by Lia Davis
Yeah, Dana would go. But only to keep her brother from disobeying the council. That didn’t mean she couldn’t find her own proof. Or just assassinate Edwin anyway.
The bastard.
Darin touched her cheek. She glanced up into his sad, blue depths. With a sigh and a frown, he said, “Since Solon has reported to Edwin that you stole his bike, I suggest you ditch it as soon as possible.”
“How do you know that?”
Darin smiled. “Solon told me. He also said that Edwin has been messing around with black magic.”
“Fuck,” Cooper said. “And here I thought he was going insane naturally.”
Darin’s lips twitched before he steeled his features and addressed Dana again. “You need to seek the help of the Coven and learn to control your powers.”
Dana frowned. What was it with the men in her life and the damn witches? The witches, for whatever fucked-up reason, believed she was a goddess reborn. The stories had been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. A child will be born who possesses the powers of the gods.
Dana was not that child. No matter what the witches believed.
“I’m not going to the Coven.” She glanced at Cooper and narrowed her eyes. The sinking feeling that he was about to burst her bubble settled in her belly. “What?”
He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. “I asked to cash in the favor.”
She glanced at the note and cursed under her breath. The words, Star Moon Coven, written in calligraphy, stared at her like a neon sign. Under the Coven name, it read: Come when the moon is high.
Dana grabbed the summons and shoved it at Darin. “She knows I’m coming!”
Fuck me to hell and back. Star knew. Dana didn’t have a choice but to go. Unless she wanted to run from the witches as well as the council.
Cooper stared at her, confusion drawing his brows tight together. “What are you talking about?”
Darin grunted. “You shouldn’t hide things from your mate.”
She opened her mouth to tell her brother to piss up a tree, but she closed it and focused on Cooper. “Star Moon, the Priestess, is my great-aunt.”
Chapter 6
The Coven hadn’t changed in the twenty years since Dana had last been there. The space was thirteen small homes circling a larger building used for rituals, ceremonies, and other activities. Dana let out a soft sigh as she and Cooper walked down the footpath that led into the center of the Coven.
They’d ditched the bike a few miles north of Star Moon, then sent Darin a text so he could let Solon know where to find it. She didn’t reply to her brother’s fourth command to lie low. He knew better than to ask that of her. Dana didn’t run from anyone. Not the council, and surely not Edwin.
The only reason she was at the Coven was to learn to control the power that only seemed to intensify by the hour.
“What are you plotting?”
She grunted at Cooper’s question. The more she pushed him away, the closer the stubborn male got. Although, he had been by her side since the whole mess got started. Shaking her head, she answered him. “Edwin’s death.”
Cooper chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve plotted many ways to kill him myself.”
The mention of Edwin’s name made her blood boil. He was too much like the rest of his family. She could see where Ross had gotten his dark, power-abusing side. “Well, stand in line.”
A spark on her awareness drew her attention to the small, brick home to the left of the path. Star stood on the porch with a warm, welcoming smile on her face. Her curly, chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders and hung to her waist. Looking at her tugged at Dana’s heartstrings. Memories of her mother, Adela, surfaced, bringing the pain of losing her to the forefront again. The women on her mother’s side of the family looked very similar, but Star and Adela looked the most alike.
Star’s smile faded, and her brows dipped, creasing her forehead. Dana glanced down at her hands and stopped walking. A layer of magic coated her skin with an iridescent light. Freaking hell, she looked like a glow stick. Darin was right. She needed to get a handle on the power.
A moment later, Cooper framed her face, turning her so she could focus on him. His green eyes held concern and passion. Some of her tension eased. Then he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and too short. However, it washed away the stress, worry, and sorrow she felt. The hum of magic lessened.
“How did you know?”
He ran his knuckles down her cheek. “I didn’t. You were so tense, I had to try something.”
She frowned. “Well, you can’t kiss me every time the power increases.”
