My bones are liquid. My meager attempts to fight him off are fruitless. I stop resisting when he presses me harder against the wall, and a large chunk of stone gives way. It falls . . . and falls . . .
I count the seconds until I hear it crash to the ground below. Five. That’s a long way. I briefly consider tossing myself over the ledge after it. At the moment, certain death seems like the better of the two horrible options I’m stuck between tonight.
Then the weight against me vanishes. I crumble to the cold floor, no longer able to stand on my own two legs. I peer through the tangled web of hair covering my face. The edges of my vision are blurry, and I know I’m still under the influence of whatever evil fairy magical drug is flowing through my veins because I see two enormous wolves fighting on the narrow balcony in front of me.
They are so close, I am pelted by a shower of fur as they tear into each other in a flash of fangs, claws, and blood. The growling and snapping of teeth are the sounds nightmares thrive on, but I am not afraid.
I look up, briefly locking gazes with the silver wolf with glacier-blue eyes, and a warm buzzing sensation washes over me. I don’t understand how, but I know I am safe and protected.
His massive jaws close around the charcoal-colored wolf’s leg. Growls and yelps of pain blend together into one torturous sound that forces my eyes to squeeze shut against the bloody sight.
I hear a thud, and the sound of stone crumbling. I open my eyes in time to see the dark wolf plummet from the ledge. His angry howl cuts the air. Silence abruptly follows.
Too abrupt. Not the five seconds it should have taken for him to hit the ground below.
The momentary peace is interrupted by a loud swooshing sound. I peer over my shoulder as a large hawk-like bird soars above me with a rush of cold air. Moonlight glints off of talons the size of carving knives mere inches from my face. It flaps its black wings, hovering above me, and I suddenly have sympathy for the mice I insist on relocating outside when Dad finds them in the house.
It squawks once, a shrill, hair-raising sound that forces me to cover my ears with my hands. My pulse pounds as the silver wolf inches forward. Its jaw opens to show off the deadly razors in its mouth, and a low growl vibrates from its throat. The hawk’s wings flap once more before it flies up and vanishes into the night.
I start to scamper away from the edge, and the gaping hole left in the wall, before I realize I’m crawling toward a wolf. I wasn’t afraid of it a moment ago, but now I’m not so sure.
As if sensing my fear, its massive head turns over its shoulder. Its gaze connects with mine, and my life flashes before my eyes.
With sudden clarity, I see the mistakes I have made and the opportunities I have missed. I should have told Dad it was me who broke his favorite watch when I was ten instead of blaming it on Jill. Maybe then, she wouldn’t hate me enough to sleep with my boyfriend. I never should have dated Steve to begin with when my heart has always belonged to another. I should have told Luca how I felt, and still feel, when I had the chance. I should have let him kiss me earlier tonight. Then I could die happy with the touch of his kiss still a memory on my lips.
It’s his eyes I see when I squeeze mine shut, and even if it’s nothing but a fantasy, it is him I am on this balcony with. In this fantasy, I’m not about to die.
Chapter Eleven
I must be dreaming because the next thing I see is a nude Luca walking toward me. I blink, but he’s still there in all his wonderful naked glory. I should probably look away, but I can’t. It’s a first for me, and I’m enjoying it.
I can’t help but wonder why I never saw this impressive view before now. Then I remember. It was because of him and his stupid morals. Something about me being fifteen and blah, blah, blah.
Sure, we fooled around that summer. Plenty. I felt him against me the few times we got close, and maybe grazed something with the back of my hand once. I always suspected my first time with Luca would be life-changing, but damn. It looks like I really missed out. I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I would have let him twist and bend me any way he wanted to in the back seat of his car because sex with him would have been the way it’s supposed to be. Un-fucking-believable.
I think I say some of that out loud because a sexy smirk appears on his lips. I don’t stop there. My mouth keeps moving, but all I hear is a muffled “mwa-mwa” noise that reminds me of this Charlie Brown Christmas special my dad made me watch when I was a kid.
