Witch Darkness Follows (Maeren Series Book 3)

by Mercedes Jade

  He slid his fingers slowly around her hip to the front—giving her plenty of time to protest—before he cupped her pussy.

  She moaned as he probed for her clit in the warm slickness of her aroused flesh. Her hips rolled between his grip and the hardness of his cock behind her.

  That was plenty of invitation.

  His other hand caught her by the throat and hauled her body up—two of his fingers low enough to press against her clavicle, so she wasn’t choked too hard by the sudden movement.

  Her chest met his back with a gasp that he felt her breathing out as her throat bobbed against his hand, wrapped possessively around her neck.

  “You’re asking me to service you after declining my harem, Elizabeth. Are you planning to use me for my fangs? Don’t regret it later,” Phillip silkily warned against one ear. “I’m going to make you mine.”

  She squirmed under his touch, her wet heat so responsive to his fingers.

  She was quite desperate to orgasm, but letting her do so without feeding upon her at this juncture would only prolong her suffering later.

  “Do you have a good view, Geer?” Philip queried.

  He gave Geer a sideways glance, then licked the racing carotid pulse at Elizabeth’s neck.

  Geer’s golden eyes narrowed. Getting what he’d asked for didn’t seem to be exactly what Geer had wanted.

  Phillip ground his knee a little harder on the male’s cock, noting that enough time had passed to make Geer ready for another round.

  This time, all Geer could do was watch.

  That was exactly what a dominance display was about in harems with one witch mated to multiple males.

  Another lesson from Phillip’s readings, although the situation wasn’t completely unheard of in other harems.

  Powerful witches were more likely to be shared.

  “You’re going to ride my fingers to your pleasure, Elizabeth. Let Geer see you shamelessly fucking as many as you can fit inside before I fang your neck.”

  She moaned and rotated her hips, but the little opening he found was so tight that he only chanced one finger to start.

  “Are you a virgin?” he asked, his cock feeling like a monster behind her.

  She was wet enough that he wouldn’t need oil as long as he stuck to his fingers.

  “No . . . ” she answered on another moan. “More!” she demanded with a wiggle.

  He pulled the first finger out, curling it along the way to stroke her inner walls, then pushed two thick fingers back in, twisting his hand as her hips gyrated.

  “How are you ever going to ride two cocks when your sheath is barely a couple of finger widths?” Phillip bemoaned, trying to scissor his fingers inside of her.

  "She has more than one entrance to her body to fuck. Or do princes only play with pussy?" Geer asked.

  "Geer, I’m a virgin every-fucking-where-else your filthy mind is imagining, so shut up!" Elizabeth snapped at him in their heads.

  “You two will speak out loud when you’re around me. No sharing thoughts between yourselves or I’ll find my oil and demonstrate exactly how many fingers a tight hole can take, given determination.”

  “Nope, no way,” Elizabeth said, shaking her head.

  “Not tonight,” Phillip agreed. “And I never said it would be your ass I tested.”

  “Your dominance display not doing it for you, second prince mate? I’m enjoying it. Give her three fingers now. She’s waited long enough for completion,” Geer said.

  The other male’s voice had turned dark and commanding. It didn’t match the youth of his face at all.

  "What’s a dominance display?" Elizabeth asked.

  “Sparks, he was serious about stopping the telepathy. He’s on edge because of something . . .” Geer said, trailing off.

  Phillip pulled his finger from Elizabeth’s pussy, cupping her mound again, so the rest of his fingers were soaked in her slippery arousal.

  He rubbed his thumb into the wet mess between her legs as her thighs trembled to hold her up.

  Geer was right. She couldn’t take much more before she’d faint from the prolonged priming.

  She’d disobeyed him. Dominance displays weren’t only about males in a harem. If Phillip wanted her respect, he had to demonstrate his control.

  “Geer is right. I’m a vampire of my word, Elizabeth, but I’ll make somewhat of an exception of your infraction for your inexperience,” Phillip said.

  With that brief warning, he pushed her top half down to lie on top of Geer.

