“You’re Carl?”
“The one and only.”
Angel extended her hand. “I’m Angel, nice to meet you, Carl. Do you make all these yourself?”
“I do indeed,” Carl replied, beaming, “all weapons are handmade and tested by yours truly. I do custom orders as well, usually within four to six weeks, but if you need something rushed, we can work something out.”
“Sounds great,” Angel told him, “but I’m afraid I don’t have time for anything custom. I’m looking for some short swords, something I can wear underneath a jacket preferably.”
“You are aware of the restrictions on those kinds of weapons?” Carl asked. “You’re going to need a concealed weapons license in order for me to sell you anything.”
“Of course,” Angel replied, pulling out her wallet. “I’ve got a license right here.”
Carl examined her license for a moment, then nodded approvingly. “Very good,” he said, “let’s see if I’ve got what you’re looking for, Angel.” He moved back behind the counter, reached underneath, and lifted several thin, narrow wooden boxes onto the counter top. “This here,” he said, gesturing to the first box pulling off the lid, “is the simplest version I make. Made of basic steel, it’s pretty durable, but it requires a lot of maintenance to keep the blades rust-free and sharp.”
He held up one of the blades, and Angel was already impressed. The blade was about the length of her forearm, with a simple hilt and black leather grip.
“May I?” Angel asked, gesturing to the blade he held.
“Please be careful,” Carl warned, handing her the sword hilt-first, “the blade is already sharpened.”
“I will,” Angel replied, taking the hilt carefully and trying to get a feel for the weight of the sword. Stepping back, she held the blade vertically and moved through a few of the exercises she’d learned in her martial arts classes. The blade was well-balanced, and comfortable to hold. “It’s good,” she told Carl, who smiled at the praise. She returned to the counter and set the sword gently back in its case. “What else have you got?”
“I also have blades in stainless steel, and carbon steel,” he explained, opening two other cases. “Stainless steel is much more resistant to corrosion, but it’s tricky to keep it sharp. Carbon steel is extremely tough and durable, and it holds an edge very well.”
“Let’s take a look at the carbon steel,” Angel suggested.
“Very good,” Carl replied, setting several cases to the side and opening three more. “This is all I have in stock currently. I have scabbards for all three, and several types of holsters that should work well for you.”
Angel examined her options. The first set of swords was single-edged, with a slight curve at the end of each blade and rather ornate handle. Not great for hiding under clothing. The second set was double-edged, with a simpler handle that would be quite easy to conceal. Definitely a contender. The third set was, in a word, amazing. Single-edged, with a significant upward curve at the end of the blades, they strongly resembled a scimitar. They flowed from hilt to blade so smoothly, Angel imagined they’d feel like natural extensions to her arms.
“Wow,” she said, unable to hide how impressed she was with the quality of the swords. “These are incredible.”
“Give them a try,” Carl encouraged, holding the third set out to her.
Angel grasped the hilts firmly and lifted the swords from their case. They felt almost weightless, they were so perfectly balanced. Twirling them in her hands, they moved smoothly through the air.
“I think we have a winner, Carl,” Angel told him, grinning widely.
Carl agreed with her choice wholeheartedly and spent the better part of the next hour helping her pick out a holster that would work well for her size, as well as putting together a little kit that would help her keep the blades well-maintained and ready to use. She also picked up a set of small knives she could hide on various parts of her body and a pair of forearm guards she hoped would stop sharp teeth. Angel handed her credit card over quite happily, glad for once her probation with work was paid.
After thanking Carl profusely and wishing him a good night, Angel went in search of something for dinner. It was shortly past 5pm, so there was no shortage of places to choose from. A pizza place that smelled divine drew her in, and after finding a booth where she could keep her recent purchases safe, she ordered an extra large meat lovers. It was delicious, and she only just managed not to laugh at the look on the waiter’s face when he realized she’d eaten the whole thing.
