On our way out the door Aldan commented, “I find there is nothing more irritating than having to attend events like this, except perhaps traveling by transporter.”

  Aldan continued to talk all the way down the street and back into the building which housed the transporter we would use to get home. Alfred and I stepped into the circle of tiles first. I waved goodbye to Aldan and his nephew when he suddenly remarked, “Tell Mathias I said hello, won’t you?”

  I didn’t have time to respond. The next thing I knew, I was being frozen again from the inside out. Suddenly, I was back in Alfred’s lab, where I promptly tripped and fell to the floor.

  “Damn these things,” I cursed the transporter, and snatched off my heels.

  “Are you all right?” Alfred reached out a hand to help me.

  I handed him my shoes and scrambled awkwardly to my feet. “I’m fine.”

  On our way back up the long staircase into the house, we talked about how the night had gone. If I hadn’t been so angry when I’d fallen, I would have remembered how damn cold those stone steps are. Instead I suffered in silence. If I mentioned my feet were freezing, it would give Alfred an excuse to tease me. It was only lunch time back on Earth, and the sunlight outside seemed odd in comparison to Terra’s deep purple night sky. I told him about my conversation with Aldan, and how strange but likable I had found him.

  “I would worry about it. It’s good that he likes you. He’s always liked Jacob, and that’s worked out well for him,” Alfred said.

  I decided to drop the subject, since it was his nephew who had truly concerned me. I didn’t tell Alfred about our conversation in the entrance hall, but it was definitely on my mind. Eric wasn’t really referring to the painting, was he?

  Alfred stopped to check our messages, and I went upstairs to change. A bruise was already forming on my knee where I fell in the lab. I bruise easily and have a tendency to bump into things. Lucky for me I heal at almost werewolf speed. Otherwise, I’d look like someone had abused me most of the time.

  I had just hung the dress back in my closet when Alfred walked in. His shirt was unbuttoned, and the tie was long gone. He looked wonderfully tousled, and I had a sudden desire to snatch off his belt.

  “I saw you dancing with Blight,” he said softly.

  “And?”

  “And I didn’t like it.” He walked forward and placed his hand on the nape of my neck. Alfred looked dangerous, and it turned me on. I knew him well enough to recognize his jealousy, and to know I wasn’t in danger of anything but maybe listening to him bitch. His fingers tightened at the base of my neck and I moaned.

  He held me close then, and I felt something in his pocket. Alfred smiled down at me and I knelt in front of him, not bothering to step back so that our bodies brushed together on my way down. I started at his ankles and ran my hands up his legs and over his inner thighs as I stood back up. It was all I could do to keep from ripping his clothes off. Fuck pretense. I had never been good at foreplay. But guys seemed a little put off when you actually could rip their clothes off.

  “What are you doing?” he asked as a lazy smile spread across his face.

  “Looking for any concealed weapons.” I said the word “weapons” just as I moved my hand over the front of his pants. “Is that aspirin in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?” I removed the bottle from his pocket and rattled it at him.

  “Just in case,” he said.

  I walked over to my writing desk and sat the bottle down.

  “I don’t have a headache,” I said.

  I reached out to him and took Alfred by the hand. I led him over to the chair in front of the desk, pushed him down, and opened his already unbuttoned shirt. As I leaned over him, I began to kiss the exposed skin of his chest on my way toward his belt buckle. I leaned back onto the balls of my feet and pulled him toward me with a hand on the back of each knee, causing him to slump down in the chair. I let my eyes tell him all the things that were on my mind.

  “Don’t think I’m not still jealous,” he commented with a sort of half smile.

  “You can be jealous all you want,” I purred, as I began to unbuckle his belt.

  I unzipped his pants and ran my hands along the curve of his hips, exposing the part of him I was most interested in at the moment. Without warning, I took his cock in my mouth. Much to my satisfaction, Alfred seemed to forget any other complaints he might have had. I looked up a few moments later and knew that my voice would be filled with the desire I felt.

  “Take me,” I whispered.

  My command was instantly obeyed as Alfred snatched me from the floor and practically flung me onto the bed. I gasped with excitement as I fell onto the crimson sheets. Alfred ripped the black lace pant
ies from my body and pressed his hard cock against me.

  He hesitated and I said, “Do it.”

  I cried out as he entered me, causing my breath to catch. I moaned and wrapped myself around him as I tore the shirt from his body. It got caught around one wrist and he snatched it off with a frustrated growl as he scooped his hands underneath my back, lifting me against him, almost in a sitting position. His hands grasped me from behind, lifting me more fully onto him, and I cried out as I climaxed. I clung to Alfred as a warm rush of power flowed from me and into him. A thrill ran through me as I felt his muscles tense and I knew he came too. We fell back onto the bed, both of us breathing hard.

  “Should I be jealous more often?” he panted.

  I laughed softly as I slid from the bed and walked to the shower. The bruise on my knee was already healed.

  Chapter Four

  When another of my injuries healed so quickly, it reminded me I had forgotten to ask Mathias about the last time. A part of my great, great grandfather’s consciousness still existed somewhere in the back of my mind, and I was able to contact him through meditation. He had passed a piece of his spirit to me along with his powers. After a quick shower, I decided it was time we had a chat while Alfred napped. Since he’d been up longer than I had, Alfred was out cold by the time I took Mathias’ journal from the shelf and padded barefoot downstairs.

  I went into the kitchen and unplugged the phone. I also checked to be sure the doors were locked, so I would have no interruptions. I took the gold chenille throw from the back of the crimson sofa and spread it on the floor in front of the fireplace. Here I also placed a pillow and lay down facing the ceiling, palms up, legs slightly apart. This is known in yoga as corpse pose, and I lay there for several moments and just breathed.

  Once more the stone staircase appeared before me, so much like the one that led to my dungeon, and Alfred’s lab. I ascended these steps gradually through a flow of color, one to represent each chakra of the body. At last, I reached the door to the place in my mind where I could escape and recover. The door was silver and ornately carved with intricate vines and leaves. It looked much like the door to my dungeon. Beside this door was an elaborate silver box. It was here that I must place all of my worries if I ever expected to enter.