She started to walk away from him, but he grabbed her upper arm. “You have to let me in sooner or later.”
Later. She wasn’t ready to let anyone into her heart. Cooper wouldn’t like her past, the things she’d done because she thought they were the best for her Pack. And when he couldn’t handle it, he’d just disappoint her like Ross did. “I can’t. At least not until the magic is under control.”
Her wolf growled in her mind as she walked away from Cooper. Lifting her gaze to Star, Dana frowned. The witch was a seer, and there was no hiding info from her. “Don’t. Please.”
A smile formed on Star’s lips as she returned the telepathic plea. “I can’t make promises, dear.”
Figures. Why had she come here? Because she didn’t know how to control her powers and needed a place to hide out for a few days.
Dana stopped a few feet from Star. Her aunt drew her into a tight hug. “It’s been too long.”
“It has,” Dana muttered then motioned to Cooper. “This is Cooper, but I guess you’ve already met.”
Star nodded to him. “We have. Come in, and we’ll talk about your Edwin issues.”
Cooper glanced at Dana, but she shook her head and then followed her aunt into her house. The inside of Star’s home was like a step in time. Only Dana was never sure if she stepped into the future or the past.
As they walked into the living room, she noted candles lit along the mantle and the coffee table. Dana sat on the sofa, and Cooper took the spot next to her. His warmth enveloped her in a soothing yet nerve-racking way.
“You need to talk to the council,” Star said as she eased into the armchair next to them. “I can’t see what Edwin is up to, nor can I verify the information Darin received. However, you need to control your gifts. They will only grow stronger and consume you if you don’t get a handle on them.”
Gifts? More like curses. “I didn’t think your seer powers were limited.”
Star frowned. “He’s blocking me somehow, which leads me to believe he is plotting something big. Getting you off his ass is the first thing he needs.”
Of course. Yet, if Dana went after him with her unpredictable powers, she’d be the one labeled as a rogue. The council would lock her up, possibly kill her out of fear that she’d turn on them all. “I’m still not convinced that I’m the goddess reborn.”
Beside her, Cooper stiffened, and she could feel his eyes on her. She ignored him as much as she could. Star noticed, too, her gaze flicking to him before returning to Dana. “You will, in time.”
There was a long pause before Dana finally spoke since no one else seemed to want to. Or maybe they were waiting for her reply. “I guess my training starts tomorrow.”
“It does.” Star stood. “Come, I’ll show you to your room so you can rest and refresh yourselves before dinner.”
Dana noticed the singular use of the word room, but she didn’t comment. It was no use. Star would ignore her or call her out in front of Cooper. Dana wasn’t ready to talk about her past with him, especially Ross.
Following Star down the hallway, Dana glanced at Cooper from the corner of her eye. He moved like the predator he was and didn’t display any emotion on his face. What was he thinking? Had to be something serious because she hadn’t seen him so quiet, so calculated, before. At least since she’d known him.
After Star had shown them their room, confirming Dana’s earlier suspicion of putting them in the same one, Dana turned to Cooper once they were alone. “What’s up?”
He shut the door and prowled toward her. His wolf glowed in his green depths, making his eyes appear gold. A mix of suspicion and desire drifted in on his scent. She stood her ground. When he reached her, he snaked his arms around her waist. “You have too many secrets.”
“So do you.” A groan slipped from her when he tightened his hold on her. “How do you know my aunt?”
“I saved her life.” He pressed his erection against her, drawing another moan from her. “How do you know so much about Edwin?”
“My brother is Alpha. He makes a point to know all about the other Alphas and their Packs.”
Cooper’s lips lifted at the corners. “But you act like it’s personal.”
She narrowed her eyes, studying him while trying to figure out just how much to share. “I take all acts of bullying and cruelty personally. That’s what Edwin is, a bully who uses his power to his own advantage. He doesn’t care for the lives of others or for the health of his Pack.”