I force my mouth shut and blink hard. When I open my eyes again, a shimmering, bright light surrounds Luca. I squint, questioning the reliability of my vision, because there is no sensible explanation as to how or why I’m seeing a mob of tiny fairies fluttering around him.
I blink again, twice. Luca is kneeling in front of me, fully dressed in a black, long-sleeved, button-down shirt and black dress pants. Hanging from his collar is a blood-red tie. His hair is slicked back and styled perfectly.
I narrow my eyes suspiciously because this guy isn’t even trying to convince me that he’s the real Luca. After what I just experienced, I’m not falling for it again.
His head tips to one side. “What?”
“Is this a dream?”
He stuns me with a grin. “All real, Sav.”
“Who are you?”
“Who do you think?”
“You’re not Luca,” I state as confidently as I can in my inebriated state.
“What makes you think that?”
“The way you’re dressed,” I point out.
“What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?” He peers down at himself with a frown.
“Nothing, I guess. You look good. I mean, your clothes . . . they look fine, and you look okay in them,” I stammer. “But they’re different, and this look isn’t . . . you.”
“You’re right,” he admits with a shrug. “This isn’t exactly what I would have picked for myself, but what I chose to wear this evening is lying in a shredded mess on the floor just inside. This”—he adjusts the tie—“is what the fairies thought I should wear.”
I gape at him. “I don’t know what to do with all of that.”
His grin grows. “I know you saw them dress me. That’s one of the many things they do for us.”
I nod, remembering how Gwen—my self-proclaimed, adult-sized fairy godmother—crafted the dress I am wearing out of nothing but a beam of light similar to what I saw surround Luca a moment ago. “Fairies,” I grunt. “They drug you and dress you. What else—”
Luca’s hand cups my chin, forcing my head back until I have nowhere to look but into his eyes. They’re sharp and intense and more than a little intimidating—especially after having just seen him kick ass as a wolf. “What did you say?”
“Which part? I said a lot of things.”
“You’re slurring.” His jaw clenches. “Why are you slurring?”
“Oh, that? I’m pretty sure that panther chick slipped me something.” I shrug. “The man-wolf-bird guy said something about fairy drugs.”
Luca drops my chin with a snarl. “I should have killed him.”
“Who was he, anyway?”
“I don’t know.” Luca peers into the night with hardened, predatory eyes. “I’ve never seen him before.”
“He knew all about you,” I say. “He’s not a fan of wolves.”
“Few breeds are,” Luca admits. “We hold the power in the shifter world.”
“What kind of shifter was he? How did he change from a wolf to a bird?” I wonder before adding, “He looked like you at first.”
“He’s a skinwalker. He can change into pretty much any living thing he wants.” Luca makes a sound of disbelief in the back of his throat. “I’ve never encountered one before. I know they’re out there, but they usually keep to themselves and don’t get involved with royal business.”
“He sounded very interested in royal business,” I tell Luca. Then a wave of dizziness comes over me, reminding me that I am still under the influence of fairy drugs.
He cuts himself off and suddenly puts all of his focus on scooping me up into his arms.
I want to ask him to finish whatever he was about to say. I know it must have been something juicy because the Luca I knew wasn’t afraid to say anything.
He also wasn’t quite a man the last time I saw him. He is all man now.
Cords of muscle envelop me, and I lose the ability to speak. He lifts my feet off of the floor, as if I weigh nothing, and cradles me to his sturdy chest as he carries me inside. My face buries in the warmth of his neck, and I don’t care that the rocking motion is making me feel nauseous because he smells so good.
His arms tense, and I realize I just sniffed him. I think I should probably be embarrassed, but I’m too busy feeling a rush of overwhelming sensations to care.
My skin hums at every point he is touching me, which isn’t enough as far as I’m concerned. One arm is under my thighs, with the train of the dress bunched up under me. But thanks to the shortened hem on the front, his fingers are grazing the skin just above my knee.