  Phillip followed her down, giving up on his knee grinding the other male’s reawakened erection. Geer couldn’t do anything with it in his pants.

  “Reach back and spread yourself for me. I’m going to finger your pussy and thumb your ass, then I’ll feed from your neck without further teasing,” Phillip told her. “You will not use telepathy again without permission.”

  His voice was firm, but he kissed the side of her face, making a soothing noise as she wiggled under him.

  “What about the oil?” she whispered, accepting his terms.

  She was desperately primed. He knew that had a lot to do with her compliance, but he also hoped it had something to do with her desire for him.

  He was very skilled. He would show her pleasure.

  “Oil is unnecessary for the tip of my thumb,” Phillip reassured her.

  “If you hate it, I’ll take you back to the cave and soothe your hurt, gaisa,” Geer whispered.

  That interference was a challenge Phillip couldn’t tolerate.

  “You will not lay one fang on our mate until I’ve pleasured her. No running away this time, fearing what she’s not allowed herself to try,” Phillip said.

  Elizabeth slowly reached back to cup her bum cheeks. She barely spread herself, more shifting her legs a bit apart, but it was the gesture that counted.

  She consented.

  Phillip rewarded her. He leaned down, angling sideways, to lay his head on top of Geer’s hard chest and face her. Phillip’s lips met hers in a soft kiss.

  Breaths mingling, Phillip whispered against her lips.

  “Mate.”

  He moved his hand from around the front of her to the back, fingering her pussy, this time, from behind.

  Two fingers easily slid in with the new angle, and he withdrew them to add a third, corkscrewing them into her hot, tight sheath as she nervously squeezed.

  Another lick of her mouth, a deeper kiss to distract her, and then he rubbed his thumb over her other entrance.

  She tensed but didn’t pull away.

  He pumped his fingers into her pussy, raised his mouth to lick over her neck, and sank his fangs into her at the same time as the tip of his thumb popped into her ass.

  For a few seconds she was rigid as her entire body clenched around the long denied release.

  Her intense pleasure burned his synapses, his mate unable to hide her thoughts as she felt multiple climaxes ripple through her body.

  Instead of chiding her unintended telepathy, Phillip rubbed his fingers inside her sheath, pressing up to pinch with his thumb in her bottom, separated by only a thin barrier.

  The foreign sensation proved too much for her over-sensitized nerves. She collapsed against Geer’s body, fainting as a last, late climax stole her senses.

  Geer roared.

  The threatening noise should have woken her, but Phillip realized a moment later that it was all in his head.

  "Get off of our mate. She needs room to breathe, so she can get enough air to wake up!” Geer demanded.

  “I told you not to use telepathy!” Phillip grumbled.

  He rolled to the side, slipping his hand from Elizabeth’s sated body.

  She made a tiny snore.

  "You are a stubborn idiot. She’s using the same magic that you have—locked inside of you—to talk in your mind. The ability isn’t beyond you. With that feed, you should find it easy to connect to my thoughts. Do it!" Geer ordered him.

  The younger male was st
ill tied up, but he was giving demands as if he was the one in charge.

  “Leave Elizabeth here and I will let you go,” Phillip countered, already planning on how he would explain her presence.

  Geer snapped the black fire fastening his wrists to the headboard and fisted a handful of Phillip’s hair.

  He yanked Phillip close.

  "Listen carefully, second prince mate. I came here because Elizabeth cares whether you live or die. Well, that’s debatable—as you keep messing up every encounter with her—but I know she will eventually care for you. That means your bond needs strengthening and your magic unleashed,” Geer growled into his mind.

  Phillip curled his lip at Geer, exposing fang.

  He didn’t want to hurt Elizabeth while fighting for dominance.

  Lying here and letting the younger male attempt to boss him around was equally unacceptable.

  “Put Elizabeth down,” Phillip said.

  “No. She’s unconscious. I will not leave her without the protection of my body.”

  “I’ve air-locked this room and we’re in a circle,” Phillip pointed out, looking for a reason why Geer was so cowardly as to let Elizabeth stay between them.

