She shifted her weight and he narrowed his eyes at her before he answered, “It’s complicated.”
A small grin teased the corners of her lips. Typical male answer.
Shaking off the sweeping sensations that filled her body, Honor answered in a silky tone, “No worries. Really.” She paused for all of three full seconds before letting his name roll off her tongue like fine bubbly champagne over chocolate-dipped strawberries. “Mr. Monroe.”
Oh, look. Challenge accepted after all.
His eyes intensified from the low jewel-tinged glow to full-on, heart-stopping, melt your panties. A low rumble in his chest told her she was skating on a fine line and it edged her closer still. Her heart thundered in her ears, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Besides...” Honor settled an open palm on his chest and rose to her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “I think you’re all talk, wolfie.”
She trailed her lips over the shell of his ear and pushed a tiny bit closer until her nipples pressed against hard muscle. Thick arms wrapped around her and she melted into his body much the same way the last time he held her this close.
Tingles of magick surged through their connection and knotted in a bundle of nerves between her legs. Oh, goddess it felt so good she could come from the simplest of sensations he stirred in her.
He fisted a hand in her hair and angled her lips a whisper away from his. His nostrils flared and the muscle in his jaw ticked in time with her heartbeat. Soft twangs of music and the rumble of Sweet Briar Hollow’s citizens faded away until there was only Jake and her, all remnants of their last encounter dashed away, her mind focused on the now. She licked her lips and his hungry gaze locked on her mouth.
The sapphire of his eyes gave way to ruby red and his chest vibrated with a deep growl that raced through their connected bodies. Holy goddess. Her nipples pebbled against the soft confines of her bra and her core tightened with a throbbing need for release. Did all alphas have that power? To make their women come with just a touch and a heated look?
She clenched her thighs against the illicit delight.
Slowly, he released his grip on her hair and set her back from him. Was that regret she saw in his eyes?
“Sorry, Honor.” Warring emotions flashed across his face until he settled on stoic and closed off. “It... it just can’t happen.” His forced words stung, but like hell she’d let him see how deep his rejection hurt. Fool me once, shame on you... She shook her head. Did it say glutton for punishment on her forehead or something?
Honor shoved from his embrace and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. With a weak smile and a lofty shrug she hoped said she didn’t give two shakes of a witch’s ass, she countered in a tight voice, “Yeah, got it.”
He sure the heck had a funny way of showing what he didn’t want with her. Even with the two feet of air separating them her body still tingled from the heat he radiated. How long would he deny the attraction between them before things turned combustible? She’d wanted him from the first day she stepped foot in this town three years ago. She thought he wanted her too.
She glanced up. This close, those eyes, that body. She so needed to get laid.
Her stomach quivered. He slowly inhaled and raked his gaze over her body starting at the apex of her thighs, then along her abdomen only to pause on her breasts. Could he see her pebbled nipples through the thin material of her shirt?
Her breasts grew heavy and she pinched her thighs together to relieve the building pressure. One touch and she would do damn near anything for him. Her lascivious need for the alpha already had her libido inflamed, but something kept him beyond her reach. But what? She wished he’d talk to her—they were friends after all—but she knew not to push and she sure wouldn’t beg.
She scanned her bar to make sure no one watched then rested her hands on her hips. He just stood there, his chest rising and falling in even breaths, but he was anything but relaxed. The muscles in his jaw flexed and his shoulders grew rigid. The only thing that gave away his tightly reined desires was the glow of his intense eyes when she looked into them.
Oh, good gracious. So many questions filled her mind, ones he probably had no desire to answer, and how could she ask why he held back and not sound desperate for him? Weak?
If he was going to be nothing more than a tease she had more important things to do. Like deliver her love potion and keep her ass housed for at least another month. Her vibrator and vivid imagination did just fine in taking care of her other needs, thank you very much. Good thing she’d just restocked her battery supply. A hot bubble bath, a little Moon Lust, and her handheld boyfriend would help her relax after the night she was having.
