by Avery Gale
Isolating the two of them telepathically from the others should have been easy, but Bronx was finding it incredibly challenging to maintain the level of concentration required. Worried his mate’s intimate thoughts were going to be exposed to the two wizards, he reluctantly tightened his hold enough to pull her back to the moment. Leaning down, letting his breath brush over the sensitive shell of Kenya’s ear, he relished her response. Feeling a shiver work itself up the length of her spine made him smile. He could have spoken the words quietly enough for her to hear, but whispering them into her mind was far more intimate.
Unless you want me to pull you into the woods and have my wicked way with you, Cheŕ, you need to tone it down. Those memories are hotter than hell, and feeling it from your side was fucking intense. Unfortunately, I need some of my blood flowing to my brain rather than pooling much farther south. The little minx snaked a hand behind her to grasp him through the denim covering his straining erection. Sucking in a quick breath, his head and cock began battling about the best course of action, having distinctly different ideas about how he should proceed.
I don’t understand why we’re here. What difference is it going to make if Audric finds out who got the pieces? He knows who has them now, and I think he knew how many there are. There’s more going on here, and I don’t know what it is.
Bronx hadn’t known either until William walked up to them—what he didn’t know was why Audric had taken such a roundabout route to reunite his former friend with his granddaughter.
Refocusing on the small group in the meadow, it was easy to identify the ancestors of his sisters-in-law. Proving how powerful human genetics could be, it was easy to match the witches to the women he now considered family—with one notable exception. None of the participants looked Native American or Alaskan Eskimo. Kensington’s wife and mate, Denali, was a product of both sides of her family, but none of the people gathered around the shimmering metal totem resembled either of those indigenous groups.
“No one here is related to Denali.” Audric had tuned in to Bronx the moment he’d dropped the shield. “The piece Denali wears represents the water element, and the hand of fate knows nothing of coincidence. Her grandmother found the piece partially buried in the wreckage of a ship along the shore of a small Aleutian Island. The woman you see at the side of the meadow is planning to steal the pendant from her sister. It’s an age-old story of lost or stolen love, depending on your point of view.”
“Who is Denali? I thought it was a place, not a person.” Bronx smiled at the two men as he turned Kenya, so he could look into her eyes as he answered.
“Says the woman named Kenya?” Realization brightened her eyes, and he looked forward to seeing her smile more often… naked. Oh yeah, naked and smiling was a great plan. “Denali is my sister-in-law. She is married to my brother, Kensington. He rescued her when she was thrown off a bridge into a freezing cold river.”
“Kensington? The actor Kensington Adler is your brother? Why didn’t I know this? Nobody ever tells me anything. My mother kept me under a damned rock, and now I look like a blooming idiot every time I turn around. This frosts my cookies. How many Adlers are there? I know you said it was a big family, but no one mentioned movie stars. Damn… let me guess, there are Nobel Prize winners and famous singers, too.” All three men were staring at her Kenya in disbelief before William’s booming laughter broke the silence.
“Damn, she’s a Fitzpatrick, alright.” William waved a hand, covering them in a shower of glitter. What the hell was with wizards and glitter? Bronx was never going to get that shit out of his hair. “Take her home. We’ve drawn too much attention. I’ll make sure Audric gets back. We’ll meet you in Texas tomorrow, and we’ll come to the front door.”
Bronx understood what Kenya’s grandfather was saying, but he could see his mate’s frustration slowly morphing into confusion—her bewildered expression the last thing he saw before he pulled her against his chest and whispered the short incantation sending them hurtling back through the tunnel of time.
Watching the brilliant bands of color fly past as they slid along the tube had begun to feel old hat before he mated with Kenya. Now that he’d traveled with her, seen the look of wonder in her eyes as they raced back to the present, Bronx once again understood how truly remarkable his gift was.
