Bewitching the Beast

by Tamara Hughes

  “Beast inside Ethan Lockwood come forth.

  Using Tess Edwards as your host, speak to us.”

  The Beast stirred within Ethan with a low growl. A wave of heat billowed up inside his chest and flowed through his arm to the hand that gripped Tess. An urge to release her swamped him, but the intense energy flowed into her before he could act.

  She jerked in her chair and stiffened with an unsteady breath.

  No. He clutched her hand tighter, wishing he could call it back. Yet, some form of The Beast was still inside him. He could sense it there, dormant, blissfully calm and quiet. Ethan stared hard at Tess.

  She opened her eyes, eyes now tinged with green, and Ethan’s blood ran cold. Without thought, he began to rise. He needed to end this thing.

  Her mother tugged his hand. “Don’t break the circle. Give this a chance,” she whispered, and Ethan settled back into his chair. Somehow the woman kept her composure although her whole body shook from the effort. She turned to her daughter. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Odji, descendent of Kneph.” Tess’s voice had become a hiss, as if the words were forced from her throat. Ethan cringed, the sound of The Beast coming from Tess’s lips almost too much to bear.

  The expression on her face, one of steely resolve, Mrs. Edwards continued. “What type of creature are you?”

  Tess’s eyes fixed on Ethan. The Beast was sizing him up. “Your species knows us as dragons.”

  “Dragons,” Ethan muttered. The legend. Was it true? Had Leonard Meade discovered a dragon, maybe the dragon from the Egyptian myth?

  “Where do you come from?” Mrs. Edwards asked.

  “We populated your planet long ago until we were banished to another realm.”

  Isis. The legend said Isis, the magical goddess, had banished the dragons. “How did you escape this other realm?” Ethan added.

  “We were put there by magic and escaped by magic.”

  Mrs. Edward’s eyes widened. “What magic released you?”

  The Beast didn’t answer, and his gaze never left Ethan.

  Was the look meant to be a challenge? “What do you want? Why are you here?”

  “We want what we once had several millennia ago—what every society wants, to flourish and grow. We will take physical form and live amongst you again.”

  Tess’s mother leaned forward. “How will you take physical form?”

  “The only way we can—through humans.”

  Mrs. Edwards glanced at Ethan.

  The scales on his arm itched. “How do you choose those you infest?”

  “Infest?” A gravelly laugh bubbled up from Tess’s throat. “We can only implant our young in humans with a specific genetic imprint. Any other would die from the transfer.”

  He remembered the night he was changed, the pleasant surprise on Kade’s face. “You can somehow sense this genetic imprint?”

  “Yes.”

  Kade’s words came back to haunt him. You were meant to be one of us. Ethan clenched his teeth. “What happens when your host dies?”

  “Once inside, we never let the host die.”

  “If he does?”

  Those glittery, green eyes laughed at him, taunted him.

  He stiffened, fighting the urge to strangle The Beast. But this wasn’t real. The person before him with those hateful eyes wasn’t The Beast. “What about Tess? Why do the dragons want her dead?”

  “I will protect my Taw’am roHi, my mate.”

  “Your mate?” Tess’s mother spat out.

  “She will bear the first child of our race.”

  A stricken look passed over Mrs. Edward’s features. “What do you mean, the first child of your race?”

  “The younger the human we possess, the more like our old selves we become. We can take over more completely, leaving little trace of humanity.”

  Ethan’s stomach twisted. “You’re talking about possessing a child?”

  A slow smile stretched Tess’s lips. “Yes. An infant in the womb.”

  That smirk sickened Ethan. “If she’s your mate, why did you steal her energy? Why make her vulnerable?”

  “Her energy was too pure to resist, the aura of a magical being.”

  “Leave her alone,” her mother commanded. “She doesn’t want any part of this.”

  “Her wishes are of no importance. Only those with powerful magic can carry a dragon to term.”

  “No!” Mrs. Edward cried, her face a mask of outrage. “I’ll destroy you before you get the chance.”