I grab his hand greedily, and yank it higher. Luca staggers, nearly dropping me.
His eyes cut to mine. “Sav . . .”
“Touch me,” I beg.
I have no idea why I said that or what has come over me, but I know I have never been more sure about wanting something so badly in my entire life. His jaw tics, and his fingers dig into my flesh with the effort to not give me what I want. His other hand is curled around my shoulder, wrapped up in a mess of satin and lace. It’s worthless as far as I’m concerned, and all the bending and twisting I can manage isn’t going to fix that problem.
“Dammit, Sav,” Luca grits. “Stop squirming.”
“I can’t.”
I run my hands up my thighs, hiking the skirt higher. It’s quite possible that he’s getting a peek at my panties, and I wonder if Gwen fashioned me something sexier than the boring cotton briefs I put on earlier tonight. Not that I particularly care one way or the other. The touch of hands on my humming skin—even if they are my own—feels so good.
One hand slips under the skinny strap of my dress to slide the lace off my shoulder, exposing my skin to the cool night air. “Off. Take this off of me. Now.”
“You’re killing me, Sav.” Luca squeezes his eyes shut, his face pinched in agony.
My lip quivers. “Something is wrong with me, Luc. My God, what is happening to me?”
There is a pulse of light behind me, from inside the castle walls. Luca picks up the pace, carrying me toward it. “You were injected with what appears to be a heavy concentration of fairy poison,” he explains in a rush. “You’ll be okay, but it . . . does this.”
“What?” I writhe in his arms, seeking the skin-on-skin friction I desperately need.
“It’s similar to human ecstasy,” he mutters, almost to himself.
“The fairies did this to me?” I giggle like a maniac has taken possession of my body.
“No. The skinwalker abused their gift.” Luca’s jaw hardens. “It fades quickly. Don’t worry.”
There is something in his tone that sets off my lie detector. Then I’m floating on a soft cloud, and nothing matters but how amazing the smooth, cool silk feels against my enflamed back. “Oh, my God. Yes.” I sink farther into the clouds with a sigh.
On some level, I’m aware I’m on a bed. The crusty old thing I spotted when Vye first brought me here is gone, replaced by something straight out of a fantasy, with crisp black sheets, soft pillows, and a canopy of dark curtains fluttering in a faint warm breeze above me.
“Fairies drugs are awesome,” I murmur.
“That’s not all this is.”
I hear Luca’s strained voice above me, but it sounds like he is a mile away. I don’t like the thought of him being so far away, so I grab the front of his shirt and yank him toward me. “Whatever it is, I want more of it.”
His mouth remains frustratingly out of reach. “It’s happening, Sav. You’re responding to my wolf. Pheromones are always more powerful after a fight. They’re affecting you, pretty strongly it seems.”
“Uh-huh.” My free hand dips into the narrow space between us. “Take off your pants.”
I find what I’m looking for. My fingertips skim over the front of Luca’s noticeably tented trousers, and he jerks back with a sharp breath.
“Jesus, Sav,” he groans.
“I don’t know where that came from,” I admit, but I’m not sorry. I reach for him again.
“It’s my wolf,” he explains in a tight voice. “I’m an alpha, and—”
“I think it’s you.”
He swats my hand away. “It can be hard to—”
“I’d say.” I hook a finger into the waistband of his pants, finding them a bit on the snug side. Before I can take a good look, my wrist is caught in Luca’s vice-like grip.
“You’re overestimating the strength of my restraint,” he tells me gruffly.
“I certainly hope so.” I flash him a smile, but his grip doesn’t loosen. Sighing loudly, I push up on my free arm to put myself as close to eye level with him as I can. “I wanted you before you went wolfman on that . . . bird guy. I was on my way back to find you when—”
“Why?” His gaze searches my face intently. It feels like a palpable touch.