It was dark by the time she left the restaurant, so she hailed a cab and headed back to the hotel, planning on getting a good night’s sleep before she had to deal with biased, egotistical male wolves, and possibly zombies. In the lobby, she noticed a number of wolves checking in, but they didn’t give her any trouble. Angel took the stairs up to the second floor, fishing the key-card from her purse as she approached #203. For a moment before she slid the card into the reader, Angel could have sworn she heard the TV on inside her room. Assuming it was just a result of her enhanced hearing and poor soundproofing, she slid her card, the door unlocked with a click, and she slipped inside the room.
It took Angel a good minute to process what she was seeing. It was a pretty standard hotel room; bathroom to the left with towels and toiletries, two double beds, desk, TV, coffee pot, and so on. The thing that threw her, though, was Caleb, lounging shirtless on the nearest bed, eating pizza and watching a reality TV show.
“There you are,” Caleb greeted her warmly. “Want some pizza?”
“Uh, I, I already ate,” Angel replied, caught off guard by the question. Setting her purchases in the closet on her right, she tried to gather her thoughts. After a few moments, she managed to pull herself together and ask the burning question. “What are you doing here?”
“Eating dinner,” Caleb answered, “and watching TV.”
“Yeah, I figured that out,” Angel said. “But why are you doing it in my room?”
“Our room,” Caleb corrected, watching the television intently.
“What do you mean, ‘our room?’” Angel demanded.
“There weren’t any more rooms available, so I figured we could just share instead of you staying at another hotel across town,” he explained, finally looking away from the television. “You’re okay with that, right?”
Angel opened her mouth to say “No,” but the word got stuck in her throat. Caleb looked at her, an innocent smile plastered on his face, and she knew he hadn’t just forgotten to tell her about the sleeping arrangements. It frustrated and excited her more than she thought possible. He’d set a trap, and she’d walked right into it. Her wolf was impressed, and if she was being honest, so was she.
“Yeah, sure,” she lied, “works for me.” Caleb grinned and went back to watching his show, but upon closer inspection, Angel could see he was watching her closely. Spotting her bags on the farthest bed, she strode across the room and grabbed the duffel with her clothes. “I’m gonna take a shower,” she told him, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door before he had a chance to respond.
Angel locked the door, dumped her bag on the tile floor, and turned the shower on full blast. Leaning against the counter top, she stared into the mirror, hoping the person looking back might be able to help her figure out what to do. Her wolf was surprisingly quiet, and Angel wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Either her other half had finally decided to let her make the decisions when it came to Caleb, or the wolf knew the decision was already made.
Stripping quickly, Angel stepped into the shower, reveling in the feel of the hot water on her skin. She knew what she wanted, knew what her wolf wanted, but up until this point, fear had held her back. Caleb didn’t know they were Mates, but clearly something attracted him to Angel. Maybe he, or his wolf, sensed it without realizing what it was. If that was the case, what did it mean for the future? Would he eventually come to the conclusion that she was his Mate, or would she need to tell him t
he truth to keep from losing him? If it were the latter, could they handle the consequences?
Stamping her foot, Angel cursed under her breath and dispensed a large amount of hotel shampoo into her palm. Washing her hair helped calm her down, the light floral scent quickly spreading throughout the room. The body wash smelled like mint and tingled on her skin; Angel took her time in the shower, knowing she’d have to make a decision before she left the bathroom. The room was filled with steam, and the mirror was completely fogged up by the time Angel turned off the water and grabbed a towel. She dried herself off, wrapped the towel around her torso, stepped out of the tub, and wiped a section of the mirror clear. Her reflection stared back at her, almost daring her to take a chance.
“Fuck it,” she whispered under her breath.
Reaching for her duffel bag, she started searching for clean clothes, pausing after a moment. A sly grin spread across her face. Dropping the towel on the floor, she reached for the door, took a deep breath, and turned the handle. For a moment, her courage failed her, and Angel found herself standing just inside the bathroom.
