by Morgan Fox
As it was, all of the lycan hopes were resting on Sebastian’s shoulders.
Her thoughts quickly returned to another matter burning at the back of her mind. “What about Ryder? Should I say anything to him?”
“No,” he said firmly. “He may have proved useful on occasion and saved you from the vampires, but his loyalty is with the were-panthers. So for now, let’s keep him on a need-to-know basis, and currently he doesn’t need to know.”
Tiffany wasn’t sure why, but keeping Ryder in the dark didn’t feel right. In fact, it made her belly ache and an unsettling worry blanket her thoughts. Zane wasn’t the only one affecting her. Ryder was, too. Both men were setting her mind on a tailspin. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but the six-foot-six, golden-eyed, blond-haired giant was in her thoughts constantly. Ryder offered a security she couldn’t describe.
Currently, Zane, Ryder, and her wonky magic was all she concerned herself with. Ever since the first moment she’d laid eyes on Zane she’d been smitten with him, and even though she felt that way about Ryder now, she hadn’t always. Her first impression of him had been of an arrogant man, one who was only ogling her because he was horny and desiring someone she was not.
Tiffany wasn’t unfamiliar with men like Ryder. They pawed her constantly, but it was only thanks to the magical illusion she put up, showing them a big-breasted redhead with legs to her ears and a curvy body they could fantasize about for days. When really, she was a petite and slender woman with smaller, but firm, round breasts. Not too big, not too small. Her facial features were the same, just a simple color change to her hair and eyes to make things interesting.
One of the first things she had to learn before leaving her people was how to hide her identity. The only people who could see her true appearance were her people and those she allowed.
As she stood, the phone still clutched to her ear, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her soft green eyes peered back at her. She had to remember that her illusion had turned her eyes crystal blue and her hair a wild shade of red, when really her hair was a subtle summer blonde.
“Tiffany?” Sebastian called out, startling her from her thoughts.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I think I’m just tired,” she said, and she wasn’t lying. She was tired, her mind overloaded by all the events surrounding her.
“I imagine you are. Try to get some rest, and I’ll call to check in soon.”
“Thank you, Sebastian.”
“Should you need anything in the meantime, call me.”
“I will,” she replied, knowing the moment she answered him he would disconnect the call.
For as long as she’d known Sebastian, he never said good-bye. He simply said whatever he had to say and moved on.
Returning the phone to the nightstand, she fell back onto the bed with her arms flying up over her head. Groaning with frustration, she still didn’t have any answers, and it wasn’t likely she would anytime soon. Not having control over her life was stressing her out and turning her world upside down.
As she lay there, her stomach did a funny little flip, and before she knew what hit her, a blinding light flashed behind her eyes. Cringing, she captured her face in her hands, wincing from the slight sting of pain. Her entire body shook, trembling as if she’d been struck with an awful fever.
The brightness that stunned her vision slowly faded to a warm, soft glow, and her body began to settle into a more euphoric state. A gentle vibration pulsed throughout her muscles. Slowly, the fog that filled her thoughts lifted, and Zane’s face appeared, fresh and beautiful. He was staring at her, lust and longing consuming his gaze.
What’s happening to me?
As if driven by a magical force, she began caressing her breasts, pinching and tugging on her erect nipples. An overwhelming need to be touched exhausted her. Moaning, her body warmed deliciously.
The pull of a sensual smile played at her lips. She was now free of everything except the pleasure she desired, pleasure she wanted to discover with Zane and Zane alone.
She gasped, leaning back against a cool tile wall. Raising her leg, she rested it on the edge of the porcelain tub. Her hands delved between her legs, parting the folds of her aroused pussy. Slowly, she massaged and stroked her clit, rubbing it in just the precise way that was sure to make her come.
Her body burned for release, the raw, tantalizing pressure building to a wild crescendo, vibrating at the back of her mind.
Zane drew near, the heat from his body alarmingly familiar, causing an eruption of warmth to flood her system. Tenderly her fingers crept up and caressed the hard, defined sinew across his chest. Her eager hands explored him, capturing as much of him as she could. She ran her hands over the flat of his stomach, marveling at the deep grooves of firm muscle that dipped down his hips and around his waist. Her hands settled on his buttocks.
She squeezed, pulling him toward her, holding him against her exposed breasts. Instantly, her nipples hardened, almost painfully so. She moaned as his erection teased against her wetness, grinding gently.
Zane’s strong hands cupped her face as his fingers weaved through her hair. She let her head fall back.
On a breath, he took possession of her mouth, hungrily kissing her. Then the warmth and feel of water was all around her, cascading down her body just as his hands were doing.
A shower.
She was in a shower with Zane. His expert hands soaped her up, lathering every square inch of her skin, lingering over her navel and breasts.
“I want you,” Zane whispered gruffly in her ear. “Come to me.”
Suddenly, her eyes flared open, and she was lying on her bed. Her hands were tucked between her spread legs. She’d been touching herself as the visions of passion filled her mind, images so real they shocked her.
An awareness she’d never experienced before had her rising from the bed and darting to Zane’s room. Using her magic, she unlocked his door and stepped inside, locking the door at her back. She heard the pulsing water of the shower and knew she was meant to be in there with him. The need was ferocious and all consuming.