“I had one more question, but I don’t need it answered anymore. I realized . . .” I hesitate, transfixed by the cloudy blue hue of his eyes.
“What, Sav?” He lets me go. “What did you realize?”
“That what happened . . . you not coming back . . . it doesn’t matter,” I say, surprising myself with that answer. “You’re here now, and that’s what matters. You say you couldn’t come back sooner, and I believe you. You’ve impacted me, you still affect me, and I don’t want to be mad at you anymore.”
A familiar smirk settles on his lips. “That fairy mojo sure has done a number on you.”
“That wasn’t fairy drugs talk,” I insist. “That was all me.”
“You want me to believe that?” He combs his fingers through my hair on one side with a faint smile.
“It’s the truth.”
“We’ll see in a moment.”
He offers no further explanation before a shimmering light surrounds me. This time, I feel the soft touch of the fairies as they flit around me. Dozens of them hum against my skin, and my head begins to clear.
Chapter Twelve
I am sober, one hundred percent lucid and aware of my surroundings, as incredible as they are. Not only the bed I lie on, but the entire decrepit room has been transformed around us. Black billowing sheets cover the arched doorways that lead to the small balcony, and the stone walls are lined with Venetian-style sconces holding lit candles.
The room is big enough that the soft light barely hits us, but it is perfect because I can still see the smile in Luca’s eyes, the rise and fall of his chest with each breath he takes, and the slight curve of his lips as he watches me.
I grip the sheet beneath me as the last of the fairies drift away and vanish into the night.
“Those little guys are something, aren’t they?” I drop my chin to hide the rising flush on my cheeks. Too bad they didn’t take the memory of what I’d said and done in the past five minutes with them. Better yet, turn back time so I don’t make an ass of myself to begin with.
Oh, God. I practically fondled myself in front of Luca. The mortification.
He places one finger under my chin to guide my head up. “Feeling better?”
“Yes,” I admit, eyes up and to the side. I can’t bring myself to look at him. Not yet.
“Sav?”
“What?” I glance the other way, doing my best to avoid him.
“Look at me,” Luca demands.
“I don’t want to,” I mutter.
&nbs
p; “Don’t make me do my alpha thing.”
I don’t know what that is, but my inner wolf’s tail tucks between its legs. My wary gaze shifts to meet Luca’s.
He grins. “You’re you again.”
“So it seems.” I can’t help it. I glance down, unable to hold his gaze for long.
“Did you mean it?”
As much as I would like to tell him that everything I said and did under the influence of fairy drugs was out of my control, I can’t do that. They may have lowered my inhibitions, but they didn’t alter my reality.
I answer him with a barely audible, “Yes.”
“Dammit, Sav. Look at me.”
The low, gravelly tone of his voice causes my stomach to clench and my pulse to jump. As if under some sort of compulsion, I look up. Luca’s stormy blues hold me captive as I take a deep breath. I can do this.
“You forgive me?” he asks in a gentler tone. “For not coming back?”
“It’s not about forgiveness,” I tell him. “I just . . . I get it. I believe you wanted to come back, and I believe forces outside of your control kept you away. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing to forgive.”
His mouth curves up on one side. “And the other thing you said?”
“You’re going to have to be more specific.” I shrug, playing dumb. “I say a lot of things I—”
“Sav.” He uses that tone again.
I bite back the whimper on my tongue. “Yeah, okay? I meant that part, too. Are you happy now?”
“I’m going to have to hear you say it.” He fists the sheets, and I wonder if it’s to stop himself from touching me.
I wish he would just touch me already.
“Why?” I ask.
“So we’re clear.”
I stare at him, waiting for a teasing smile or grin or something. I get nothing. He’s serious. It’s sexy as hell but a little unnerving. The sexiness wins, and my mouth drops open to tell him whatever it is he needs to hear. I’ll say it twice if I have to.
The Monster Ball: A Paranormal Romance Anthology Page 61