“Look, Angel,” Caleb’s voice came from the other room, “I’m sorry about the room situation. I should have told you ahead of time. I’m sorry. If you want, I’ll see if I can find somewhere else to stay.”
He was giving her an out, and it was an easy one. All she had to do was close the door, and he would never know. Her wolf growled inside her head, and Angel got the message: they didn’t take the easy way, it wasn’t nearly as much fun. Taking another deep breath, she stepped into the room.
Chapter 17
When Angel had escaped into the bathroom, Caleb started doubting his plan for the first time since he’d thought it up. Aside from the obvious surprise at finding out they’d be sharing a room, she’d been completely unreadable. He’d honestly been hoping she’d get mad, since that had worked out so well for him the night Cassie was born. Instead, she just grabbed her bag and locked herself in the bathroom. For over thirty minutes. What if she was freaking out? What if she was putting together a nasty spell to knock him out and escape? What if she was calling Sara? His mind raced with all the possible answers, each one worse than the last. By the time the shower turned off, he was fully prepared to apologize and sleep in the hallway. The bathroom door opened, but Angel didn’t come out.
“Look, Angel,” he said, hoping his sincerity came through in his voice. “I’m sorry about the room situation. I should have told you ahead of time. I’m sorry. If you want, I’ll see if I can find somewhere else to stay.”
She didn’t answer, but a moment later she stepped into the room. Completely naked. Caleb actually had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.
“Uh, I, uh,” he stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
He’d always thought Angel was beautiful, and he’d already seen her naked, but the circumstances had been completely different. Now here she was, standing proud, tall, and naked before him, and he’d never seen anything more wonderful. Standing, he approached her slowly, afraid he might make a wrong move and scare her away. She laughed, and it was a beautiful sound.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she told him.
He stood before her now and extended his arms, trailing his fingertips across her hips and around to her back. Pulling her against him, he stared down into her eyes. Angel smiled up at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a scorching kiss. His body came alive instantly, and Caleb could tell she was feeling the same way. Her scent surrounded him, strong and sweet, and it took every bit of his self-control not to throw her on the bed and take her now. But he had to be careful; she was a witch, and as tough as she seemed, he could still hurt her if he wasn’t careful. Reaching his hands lower, Caleb cupped her buttocks in his palms, lifting her off the ground. Angel wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her center against his very hard cock and making him moan out loud. Angel leaned back, breaking the kiss, and watched him thoughtfully for a moment before slowly rocking her hips against him.
“Stop,” he managed to growl out.
“Why?” she asked, slowing her movements instead.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
She grinned at him and said, “I’m not nearly as fragile as you think.”
“You are, and I don’t want to mess this up.”
Angel watched him for a moment, holding still while she contemplated him. Then, leaning towards him again, she brushed her lips along his jaw, then his throat, and finally up to his ear.
“You won’t,” she told him, “I trust you, and I know you well enough that you’d never hurt me, even accidentally. But,” she lowered her voice to barely a whisper, her breath tickling him softly, “if you aren’t fucking me in the next five minutes, I’ll take you up on your offer to find somewhere else to sleep.”
Angel wasn’t sure if it was telling him she trusted him or the imposed deadline, but she’d never seen someone change their tune so quickly. One moment they were standing - Angel’s legs wrapped around his waist, and Caleb’s hands holding her ass - and the next she was flat on her back on the bed. He joined her a minute later, having removed his pants. Angel adored the feel of his bare skin against hers, running her hands over his arms, his back, and anywhere else she could reach. He kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless, then kissed and nibbled his way down her throat, to her collarbone. She could feel his erection - long and hard - pressing against her thigh, and it was all she could do not to scream at him to hurry up. His hands found her breasts, kneading them gently; he pinched her nipples, and she arched her back at the spike of desire that rushed through her. His mouth moved lower, and he planted soft kisses on her breasts before pulling one nipple into his mouth and sucking gently. She moaned out loud at the feeling, and he sucked harder.