Without a word she turned on her heel and threw a look over her shoulder at the growling man who stood tracking her progress across the bar. He wasn’t the only one that could be a tease. With each step Honor added a little more sexiness to the dip and sway of her hips.
She loved playing with the sexy beast, but sometimes the confounding man brought on more frustration than anything. The people of Sweet Briar respected him, called him a fair leader, but she knew more about him than most. How he’d saved his younger brother from elimination during a pack war that killed their father when they were just pups themselves. One night over beers he’d shared a heart-wrenching story of how the only way he could save his brother was to take on the challenging alpha. A fight to the death he thought for sure would put him in the grave beside his father. According to Jake, it was only luck and a hell of a lot of pure hatred that had gotten him through it. She thanked the goddess every time she thought about it that he made it out and was now alpha of his pack.
She elbowed past a few patrons huddled around the bar and signaled her only waiter over. It looked as if the cold of the winter night was bringing in a few more paying drinkers looking to stay warm.
“Amber, do me a favor. Dash upstairs and grab another canister of Moon Lust for me. You should see it as soon as you walk in the door.” Loud shouting and a table smashing cut into her words. “Take it to Jake at table five for me?”
She knew when a friend needed something a little bit stronger than what came in a beer bottle. Moon Lust would go a long way in settling any tension between her and Jake.
It also had a way of stirring some trouble with the younger crowd. She turned, cracked her knuckles and called on her magick.
CHAPTER THREE
It wouldn’t be a Saturday night in Sweet Briar Hollow without a few brawls between the usually happy-go-lucky patrons. Honor relished the feel of her magick as it accumulated in her palms, the steady glow of midnight blue ready to do her bidding.
She strode across the wooden floor and planted herself in the middle of the straight up fistfight between a group of young pups according to shifter standards. Patrons scrambled to the far sides of the room. Tables and chairs abandoned all but for a group of humans who she sensed liked a little trouble. “It’s a little early in the evening, don’t you think? And who the hell is going to pay for all this?” Broken pieces of wood dotted the floor.
The human regulars that had stayed put swiveled and watched the show, ready to jump in for a little action. Not on her watch. She couldn’t afford any more damaged property. Many of the humans were lumberjacks with arms the size of trees and just as rowdy and boisterous as the shifters themselves. “So, gentlemen, I’ll give you two choices.” Five sets of shifter eyes turned her way. She let her energy build another notch and swirl around her outstretched hands. “Chuck up the funds and clean up. Or, I get to have some fun.” And by fun she meant release enough juice they’d wished a stun gun would have been used on them instead. “You pick.”
The bigger shifter of the group straightened and nodded in her way in a show of respect. Yeah, he’d tangoed with a witch before and she bet he’d never forget the encounter either.
She narrowed her eyes on him and slowly nailed each of his friends with a glare. The Matchstick was hers by inheritance. She’d spent a lon
g time earning the respect of her new neighbors, both human and supernatural, and it looked like a few more coming-of-age drinkers needed to learn the rules. They shared a delicate balance between the races with witches new to the scene. Shifters and humans clashed often, but in her bar... her domain. Her rules.
A low snarled growl sounded from behind her, sending every hair on her neck on end. All the rowdy troublemakers slowly shifted their gazes to stare past her, even the rough looking humans. Jake only had to give a warning to make his point.
The pups hurried and righted themselves along with the overturned tables and chairs. She calmed her powers, turned on her heel and made her way back to the bar.
Dammit, Jake. Freaking meddling wolf. She’d half hoped to dish out a little ass kicking. It would have gone a long way with helping her release some pent-up tension.
No matter how much she wanted to keep walking, her gaze defied her demands and glided over to lock on Jake’s. His eyes still burned with the same intense smolder. Goddess, even halfway across the room she could still feel his pull on her. As if her magick answered to his wolf. But that was crazy. She’d never heard of a witch and wolf mating before. Shifters, witches and fae kept to their own with so few crossovers she’d only heard it whispered about here and there.