“I still have trouble believing this is real.” He wasn’t sure if she’d spoken the words aloud or if he was becoming so attuned to her, he was hearing her thoughts without realizing the communication was telepathic. “If I hadn’t experienced it, I’d have never believed it was possible.” She turned her face to his and grinned. “You have to admit, this is totally dope.” He must have looked confused because she giggled, “Sorry. I picked up some of the younger student’s slang whenever I could afford to take classes. I’m probably woefully out of date now. I hope I can find a job soon. Even with a steady paycheck, it will take me a while to save up enough money for tuition.” Looking around her, Kenya seemed shocked to discover they were sitting on his sofa in front of the fire.
“It’s a huge turn-on to know you are so focused on our conversation, you’ve blocked out everything else, but it also makes me worry for your safety.” As Kenya became more acclimated to her new shifter traits, Bronx was convinced her situational awareness would become more acute, but after someone fired shots at the house, he wasn’t willing to take any chances with her safety. He only hoped once the pieces of the magical icon were once again joined together and the Council of Magic had the powerful metal sculpture tucked away in a vault, the danger to Kenya would be over.
“We’re going to have a long chat about you enrolling in college. If you want to finish, we’ll make it happen. Hell, I might even be able to work in a couple of schoolgirl scenes at the club. This is a conversation we’ll be having… later.” Several hours later, if he had his way. “First, we’re going to make some new memories to go along with the hot ones you were sharing with me in front of two of the oldest—not to mention, most powerful—wizards in the world.” Scooping her up in his arms, Bronx stalked down the hall toward what he now considered their bedroom.
Her laughter and squeals of delight were music to his ears. Getting her alone was a blessing; getting inside her would save his sanity. As close as he could figure it, he’d have her naked and in the shower in under ninety seconds. Add another ninety to make certain she was ready for him. Perfect. He’d be buried as deep as he could go, her toned legs wrapped around his waist in three minutes or less.
Chapter Fifteen
Audric looked at William and grinned. “Just like old times, my friend. I appreciate you sending the kids home. I never intended for their safety to be compromised.”
“I know why they were here, and they’ll figure it out soon enough.” William looked at the frozen scene in front of them. As soon as Bronx pulled Kenya into the time tunnel, Audric whispered the words that stopped everything taking place in the meadow—even the flames were paused.
William had to admit the man’s command of magic was damned impressive. Letting his gaze settle on the much younger version of his wife, William felt his eyes well with tears. He’d thought losing his son was the most difficult thing he would ever have to endure, but he’d been wrong.
Watching his beloved, Isla, fade into a slow death had drained him in ways he’d never imagined possible. In the end, he’d been grateful she was no longer in pain—but William learned the depth of sorrow and how lost he felt without her. “I know I told Kenya she has a large family on the Fitzpatrick side, and it’s true there is a rather impressive number of extended members of the clan.”
“But she is the only family you have left, my friend… and it was time. Pretending you didn’t know where she was because you were afraid of being rejected was never going to get you what you really wanted. I know we’ve had our disagreements over the years, but it’s time to set all that aside.” Reaching out to grasp William’s forearm, Audric infused the connection with warm energy,
letting it seep all the way to his friend’s soul. “I know it was difficult to resist using magic to ease her suffering. Doing what’s right is rarely easy. We are often overly optimistic when our souls come to this world for lessons. Letting her spirit suffer so it could grow and advance to higher levels was a lesson for all of us.”
“She insisted on coming with me to this ceremony.” William chuckled at the memory. “Damn, she was a stubborn woman. When she found out I was the only man planning to attend, she flew into a rage.”
“You were quite the catch, and she damned well wasn’t letting you slip away.” Audric’s words were accompanied by a warm smile, reflecting amusement rather than judgment.
“I knew her family was a source of embarrassment for her. Those who choose the dark side of magic never consider the way their decisions taint the other members of their family.”