  The Beast scowled. “You must leave then.”

  Mrs. Edwards shook her head. “Never.”

  “If you stay, you will die.” The Beast clamped Tess’s hand around her mother’s, the grip so strong she winced. “Tess is mine. You will not interfere.”

  A whimper escaped Tess’s throat, and her eyes squeezed shut. “Get. Out. Of me.” Tess struggled in her chair, her shoulders squirming against some invisible force.

  “Help her!” Ethan yelled at her mother. “Do something.”

  Mrs. Edward’s stared down at her spell book.

  “Lord and Lady,

  release Tess from this trance.

  Send The Beast back from whence he came.”

  The intense heat Ethan knew all too well shot into his arm from Tess. Tightening his hands into fists, he bent low over the table, grappling for control once more. Sweat beaded on his forehead as The Beast’s return singed his skin, and a roar of rage echoed inside his mind. His breathing heavy, he peered at Tess. She was all that mattered.

  She slumped forward and covered her face with trembling hands.

  “Are you all right?” Mrs. Edwards reached out to Tess.

  “Not really,” Tess mumbled, but she raised her gaze. Her face was pale, and tears glistened in her eyes.

  Her mother brushed her hand over Tess’s arm and looked his way. “I’m sorry, Ethan. You need to go.”

  She was right. He didn’t belong here, not with what The Beast had planned. Ethan stared down at the table, its Formica top shining in the candlelight. He gritted his teeth as the searing heat subsided in slow degrees.

  “Ethan stays,” Tess rasped.

  Her mother blew out the candle and switched on a lamp. “Didn’t you hear? The Beast, that thing, wants you to have its baby.”

  “I heard, Mom. It doesn’t change anything,” Tess insisted. Her chair scraped against the carpet, and her hand came to rest on Ethan’s back. “Are you okay?” Tess’s voice seeped under his skin, soothing him.

  He nodded. “Give me a minute.”

  “Doesn’t change anything?” Mrs. Edwards stood, and with angry jerks, began packing away items from the table into her bag.

  “No, it doesn’t.” Tess’s hand brushed over Ethan’s spine, her touch a balm to his battered soul. “Sure, it freaks me out. Odji is a threat—”

  “Don’t,” Ethan groaned, his joints simmering. “Don’t give him a name. He doesn’t deserve one.”

  “Fine. The Beast is a definite threat, but this other dragon is planning to kill me. I need Ethan to help me figure out the best way to defeat him.”

  Ethan forced himself to sit up. “Your mother’s right, Tess. You’re better off without me.” Her hand dropped away. Damn. Already he missed her touch.

  Tess looked at him with compassion. “That’s not true. Without you, I have no one to test spells on. I need you, or I’ll be shooting in the dark.”

  She needed him. Ethan’s protective instincts flared bright. He wanted to be there for her, to protect her from Kade, but at what cost?

  “You mean we.” Her mother stopped packing to glance between the two of them. “We’ll need someone to test spells on.”

  Tess sank onto he
r seat. “The Beast said he’d kill you if you stayed.”

  “I don’t care what he said. I’m not leaving you.” Determination hardened her mother’s face. “Ethan, how much control do you have over him?”

  He shook his head and turned to Tess. “I don’t know if I can stop The Beast if he attacks. And I don’t want you to give birth to a dragon. Damn, that sounds weird.” Ethan took a deep breath. “But if I leave, I don’t think Tess stands a chance.”

  Mrs. Edwards raised her chin higher. “Then it’s settled. We fight together.”

  “Agreed.” Despite the risks, they needed each other if they were going to defeat Kade.

  Tess rolled her lower lip between her teeth, worry etched on her face. “All right, but let’s not do this channeling thing again. Disgusting.” She shivered. “I feel like I need a shower.”

  “Then what’s next?” Ethan asked, although after the channeling he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what else Mrs. Edwards had in store.