With a roguish grin plastered on his face, he raised his tumbler in salute and tossed back the fuchsia and lavender liquor he favored.
She ground to a halt. Wait. What the fuck? Moon Lust was silver-white.
Uh-oh.
Her stomach dipped and rolled as though she’d just plunged from a fifty-foot drop.
“Amber.” Her eyes glued on Jake, she screamed for the waiter, but it was already too late. “Holy Hades in a hand basket I am so so fucked.” She muffled a groan in between debating which exit to use.
She found herself fumbling in her back pocket for her vibrating phone. Freaking hell, trouble always came in sets of three.
Her sister. And she could bet where there was one there were three.
She couldn’t ignore the call unless she wanted an impromptu visit.
“Yeah, can I call you back, Ambrosia?” She winced at her clipped voice that would only spark questions from her nosy sister. When her client had posed the idea of her making a love potion, for a brief two seconds she had considered asking for Ambrosia’s help. Hands down she was lucky to have a coven sister as understanding and forgiving as Ambrosia, but if things went south, no way she wanted to be responsible for her sister’s punishment.
Honor rounded the corner of the bar. Habit brought a quick smile of greeting to a few regulars, playing off the holy-shit moment she was having as to not scare off any of her customers.
Curious gazes followed the lascivious show between her and Jake, hopefully unaware of what had just gone down—Honor once again getting into trouble.
Her feet faltered. She stumbled forward. A wall of power slammed into her back, sending her sprawling face-first onto the hardwood floor. With her hands braced against the floor, she scanned the room. No longer did she see amused faces. Instead, everyone was huddled on the floor with her or outright shifting. Rippling shockwaves of her magick pulsed through the air to collide with everyone.
Fucking pups couldn’t keep it together this close to the full moon.
Fuck. She was so screwed.
How much had Jake drunk? From the sudden energy spike thrumming around the place she’d wager all of it, down to the last purple drop.
The sudden burst of energy kindled a response within her. Her power hummed to life, ready to defend against the outburst. She summoned control and looked over her shoulder to connect gazes with one very determined alpha.
The glow of his eyes stood out from the darkened corner and there was no mistaking the hungry, I-want to-fuck –you-long and hard look in his eyes. And the way his body flexed and moved with a predator’s grace. Fixated, she could do little else but watch his smooth, sensual glide as he made his way toward her...
Uh-oh.
“Uh, yeah, Ambrosia... gotta go.” She snapped the phone off, shoved it in her back pocket and on hands and knees scrambled up the stairs. She flung open the door to her apartment and slammed it behind her with a flick of the deadbolt.
Ha. Like locking a door would keep out the big bad wolf.
Honor pushed up and strode across the room. Maybe there was a way to cancel the effects of her spell. How could she not have once stopped and thought about how to nix the hex if things went to Hades in a kettle?
Thumbing through her Book of Shadows she found her love spell, but nothing on how to break it. Freaking holy Hades, this was not happening! Three hundred pages of spells, charms, and protections and still nothing? She so did not want to add to her growing list of offenses with the Council. The Elders would strip her of her powers and probably ban her from ever practicing her gift again. Blood drained from her head and the room started to spin. Her hand quivered more and more with each page she flipped. “Breathe, Honor, Just breathe.”
Wood cracked against wood.
She clenched her fist across her stomach and twirled on her heel.
The few pieces of apple she’d eaten earlier tried to make a reverse move back up her throat. Swallowing hard a few times helped squash the queasiness, but her stomach bottomed and rolled again. She found it harder to breathe with each swallow she forced past her suddenly dry throat.