Shortly before Isla came of age, her family’s choices made them outcasts in the magical community. The scandal almost derailed her engagement to William, the entire mess something she’d never gotten over. Shaking his head, William turned to the man who’d once been his closest friend. It was time to set all the old competition aside.
“Enough of this, we already know there are only five pieces, but neither one of us can remember the spell used to separate the elements into the medallions our descents have been wearing.”
“Once we hear it again, figuring out how to reverse it should be easy. None of the women will be safe until the icon is reassembled and safely stored in the vault.”
Audric was right about what it would take to ensure the women’s safety, and William hoped it would be as simple as the man standing next to him implied.
“Getting older is a pain in the ass. I helped with the spell and can’t remember the details. It’s damned humbling.”
“The alternative has some serious drawbacks as well. Besides, look at the bright side—we’ve lived long enough, people expect us to say outrageous shit, so we can speak our minds without worrying about the consequences. Naps are perfectly acceptable, we can wear comfortable clothes, and no one bitches about our fashion choices.”
William couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Hellfire, you’re right. I’ve been looking at this thing all wrong.”
“Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Life Force. Magical elements that make up the energy of the Universe.” They listened to the incantation, rewinding the scene twice to make sure they’d gotten all the details. “I recorded this with the snazzy phone Charlotte got me for my birthday, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out how to get anything back on the stupid thing.”
“Will it work? Taking it back to the present?” William could think of at least a dozen reasons it shouldn’t—but in the world of magic, things were rarely what they seemed.
“Sure… well, for me. I made sure I didn’t capture myself on film.”
“Phones don’t use film, you dolt.”
“Fuck you. I suppose you’re one of those… damn, what do they call the lunatics who think everything should be digital?”
“Geniuses?”
“Tell me again why we were friends.” Audric’s words sounded gruff, but his eyes were dancing with mischief. “Techy. That was the word Charlotte used. Gigi will be able to find the damned video if we need help remembering anything.”
William laughed as they set the scene in motion again as he waved his hand, sending them hurtling down through the tube of time. He’d gotten used to the sensation of being hurtled through space, but Audric was looking a bit worse for wear. When they landed outside one of his favorite Irish pubs, Audric looked over at William and chuckled.
“You buying? Damn, I haven’t been here in a hundred years.”
“I’ll buy the fish and chips—you buy the booze. I doubt your tastes have gotten any cheaper or your control any better.” William didn’t move to the door, giving Audric a minute or two to gather his senses. No need to stagger in the door when it was almost certain they’d be staggering out in a couple of hours.
“You still have an apartment down the street?” Audric shook his head, snorting a laugh as he took in the gas street lamps and Victorian dresses and suit coats of the couples walking by. “Time travel always did confuse the hell out of me. Come on, I really need a drink. We don’t have to be back in Texas for…”
This time it was William who laughed. Shaking his head, he slapped his hand atop Stafford’s shoulder and steered his friend toward the pub’s entrance. William could take them to any point time, so it didn’t matter how long they spent in Dublin. He had a feeling neither of them was going to feel up to sliding through a brightly colored tube at Mach speed anytime soon.
Bronx let the tip of his cock slip through the outer lips of Kenya’s pussy and groaned when he found her slick with arousal. “Fucking perfect, Cheŕ. We’ll do sweet and sensual later. This round it’s going to be hard and fast. Hang on to my shoulders, mate.”
“Yes. Hard is good. Really hard is even better. Don’t worry about fast. I’m going to come as soon as you push in. Oh, God, please fuck me.” Her hands were gripping the tops of his shoulders so tight, he could feel her nails sharpening and wondered if she realized how close she was to shifting.
“I’m going to put you over my knee for topping from the bottom after we have a long chat about the rules, but right now, I’m happy to oblige.”
With water cascading down on them from the rain showerhead, Bronx couldn’t take his eyes off the woman who held his heart in the palm of her hand. Damn, he loved seeing her eyes outlined by glistening water droplets clinging to her lashes as the blue orbs glazed over with passion. He knew he’d never forget this moment or the sound of her voice as she begged him to fuck her.