Cooper creased his forehead while holding onto the eye contact. It took all of Dana’s willpower to keep from rubbing up against him like a cat starved for touch. In reality, she was a wolf starved for touch. Her mate’s touch.
Fuck me.
He dipped his head and kissed the sensitive part of her neck. A groan escaped her, then it was cut off by his words. “Who betrayed you? Who made you harden your heart so that you deny yourself the pleasure of finding a true mate?”
When she pushed against his chest, he bit down where her neck met her shoulder. Fiery need raced hotly in her veins. In that moment, she was powerless against him. “I know firsthand how cruel Edwin and his family can be.”
He released the bite on her neck and nuzzled her, adding fire to the burn in her core. “How do you know?”
She didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to relive the biggest fuck-up of her life. Didn’t want to relive her parents’ deaths and the betrayal of her own mate. Yet, she wasn’t doing anything but hurting both Cooper and herself by ignoring it. She needed to work with Cooper—now more than ever—to ensure that Edwin got what he deserved.
“I was mated to Edwin’s nephew.”
Cooper’s grip on her loosened, and she took that as her opportunity to step away from him. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the bay window and sat on the cushioned seat. “It was part of a treaty agreement. Bloodrose Creek and Whiskey Hollow would finally put their differences aside and form an alliance. Ross asked me to be his mate since my father was in the process of conditioning me to be Alpha.”
“You? What about Darin?” Cooper sat beside her on the window seat.
She sighed. There was no getting around the whole goddess thing. “I’ll get to that in a minute.” She glanced at him and smiled weakly. “I accepted Ross’s proposal, and we mated. We had become friends over the months of negotiations. I believed we could have a happy life together as the Alpha couple.”
“He betrayed you.”
She nodded and fisted her hands. Magic sparked within her, and she tried to push it back. “He killed my parents and used my power to destroy the Pack. I had to fully open to my magic, which, at the time, I had no idea was as strong as it is, in order to protect the Pack. When Darin saw the bruises Ross loved to give me, he went crazy. Darin challenged Ross in front of the Pack and didn’t give him a chance to refuse or run.”
Cooper reached out and cupped her cheek. She nuzzled his hand, kissing his palm. “The witches believe I’m a goddess reborn, a charmed wolf.”
“You don’t believe it?”
“I don’t know anymore.” She scooted closer to him and allowed him to wrap his arms around her. His wolf seemed to curl around hers. Something she’d never experienced before. “I’m hoping Star will help me control the power. It’s growing stronger, and I fear I’ll hurt someone I love.”
He hooked his index finger under her chin and tilted her head so their eyes met. “I don’t think you can hurt anyone you love. I feel the power and can only imagine how it is from the inside. But I also sense the compassion and love you have for your Pack. Your will is much stronger than you know.”
Her heart swelled, and her wolf nudged her to get closer to him. But the woman was still hesitant. Cooper must have sensed her pulling away again because he tightened his hold on her and dragged her into his lap. “You are my true mate. To betray you would break me.”
Still, she wasn’t sure. “I just need time. I need to get this power under control and take care of Edwin.”
“And clear our names.”
She smiled at that. “Yes, that, too.”
A moment later, he lifted her as he stood, then walked to the bed. Her heart hammered while need pulsed within her. He laid her on the bed and hovered over her. “Right now, I want to fuck you.”
Her wolf growled her approval, but before the woman had a chance to respond, Cooper claimed her mouth in another raw, unforgiving kiss. Heat uncoiled in her belly then spread through her like lava. Her need to possess him, claim him, made her weak. For the first time in her life, she didn’t care.
Besides, she had time to be pissed at herself later.
Cooper broke the kiss and trailed his lips over her jaw to her throat where he’d bitten her a few moments before. Gods, why did it feel so damn good to have his mouth on her? She tangled her hand in his hair and fisted it, pulling the short strands. He let out another growl, and she smiled.