The way the defined muscles of his torso and abs stood out beneath the tight cotton of his shirt drew her gaze first, then it drifted farther until her attention settled on the bulge in his jeans. His gaze steadied on hers, the stark crimson a drastic difference from the smoldering bluish-red tinge he’d had before. He stood there for a beat and she could do nothing but stare back at him bathed in the half-lit entryway of her apartment.
She unclenched her fingers and splayed her hand across her midriff to help settle the unruly butterflies. But there was no stopping the warm blush that washed over her from head to toe.
Goddess, he could do things to her...
He looked so... hungry.
Like he wanted to eat her.
Uncontrollable shivers faded to a full-on flaming need.
His nostrils flared. Could he smell her desire for him? She grew still—prey caught in the wolf’s sights.
She shook her head. Think, Honor. Get your head out of bed with him and on task. But still. Jake was in her apartment, mere feet from her bed. That mixed with their heated attraction for each other, well...
NO. It only spelled trouble. She giggled at her own pun.
Jake stalked across her small apartment, the shadows of night playing across his strong features. He stood only a few inches from her now, glowing pupils dilated. Heat radiated from him to stroke along her bare arms. With his shoulders back and gaze trained on her, she stiffened against the dining room table at her back.
She flexed her fingers around the rim of hardwood and tilted her head back to meet his gaze.
Jake leaned in the last few inches separating them to run his nose along the sensitive skin of her neck.
Could he see her heart pounding a hole through her camisole?
“Do you fear me, Honor?” His chest rumbled against hers with his growled question next to her ear.
What kind of question was that? Her breath caught and she shifted slightly. “No. Yes. Maybe? I know you won’t hurt me, but...”
“But what?” he coaxed as he fingered a lock of her hair and brought the strands up to breathe in her scent. But I can’t think with your mouth this close to mine. She was so close to just reaching out for a small kiss to feel what his warm lips would be like on hers one more time.
“Mmm. You smell of strawberries. My favorite fruit.” Goddess, his voice sounded so dreamy.
She connected their gazes. “Your eyes. They have that glow again. The blue mixed with red. Only it’s redder than blue now.”
“That’s because my wolf sees you as our mate.” His husky voice a sensual tug on her libido.
Her mouth fell open. Shut the front door. What the hell did she step into now? And did she care? Having an overly hexed alpha pressing up against her wasn’t so bad. The way his hardened cock rubbed against the sweet spot between her legs—
Stop, Honor. It’s not real. It’s your damn potion. She mentally chided herself, but it did no good.
He hovered over her, waiting.
She shook her head on a drawn out sigh, causing her long dark hair to swish against her back and arms. His gaze followed the motion and settled on her breasts. With his body flush against hers, he pushed forward until he had her on the table and him between her legs. His hardness straining against the confined of his jeans created a delicious friction between her legs as he ground a slow rhythm.
Her heart danced and her breath came in short bursts. She finally had the alpha where she wanted him and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. Damn stubborn morals. She wouldn’t take advantage of him while he was under her spell.
Judging others wasn’t her thing, but she had her hard limits.
Working with unstable magick came with risks, she understood that. Love potions were unpredictable, but no, did she listen to reason? And the damn wolf had swallowed three times the dosage in one gulp.
“Um, Jake.”
“I can smell your need for me, baby. Feel you reaching out. My wolf is going mad for a taste of you.” A pulsing pressure budded to life in her core and worked its way along her nerves.
She straightened, feeling him grow even harder. “You can? You do?”
“Hmm. And you’re divine, Honor. Like forbidden fruit I’ve craved for a lifetime.”
She tipped her head back and stroked a single finger down the length of his jaw. Short stubble grazed her skin and his eyes grew more intense as he watched her. No more than a half inch of lust and magick-supercharged air separated them.
Every fiber of her being trained on him. What was so forbidden about her? Why did he get close to her only to pull back? Given everything she was dealing with over the past couple of days, she’d never asked why.
Hexing the Alpha (Hex My Heart, #1) Page 2