“Fuck!” Angel shouted, fisting her hands in his hair. He switched to the other one and received the same reaction. When he moved to go lower, Angel pulled him back up. “Now,” she panted, “please!”
Caleb grinned, trailing a hand down her stomach, stroking softly between her legs. Her body tensed, and her breath came in shallow gasps.
“Please,” she repeated.
He continued to tease her, stroking her softly, grazing her clit with each movement and watching her reaction. Angel felt like she was going to combust, the sensations were so intense, and all she could think of was how wonderful it would be to go out like this. Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to handle any more, Caleb slid a finger inside her, and Angel came so hard, she swore she saw stars.
When she came back to herself, Caleb was kneeling between her legs and watching her intently. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, nodding slowly. Ever so gently, he slid forward, pressing his cock inside her, inch by wonderful inch. Angel wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him deeper. When he was fully inside her, he paused a moment, letting her adjust to his size. He was large - as most werewolves were - and though he filled her completely, it wasn’t at all uncomfortable. He slid back slowly, until he almost left her completely, then pushed forward again, just as slowly. The pace was far too slow for Angel’s liking - she tried rocking her hips to increase the pace, but he grabbed her waist and held her still. She tried digging her heels into his buttocks, but he ignored her efforts and continued with his slow, steady thrusts.
“Faster,” she demanded, but he only chuckled in response. It was maddening; having him inside her felt so amazing, but she needed hard and fast, not slow and gentle. “Please,” she begged him, “harder.” He thrust once - hard and fast - and she gasped at the sensation. “Yes,” she urged. He did it again, and she arched her back. He leaned forward, planting his hands on either side of her head and brushing his lips against hers.
“Tell me what you want,” Caleb whispered.
“I want you,” she answered, pressing her hips against his encouragingly.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes!”
He
growled loudly before pressing his lips against hers roughly, thrusting into her hard and fast. She moaned out loud, not caring that the flimsy hotel walls would likely carry her cries down the hallway. Her whole body shook with the force of his thrusts, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and held on tight. For the second time that night, she felt herself coming apart at the seams, but this time she was ready. Her orgasm came almost too quickly, slamming into her and moving like a wave through her whole body. Caleb came a moment later, shouting out and thrusting deep inside her one last time.
They lay together for a few minutes, panting heavily and trying to catch their breath. Eventually, Caleb slid out of her, lying on his side and pulling Angel close. For a few minutes, Angel thought he was going to say something, or maybe that she should say something, but thankfully this was one of those comfortable silences. Snuggling into his shoulder, she inhaled his scent, feeling calmer and more relaxed than she had in months. In a matter of minutes, she drifted off to sleep.
Sex with Angel had been all Caleb had expected, and then some. She was aggressive, demanding, and so damn responsive to his touch. He had to admit, she’d been more than worth the wait. She fell asleep in his arms that night, and he was surprised at how right it felt. His wolf agreed, but it still left a lot of questions unanswered, including why she’d avoided him for so long, and if she could actually be his Mate. He had a feeling figuring out the answer to the first question would help him answer the second one, but he had no idea how to get her to tell him.
Watching her sleep, Caleb realized she’d taken a big step tonight, and if he was patient, she’d eventually trust him enough to tell him the truth. Pulling the blankets over them both, he pulled her closer, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 18
Jonathan sat at the too-small desk in his hotel room. It was late, and he knew the right thing to do was get to bed and get some sleep, but his mind refused to quiet down. Not wanting to bother with the coffee machine in the hotel lobby, he grabbed a cup of cold coffee from the brewer in the kitchenette and popped it into the microwave to reheat. Coffee in hand, he grabbed the folder containing all the information on the vampire threats and sat down on the couch. He’d read everything already, but he re-examined each document, making sure he hadn’t missed anything important.
Burned: Wild Magic Book 2 Page 8