  "The danger is in this castle! Hence, why using telepathy to talk is preferred—air-barriers are not absolute without a chalked circle. The only circle you have around this bed is meant for amplification, so it’s penetrable by any enemy,” Geer explained.

  Phillip frowned.

  He focused hard on Geer’s golden eyes, noting the flickering within that looked more like lightning than fire.

  "Like this?" Phillip asked.

  Geer sighed. The big breath he took, in and out, moved Elizabeth’s head on his chest.

  "Precisely. Now bend your neck to me, so I may taste your blood and share the bond you formed with Elizabeth,” Geer requested more politely.

  “Why me? I should feed upon you if your tastes are more of that persuasion,” Phillip said, speaking out loud again.

  "I know how to contact you using the mate-bond. I doubt your research so far has enabled you to perform the right spells. Give this to me and I’ll wake Elizabeth to say her goodbyes to you before we leave,” Geer said.

  “How do I—?”

  "In. Your. Mind." Geer spat into his head.

  "How do I know you speak the truth? You’re hardly old enough to have read more books than I on the subject,” Phillip insisted.

  "I’m a dragon. You do know what the curse did to us?" Geer asked.

  In a blink, the young male had a golden torq around his neck and his skin was heavily tattooed.

  The feel of ancient magic beat at Phillip’s own power, the air barrier around the room whistling warning that another equal to his air was locked in with him.

  Phillip’s mouth went dry.

  His mate was bonded to a dragon?

  What had happened to Daemon, or even, George? Both had pursued her at one point.

  Had they let such a treasure fall into the dangerous lands of Dragos, where the ancient beasts roamed?

  "She’s bonded to Daemon, first prince mate, and George, third prince mate, as well as you, second prince mate. It’s not my fault she ended up in Dragos or in the dark clan caves. Blame for that is entirely upon your brothers,” Geer said.

  "And her bond to you? How did it happen?" Phillip asked.

  The dragon may not have listed himself along with Phillip’s brothers as Elizabeth’s mates, but it was obvious.

  "She popped in front of me at the banishment caves. It was fate, a long foretold gaisa with lightning who was destined to be mine."

  Phillip looked over the inked glyphs covering the dragon male’s arms.

  Shifters would have to redo every tattoo with each change. Most would never bother, not even with one tattoo.

  There was only one dragon rumoured to need glyphs tattooed onto his skin to contain his power . . . and his sanity.

  "Are you a prophet?" Phillip asked.

  "She doesn’t know yet. You’ll forget. I can give you some specific instructions, but the details will be hazy once I leave. That is why I need your bond to be blood strengthened, so I might contact you if I have a vision to better understand the danger to you,” Geer explained.

  Phillip dry swallowed and bared his neck.

  Geer didn’t hesitate to yank him to his mouth, using his firm grip on Phillip’s hair.

  The bite was hard and quick.

  Phillip jerked with his cock’s release, unable to stop it even though it was a male’s fangs at his neck. He’d been hard and without relief after servicing Elizabeth.

  The other male ignored the mess on the bed.

  "Cover the wound with ointment. It will be gone soon, as it was a clean bite,” Geer instructed.

  Phillip was released. He put his fingers to his neck and pulled away to note only a few spots of blood.

  "No healers. They’re a danger to you somehow,” Geer added.

  Phillip looked sharply at Geer.

  "A couple of my brothers are healers. George has a minor gift. William is one of the best in the land. The castle also has a number of healers on staff,” Phillip said.

  "I will investigate George. He’s in the Wastes and will be chasing after Elizabeth in Dragos soon. Keep your guard up,” Geer cautioned.

  "This is . . . very strange, Geer. I was prepared—yet again—to detain Elizabeth for crimes of which she has been accused. Now, I wish I didn’t have to let my mate go, but only because I want to be the one protecting her,” Phillip said.

  He placed a gentle hand on her sleeping body, letting his fire warm her skin.