What was she thinking? She couldn’t mate. It was too soon. Besides, they were on the run from the council and needed to figure out how to protect her own Pack and the innocents of Bloodrose. They deserved to be happy and free of Edwin’s evil ways.
“Dana.” Cooper lifted his head as he growled out her name like he’d sensed she’d gotten lost in her thoughts.
Focusing on Cooper, she locked gazes with him. His brows dipped in concern, yet his lips held a ghost of a smile. She wondered what he saw in her eyes.
She traced a finger down his jaw and watched as his smile widened. Handsome was too insignificant of a word to describe him. Although he wasn’t perfect, she still found him hard to resist. Her chest tightened, and her wolf whimpered.
To deny what the wolf wanted was asking for punishment. She’d make sure the ache turned into pain, and then insanity. We can’t mate. Not tonight.
Wolf huffed but agreed they had unfinished business that may put their mate at risk.
A low growl sounded right before the sharp pain of Cooper’s bite pierced her neck. Desire flooded her, overwhelming her senses while at the same time, clarity drifted in. She could actually see the colorful threads of her magic and the one that would one day link her to Cooper.
Focusing on her power, she poked at it with her mind. Then she visualized both of them naked. In the next moment, their clothes vanished. Cooper’s hard erection pressed into her thigh, fueling the raging wildfire in her soul.
Cooper released her throat and kissed the spot. “Nice trick.” His words were thick, as if he’d said them around a swollen tongue.
“And I didn’t kill you.” She hooked her legs around him and squeezed.
He nipped at her nose, drawing a laugh from her. Locking gazes with him, she lost herself in his green depths. Why was she running from this male? She framed his face and tugged him down to kiss him. A soft groan escaped her as their lips touched. She never knew it could be this good with anyone. The intense pleasure, the need to consume him and be consumed by him roared within her.
A growl rumbled from him, and he thrust his hips forward, entering her, filling her. She gasped and then moaned at the intense pleasure bouncing off every nerve. She clung to him and rode wave after wave of bliss. Shudders wracked her body as she tumbled over the edge with her release.
Cooper followed her soon after with his own climax.
He sank dow
n beside her and gathered her into his arms. Sensations of security and happiness filled her. She closed her eyes. He was her mate, but she couldn’t mate him. Not yet. Not until she got a handle on her powers and they cleared up the rogue issues.
Chapter 7
Dana snuggled into Cooper’s side, breathing in his spicy mint scent. It covered her skin and filled her from within. Cooper had marked her, letting all others know she belonged to him. A smile crept in. If he’d done it when they’d first met, she’d have been pissed. But in the bliss of their lovemaking, she found that being claimed by him was far more exciting than she’d dreamed.
“Edwin killed Hope’s mom while she watched.”
Anger burned away her bliss. Edwin was a bastard that needed to be taken out. She fisted her hand over Cooper’s heart. “How long ago?”
"About a year ago, maybe less. The female was weak and running from rogues. I'm not sure if she was part of a group of rogues and finally got out or what. I never got the chance to ask her. She only stayed with us for a few days before the enforcers took her to the Pack circle where Edwin met them. In front of the whole Pack, he told the female—who clung to Hope—that she had to mate with him in order to stay. When she refused, he ordered the enforcers to take the child. My sister convinced them to let her watch Hope." Cooper closed his eyes and took a breath. Dana's chest tightened, fearing that what he said next would add a few more nails to Edwin's coffin.
"Hope's mother screamed for her child and then cursed Edwin, saying she'd die before she mated with him. With barely a second glance at her, Edwin killed her." Cooper fisted his hands in the sheet, his claws puncturing holes in the cotton.
Dana wanted blood. No child should have to witness that kind of cruelty. "You should document everything Edwin did that seemed questionable. We could use that when we face the council. Especially if you witnessed it with your own eyes."
He nodded and relaxed a little. "I've kept a journal since Hope came into our lives. Celeste started one the day Edwin became Alpha."