She set her sights on Zane who lingered behind the bathroom door.
Chapter Four
Zane tore himself from the filthy towel and tossed it onto the bathroom floor. He’d chosen a room a few doors down from Tiffany and wondered why he hadn’t just picked the room beside hers. His mind and lust-filled thoughts had told him to get as close to her as he could, but the other side reminded him of the secrets she’d kept and refused to share. That was what forced him to keep distance between them.
How can I trust a woman who won’t let me in?
The blood and dirt that covered his body and towel screamed of the violence he had encountered as they fled the clinic. In all his years as a doctor, he had never seen so much blood. He could still hear the gut-wrenching cries and shouts of the vampires as he and the others, Ryder, Dominic, Megan, and Reyes, tore through them.
Surprisingly, the vampires hadn’t put up much of a fight. In fact, the vampires seemed to be distracted by something else, or maybe they were the distraction. As strong as the lycans were, they were seriously outnumbered twenty-five to one, and never once did the vampires attack with the force he had expected.
Zane pulled open the frosted glass shower door and reached inside to turn on the water. After a few moments, the coolness turned perfect as it glided over the palm of his hand. Then, just before he stepped into the shower, he dimmed the lights and closed the bathroom door, locking himself in. He didn’t want to be disturbed.
As the water rolled over his head and down his chest and back, he closed his eyes, reveling in the simple pleasure of a warm shower. He needed it. His mind was still reeling from the evening’s events.
As it were, the fight with the vampires had been his first. Sure he had defended himself on many occasions as a young lycan, but nothing like what had happened as he escorted Tiffany from the clinic.
Even though Dominic, Megan, and Reye
s had arrived to help, he wasn’t sure he and Ryder would’ve needed it. Not to mention what he’d seen Tiffany do. Now he had the proof that she was unique. He’d always believed it, but now he’d seen it.
He pressed the palms of his hands against the shower wall and watched at the colors of the night vanished down the drain. His gut rolled as he thought more about the attack. Something wasn’t quite right about the way the vampires set down on them. They acted as if they weren’t really interested in capturing them, or harming them, but more or less taunting them for something so much bigger and far worse.
Zane’s instincts were on high alert. He couldn’t figure out why he felt so convinced that the vampires were up to something no good, but he was sure they were.
Again, his scientific brain just wouldn’t turn off.
If his gut was right about the distraction, why would they need a distraction? Why the taunting game? Were they really just bait to draw out Sebastian? Did it have something to do with Tiffany’s ability?
He now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had power. He’d felt it, and been caught off guard by it. Her energy had crept up his legs, surging and pulsing through him. The powerful grip had been shocking, captivating, just like Tiffany.
Frustration bloomed in his chest.
Why hadn’t she told him she was magic kind? Why was it so important to keep her magical ability a secret? Was there something else hiding beneath her magic, something that would make even Sebastian nervous if others discovered it?
Hands still pressed against the cool tile, he relaxed his arms and leaned his forehead against it. The water concentrated on his back. Tiny, pulsing droplets of water massaged him. He briefly closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing sensations. That was until he felt the tingle of magic tease the flesh at the back of his neck.
Everything grew darker, and then a bright burst of light filled his sight, blinding him momentarily. As if a white fog slowly lifted, he could see again, but this time what he saw was Tiffany. Her serene face smiled up at him, just as a warm euphoria devoured him.
Tiffany’s soft gaze swept over his face. Her possessive hands crawled up his chest, over his shoulders, and down his back, clawing at him, pulling his body against hers. She was wicked, a vixen who tortured him with just a subtle glance. Her eyes, lips, and body beckoned him, begging him to look at her, kiss and touch her.
Desire unlike anything he’d ever felt before consumed him, a fiery torment that was his undoing. She rendered him powerless. Everything she wanted of him, he did. He felt her need to kiss, her need to caress herself. All her passions suddenly were his own. A floodgate of erotic sensations exploded inside him, and he couldn’t get enough of her.
Then as if the images and sensations had been but a dream, he opened his eyes. His hands were pressed against the wall with his claws extended.
Inclining his head over his shoulder, he glanced at the shadow lingering on the other side of the frosted glass. Judging from the curvy shape of the silhouette and the energy vibrating all over his body, he knew it was Tiffany.
What is she doing here?
What is she doing to me?
His heart raced, forcing the blood to surge faster through his veins. Suddenly, his flesh was extremely sensitive to the water cascading over his skin. Everywhere the water touched awakened a primal need that had his cock hardening like a steel spike.
Then he watched as her long, slender fingers gripped the edge of the door, the soft pink of her nails teasing him. He swallowed hard, attempting to moisten the dryness that settled in his throat. He held his breath as the door slowly opened. The seconds that passed had his body blazing like an inferno. His cock pulsed with need.
Why had she come to him? Was this another dream? He’d had so many over the last several months he was having a hard time deciphering the difference. He squeezed his eyes shut, and slowly opened them. Before he could take his next breath, Tiffany’s toned, slender leg slid into the shower, followed by her femininely round hips, flat stomach, supple breasts, and gorgeous face. Her flowing blonde hair lay loose and full around her face, draping over her shoulders, and teased the hardened peak of her nipples.