  “We eat. I’m hungry.” Tess crossed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

  “Tess,” her mother called in an impatient tone.

  “What? Being possessed took a lot out of me.” When her mother cast her a warning glare, Tess raised both hands as if to shove the conversation away. “I’m serious. I need a few moments, okay?”

  Mrs. Edwards sat down at the table. “Maybe we could bind The Beast, or weaken him in some way. Although I’m not sure how well some spells work on spirits. And you might have adverse effects.”

  Tess stood in the kitchen, preparing a plate of fruit. He’d give anything to keep her safe, but they were running out of time. “You’re not going to stop Kade with a simple binding spell. We need to learn how to defeat him.”

  Tess returned to the table, the plate and a bottle of chocolate syrup in her hands. “How about a banishing ritual?”

  “I’m not so sure it’s a good idea.” Her mother moved everything left on the table out of the way so Tess could set down her plate.

  “It’s something Gram thought might work.” Tess squirted a heavy dose of syrup over the strawberries and banana slices.

  “It’s one thing to banish a spirit and quite another to expel one from a person.” Mrs. Edwards ran a hand over the pentagon design on the lid of the box. “It’s more like an exorcism.”

  “Could it work?” Ethan asked, the sweet smell of chocolate and fruit making his mouth water.

  “It’s possible, but dangerous.”

  “Dangerous for whom?” He glanced over at Tess.

  She dragged a banana slice through a pool of chocolate, her stare blank, and he swallowed as she lifted the syrupy fruit to her open mouth. The combination of food and woman making him hungry in more ways than one.

  “A banishing would be risky for both of you.” Mrs. Edwards snatched her purse from the floor.

  “What about you?” he asked as she dug inside her leather bag. “The Beast told you to leave.”

  Finding her cell phone, she pinned him with a stony gaze. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He opened his mouth to argue. They should at least consider how to better protect her.

  She raised her hand. “Don’t even try.”

  “Fine. Let’s say this banishing works on me, and The Beast is driven away. What will the same ritual do to Kade? What if the creature inside him has already taken total control?”

  Mrs. Edwards shook her head and hoisted her purse to her shoulder. “I don’t know. It could kill him. It could do nothing. But at the moment, I can’t think of anything better.” She checked her watch. “I’m going to call my coven leader and ask her advice.” She stood and headed toward the door where her suitcases were stacked. Rolling them to the bedroom, she gave him a meaningful look. Her message was clear—she would share the bedroom with Tess, and he wasn’t welcome there, ever. The bedroom door closed behind her with a soft click.

  Tess leaned over her plate. The fruit gone, she swirled syrup around with her fingertips. Before he could stop himself, he imagined sticking one of those fingers into his mouth and sucking the sweet chocolate off her skin. A jolt of excitement slammed into him. He couldn’t help but watch her. “Regressing to your childhood?”

  Tess ignored him. A thin layer of chocolate coated her fingers up to the knuckle, and on her plate were two images, the first in the shape of small frying pan, and the second an oval.

  “What is that?”

  “A mirror and a jewel of some kind,” Tess muttered absently, her fingers tracing the shapes with the tenderness of a lover’s caress.

  He cleared his throat. “A mirror? Like the one Leonard Meade found in the cave?”

  She sat back and blinked several times. “I think so. I’m not sure.”

  “Then why the jewel? The article didn’t mention one found.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.” Tess lifted a finger to her lips and swept her tongue along its length.

  A surge of blood rushed straight to his groin, and he adjusted his position. “I gave Dr. Meade’s widow a call today.”

  She licked her fingers one by one, the sight making him sweat. Tearing his attention away, he studied the chocolate drawing, not seeing any of it. “Do you have any idea if this stone you’ve drawn was set in something? A crown or a bracelet?”

  “Nope. This is all I know.” Tess pushed the plate closer to him. “What did Mrs. Meade say?”

  What the hell had she said? It took him a minute to remember. “We can meet with her tomorrow morning.”