  "You will be with her again, second prince mate. Although, you’ll forget I told you this and your heart will long for her. I hope that the mate-bond is strong enough that you won’t forget the pleasure of servicing her tonight,” Geer said.

  "She shouldn’t come back here again. There are many that want her punished. I don’t know what are lies and truth. Keep her safe until it is sorted out,” Phillip ordered, withdrawing his hand from her.

  "Who are our mate’s enemies?" Geer asked. His tone had a dangerous edge.

  "William wants her punished for the poisonings of the royal family—and our father’s death. And there is a demon of the Norwood family—their father’s side—who accuses Elizabeth and her mother of dark magic. He also knows about her lightning,” Phillip disclosed, openly revealing it all to Geer.

  "I wish I could tell you that what you seek—the answers that would quiet your worries. But I’m afraid, you’ll—”

  “—forget?" Phillip finished.

  He was in the other male’s head, now the bond was more open between them from the blood feed. They could complete each other’s thoughts.

  "Unfortunately, yes. It has always been so with others,” Geer said with a soft shrug.

  "Perhaps the mate-bond will change that?" Phillip asked.

  Geer’s mind quieted, but Phillip didn’t think that meant the other males had stopped thinking. He’d walled up.

  “What?” Phillip asked out loud.

  “My gaisa said something similar about my powers. I need to hold back until I’m sure it won’t cause any harm. But perhaps, you are right,” Geer said out loud.

  He gave a boyish grin that startled Phillip with its happiness.

  The last dragon-prophet had been born over a hundred years ago.

  How could something so simple as being remembered make him happy?

  “Don’t wake her before you go,” Phillip suddenly decided.

  "Why ever not?" Geer asked, dropping back into telepathy.

  "She can read my thoughts with her magic or the mate-bond, correct?" Phillip asked.

  "Mostly. You can learn to block some things,” Geer said.

  "And my memories?" Phillip asked.

  "The same thing. A book you’ve read or are writing—doesn’t matter to the reader. Thoughts are thoughts."

  "The demon . . . he’s part of Elizabeth’s past. I think he�
��s the key to why her whole family fled Maeren. It would be better not to wake her and risk those memories being triggered, if she finds the conversation we had in my head,” Phillip explained.

  "Agreed, although I can’t promise she will listen to me if I tell her that you warned her away from the castle. The words from your lips would be more effective."

  "Let me kiss her goodbye,” Phillip said, determined this was how it had to be.

  Geer nodded and gathered Elizabeth’s sleeping form in his arms after sitting up on the bed.

  He moved slowly, ensuring she stayed unaware of their imminent departure.

  Phillip knelt and leaned close.

  “Stormy witch, I wish you clear skies,” he whispered, giving her the old air-blessing for partings.

  A simple brush of his lips on hers and she faded away.

  Daughters of Earth

  Jill

  The length of time that her mother could hold a grudge bordered on infinity.

  Jill had known the family reunion wasn’t going to be without its bumps—few things that were forced on her mother were ever easy—but the animosity that had cropped up between her mother and Jaeson seemed more like what was expected from mortal enemies.

  Everything Jaeson did set her mother off. He knew and yet he still did it. He thrived on her mother’s shrieks and dust ups.

  Torsten didn’t help, usually turning his back when the two of them started going at it.

  Jill wondered what Elizabeth would think if she witnessed the childish antics.

  Today was another prime display of their squabbling. Everyone was frustrated by their failure to track down any live zombie-vampires, despite evidence that the group that had attacked them previously was part of a larger one.

  They were digging for more clues at the cottage, where Torsten said the severed arm had led them.

  “Did you bring water?” her mother asked the group.

  Jaeson tossed an apple up in the air, making her mother wait for a response.

  “There’s ale,” he finally said—for the tenth time.

  “I’ll have to use the facilities if I drink ale,” her mother repeated—also for the tenth time. “Who doesn’t bring water for an excursion outside?”

  “You drank all of the water,” Jaeson pointed out. “This is not a picnic, wren. We’re doing thirsty work, and vampires like us want a nice pint of ale to wet the whistle.”