Thrusting his hips forward, Bronx pushed through the heat of her pussy until his tip was pressed against the opening of her cervix. Kenya’s shudder started in her core, then slowly worked itself around his aching erection before quaking to the surface. Pressing her back to the smooth marble wall, Bronx slid his arms under her knees, hooking them over his elbows. The shift in position opened her up even farther to his thrusts, and Bronx didn’t waste any time giving her what both their bodies craved.
Hearing her soft sighs become louder, more urgent pleas for more was music to his ears. There was a deeper tone to her voice, bordering on the growl of her wolf. Bronx didn’t miss it, but since he could hear how scrambled her thoughts were becoming, he doubted she’d noticed. Her body was slowly adapting to the genetic changes, and he was grateful for the more relaxed pace, considering all the other craziness surrounding their mating.
He easily controlled the pace, slowing each time he felt her getting close to tipping over the edge. He wouldn’t deny her orgasm, but he damned well wanted the two of them to come together.
“Don’t come until I give you permission, Cheŕ, I want this to last. Fucking you is melting my mind. Smelling your arousal tests my control in ways you can’t possibly imagine. Your scent calls to my wolf, blanking out everything but my need to make you mine in every way possible. Before the night is over, I plan to slide my cock between your sweet lips and claim your luscious ass as well.”
Kenya’s entire body clenched around him, her nails puncturing his skin as she exhibited the first stages of a shift. He could hardly wait to see what she looked like in her wolf. Seeing the amber lighting her eyes drew his own wolf closer to the surface. Bronx was looking forward to the coming full moon and having the opportunity to claim her wolf by the edge of the lake. He hoped like hell the two wizards weren’t planning their ceremony for the same time. If those two old farts fucked up a round of outdoor sex with Kenya, Bronx was going to be pissed.
“Outdoor sex sounds great, but right now, I don’t dare think about it. I’m going to come if I think about you taking me outside.” Bronx would have laughed at her confession if he hadn’t heard the note of desperation in her voice.
“If you come without permission, I’ll paddle your ass.” Her pussy flooded with w
arm cream, her arousal bathing his cock in heat. “I think you like the idea of being over my knees, my handprints colored bright red against your alabaster skin. We’re going to experiment with that edge of pain, Cheŕ, but do yourself a favor and make it an erotic spanking, not a punishment.” He didn’t want to set her up for failure, so it was time to get both of them to the tipping point.
“Sir? Do you want me to call you, Sir? Anything? Please. I’m going to lose this battle.” Kenya’s plea was all it took to spur him on.
“Hang on to me, Cheŕ. We’re going to kick this up a notch. Come as soon as you’re ready—I’m going to be right behind you.” He wouldn’t let go until he knew she’d gotten what she needed—he’d never leave his mate unsatisfied. The one punishment Bronx never used as a Dom was orgasm denial. He’d never met a submissive who didn’t resent the hell out of being spun up, then left hanging. The ones he’d talked to assured him it became a trust issue, and he’d seen it in their eyes during scenes. Bronx decided years ago, he’d never punish a sub when he was angry and never use pleasure as a weapon.
“This is too much and not enough at the same time. I feel like I’m falling through a hole in the Universe and soaring above the clouds, but most of all, I feel like something inside me is trying to claw its way out, and I’m burning up from the inside out.”
It’s your wolf, Cheŕ. Focus on me, on the pleasure.
He could feel her wolf beginning to come into itself, but it still wasn’t well-formed enough to fully shift. If she tried to force it now, the consequences could be devastating. He’d never seen someone trapped in a partial shift before, but he’d heard enough rumors to know it was a tragedy that usually claimed both mates. Bronx had grown up hearing that one mate rarely survived long after the first passed, but he hadn’t fully understood until Kenya.