  “Good. Maybe we’ll know more about this tomorrow. Until then, I’m bushed.” Tess rose from her seat, and Ethan took in her curves, from the swell of her breasts to her narrow waist, and on to her luscious thighs.

  Right. No more of this. He pushed from the table, focusing his mind on making a bed on the sofa in case Kade returned.

  He stood, but the dazed look on her face stopped him cold. “Tess?”

  Whoa. Ethan reached out just as she started to topple, catching her around the waist before she could fall to the floor. “Hey, easy there.”

  “Oh, wow.” Tess put a hand to her head. “I guess the channeling affected me even more than I thought.” She straightened, but he kept hold of her to keep her steady.

  “Do you need anything? A glass of water?”

  She blinked and rested a hand on his arm. “I’m fine. Just a head rush.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Tess nodded, her golden hair brushing the sides of her flushed cheeks. The faint smell of chocolate still clung to her. He gazed into her pale-gray eyes and the loneliness he saw there shook him. He knew the feeling all too well.

  Without meaning to, he drew her closer until her sweet breath caressed his lips, and his thoughts strayed to the feel of her narrow waist beneath his hands, the press of her chest against his, and the generous curve of her lips. Those tantalizing lips.

  Her eyebrows rose, but she didn’t resist when he leaned in and kissed her, an unhurried kiss he’d fantasized about a dozen times that day.

  Tess pulled back, confusion on her face. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and he hissed in a breath. Her mouth bowed into a grin, and she twisted toward the table. “You so deserve this.”

  “What are you—?”

  She dipped one finger into the pool of chocolate on the plate and ran it down the length of his nose.

  Ethan grabbed her around the wrist as she tried to move her hand away. “Oh, it’s on.” He sat on a chair and yanked her down to his lap, turning her hand onto herself. She struggled, giggling, and gave a little squeak when he forced her finger to graze her face, leaving a cocoa-colored mark along her cheekbone that he was sorely tempted to lick.

  As he contemplated the merit of that thought, Tess tugged her hand from h
is loosened hold and grasped his head between her palms.

  She pressed her mouth to his and kissed him with the hunger and desperation that matched his own. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer, even as a flicker of caution invaded his mind. Her tongue slipped between his lips, and he pushed away the warning. She tasted of chocolate and banana. Heaven.

  Groaning low, he gave in to the impulses shooting through him. His hand plunged into her silky hair as his mouth and tongue explored her sweetness. Her every sigh drew him in.

  She wriggled her hips closer, and his hand followed the line of her jeans, from the waist to her hip, and down the length of her thigh.

  Their breaths mingled. He wanted to know her, all of her. With the faintest touch, he skimmed his fingertips down the open V of her shirt. Unfastening one button, he slid his hand lower to the softness between her breasts.

  His name escaped her lips, and she turned to straddle his lap, bumping the table with her hip. Her grandmother’s box fell to the floor with a thud.

  “Crap.” She scrambled off the chair. Crouching by the box, she set it aright and checked its hinges. No damage had been done. She sat on her heels. “You know, I’m getting mixed signals from you.”

  Ethan closed his eyes, blocking out the hurt in her voice, and reason flooded his mind. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  “Don’t say that.”

  Even with chocolate smeared on her face, she tempted him beyond anything he’d come up against before. “We’ve already agreed this was a bad idea.”

  “You can’t deny there’s something between us.” She inhaled a shaky breath. “And I see nothing wrong with exploring what we have. Let’s see where it takes us.”

  He wanted to pull her into his arms and forget the promise he’d made to her mother and to himself, but he couldn’t ignore the truth, no matter how painful. Even without The Beast inside him, his past would eat away what was left of his humanity. The lives he’d destroyed would haunt him until his death. No matter what he did at this moment, he couldn’t win—send her away and hurt her now, or give in to temptation only to delay her suffering. He’d become a master at causing pain, a bastard, in every sense of the word. “No. We don’t belong together.”