Oh, God.
His eyes snapped shut, and he quickly turned back to face the wall. The memory of her body would forever be burned into his mind. Her round, firm breasts, rosy pink nipples, slender waist, curvy hips, and legs that he wanted wrapped around him, everything about her was exquisite.
His cock jumped.
His mind was swimming with a dozen reasons why her naked presence was incredibly wrong. The struggle he faced came when his body refused to listen to his brain.
He groaned as she stepped closer, her fingers gliding gently over his back. “What are you doing, Tiffany?”
“What does it feel like I’m doing?” she asked, licking the water droplets from his flesh.
His body tensed. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“That’s what I figured you’d say, and that’s exactly why I should be.”
His brow furrowed, and he inclined his head over his shoulder to glance back at her. “What are you talking about?”
She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed. Before he knew what happened, he was standing face-to-face with her. He hadn’t even made the motion to turn around, but she had made him do it.
Magic.
“So, you’re using magic on me, too?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.
Her pink pouty lips pressed into a wicked grin. “I know you saw me. I know you know that I use magic.”
Zane swallowed. He stared into emerald-green eyes that seemed to swirl with power. Heat pulsed along his body and magnified with each swipe of her finger over his skin.
“What are you? A witch?”
She shrugged. “Not exactly.”
“Then what?” he demanded.
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m educated,” Zane shot back. “I’m sure I can handle your explanation.”
“I’m sure you could,” she said with a smile, but the smile quickly faded as she continued, “If I reveal my secrets to you, I could be killed for treason against my people. So forgive me for not wanting to share every little detail of my—”
“Killed? Who the hell would kill you for telling me what you are?”
She held his stare. Her eyes softened in a way that melted him into big heap of marshmallow goo. She pushed to her toes and kissed him. Her tender lips nibbled on his, licking and sucking at the corner of his mouth. Her fingers caressed his skin, digging and massaging into the muscles of his chest and shoulders, working their way around to his back, pulling him closer.
Her fingers trailed down his chest and wrapped around his cock, stroking him gently. With a groan, his head kicked back. It had been so long since a woman had touched him, really touched him, that his knees almost buckled out from under him. Her lips pressed against his chest, and it was sheer torment.
He couldn’t stop himself from acting like a starved man. Carnal pleasures exploded from within the depths of his soul. His needs were unmasked and bare for her to see.
With primal speed, he captured her into his arms, propelling them both toward the rear of the shower. Her body hissed as she pressed against the cool tile, driving her harder against his chest. Her legs came up and wrapped around his waist. He arched his hips, grinding his cock over her slick pussy.
In the next second, he devoured her mouth, thrusting his tongue deep, tasting her, and relishing it. He lifted her higher, running his tongue over her chin and down her neck. The smoothness of her skin enflamed him, terrorizing him as he bent his head further down and took her erect nipple into his mouth. Slowly, he suckled her, flicking his tongue over the rosy bud.
“Yes,” she breathed, her fingers weaving in his hair. “That feels so good.”
Mindless with lust, he couldn’t help but want more. He needed more. His primal side, the beast that slept inside him roared. He was startled by the power of his wol
f, and his body shook, trembling with awareness. A powerful yearning closed in on him, almost suffocating. One taste of her lips had sealed his fate, had told him who Tiffany was.
My mate.
Eyes wide, he stood, breathing heavily and staring down at her. If she was his, then why did she hide herself from him? Could he truly desire a woman wholeheartedly who kept secrets? Was she really his mate? Did a kiss have that much power?
“Tiffany,” he growled, his fingers kneading the flesh of her hips, grinding himself against her.
He hated himself for being so easily distracted by her prowess. Her ability to make his thoughts irrational was too easy. Nothing made sense and nothing felt right, except the woman in his arms.
Was this all a trick? Was she using sex to get him to forget himself? Was she using magic on him, the same kind of magic he’d seen her use?
He placed his hands on her shoulders and straightened himself, unclasping her legs from around his waist and settling her back on her feet. He glared at her. “Are you using your body to keep me from asking you questions?” He released his hold on her and stepped back. “Do you think so little of me?”
Tiffany’s eyes rounded and she poked her finger in his chest. “I’m not doing this to shut you up, you big dummy. I told you before that I was attracted to you…that I wanted you.” Her face reddened.
He folded his arms over his chest. The water splashed over his shoulder and into her face, making her squint. He took another step back, the water separating them. “So you think the best way to show me that you want me is to keep secrets from me?” He chuckled, but it wasn’t out of humor. He was flat out annoyed. “I might be head over heels for you, but I’m not about to have sex with you just so you can continue to hide the truth from me.”
Her head snapped up to lock gazes with him. Her eyes glistened, her face awash in fear. “Even if it means my death?”
He pushed down his need to bring her back into his arms, to comfort her. “Who would know you told me?”
Tiffany bit her bottom lip, resembling a person defeated by someone she loved. “The magic I possess is not only mine, but of my people.” She looked down. “I am connected to them just as they are connected to me.”