The Magic of Discovery: Emerald Lakes Book One

by Britt Andrews

  “Take as much time as you need. We’d never try to cage you, little witch, but as for tying you down?” A wicked grin bloomed across his mouth, and I scolded my vagina when she gave a couple of squeezes. His grin widened, because of course, he knew exactly where my mind had gone. Tying me up? Damn. I hid my blushing cheeks behind my coffee mug as he added, “We’ll be here working for the foreseeable future, and I just know that I enjoy hanging out with you. I feel like I can relax.”

  “I like hanging out with you too, big guy.” I smiled widely at him, relief flooding my system because everything was cool between us, and now I had some more help to solve this fucking pain in my ass mystery.

  A squeak came from the hall, and Maven sauntered into the kitchen, breaking our moment. He was filthy.

  I slid off my chair and squatted down to look at his dirty little face. “What the hell happened to you?”

  Mud and leaves were splattered all over his fur, but mixed in with that were black hairs. I plucked one from his coat and held it up for Cam to see.

  Cam took the hair from my fingers and held it up to scrutinize. “Looks like he and Bagheera were up to no fucking good last night.” I laughed, imagining Mave running around with a huge ass panther.

  “Alright, little witch. I have to head back to the apartment, but I’ll let you know what Sloane thinks about what’s going on out here.” Offering his hand to me once he straightened from his seat, I allowed him to pull me up from the floor and tight against his body. His arms wrapped around my waist, and I lifted up on my tiptoes to bury my face into his neck.

  “Thank you, Cam. For last night, for everything.” I pressed my lips to his neck, his pulse steady against my mouth.

  His arms released me, big hands moving to capture my face as he bent down and kissed me.

  Groaning, he stepped back. “If I don’t leave now, I’m going to fuck you on that table.”

  Yeah, I don’t see a problem with that.

  “Don’t get any ideas, little witch. I have work to take care of this morning.” Snagging his leather vest off the back of his chair, he also picked up his coffee mug and walked over to deposit it in my sink. Gran always says a mage who cleans up after himself is a mage worth keeping around… I started toward him, but he held his hands up. “Nope. Stay right where you are. I’ll see myself out. I don’t trust myself with the temptation. Thank you for dinner, the coffee, and especially your body. Have fun tonight, baby.”

  With that, he spun on his heel and headed down the hallway to the mudroom, slipping into the vest as he walked away from me. I heard him putting on his boots before the screen door slammed just moments later. The roar of his bike flooded the air, and I smiled.

  Cam is full of surprises. I’m one lucky witch.

  It was early. I flopped over onto my back, throwing my arms above my head and stretching out. It felt so damn good that a purr rumbled from my chest. The big cat was still snoring away in my mind, satisfied with the freedom he’d finally acquired last night. Shit, we must’ve run for thirty miles. I didn’t think there was a trail we didn’t track, a tree we didn’t scale, a piss we didn’t take. The entire town probably smelled like us... and Maven. That little shithead. He’d spotted us when we were slinking back into the woods about a mile away from the town center. Tiny thing was fast as hell and caught up in no time. I was surprised he wasn’t scared of us, but he’d stayed out with us the entire night.

  Surprisingly, Bagheera liked him. Except for every time we marked something, that bastard came up behind us and pissed all over our mark. When Bagheera snarled at him, he snarled right back and moved to lift his leg on us. Dude had some big balls. Respect. The two of them got along much better than Bagheera and I had at first, that was for sure.

  When Bagheera awoke and we completed our first shift, it was a pure battle of the wills. We fought like the couple of teenage shitheads we were, so many arguments over what we were going to do and who was going to get to do it. Was I going to get to eat a regular dinner, or was it going to be in cat form and a bowl of whole fish and dead rabbits? Ugh. One day, I challenged his ass for alpha, wanting to settle this shit once and for all. The guys were there to intervene if things got ridiculous, and things definitely got ridiculous. We shifted back and forth probably a hundred times, me screaming at him, him roaring at me. Trying to physically fight yourself was impossible, so he called me a twinkle twat while I called him an overgrown ugly ass house cat, and then shit jumped off. Baggie had shifted out of my human form so fast I thought some of my hair blew off. He’d paced around in circles, snarling and growling low in his throat, hissing at anything that moved. Internally, he tried desperately to push me into a mental cage, but there was no fucking way that was happening.

  Little shit thought he was stronger than I was, but that wasn’t the case then or now or ever. Rising up out of his makeshift cage, I barked his name, breaking free from his hold, and he’d known he was beaten. He fell over on his side, showing his belly, and I forced the shift back to my form. From that day forward, we’d been in perfect sync, though at times he did like to get a random stick up his ass about being bossed around. Technically, I could force a shift, but out of respect for my friend, I never did. We had total trust in each other, and that day had been a turning point for our relationship. Now, the two of us could go on adventures together, usually peacefully. When Bagheera took over, my mind was still completely present unless I wanted to take a brain nap, and sometimes I did. I usually wasn’t missing much while he was frolicking around the forest, doing crazy cat stunts and hunting. Last night, on the other hand, well, it was a good thing I hadn’t taken a nap then.

  We’d been sprinting through the woods, chasing a raccoon when a scent stopped us dead in our tracks. Boss. Lifting our head to scent the air more thoroughly, we found another scent. ‘Mine,’ Bagheera growled, his thought rumbling through our shared consciousness before forcing our body to move through the thick woods at a punishing speed. Small animals scampered to get out of our way, and for once, Bagheera had no interest in giving chase.

  Jumping out of the tree line, we stood at the back of a large property. Trees and flowerbeds were everywhere, a greenhouse and a barn mixed among the landscaping. A small cabin to the right, no lights on. Straining to listen, I didn’t pick up on any sound inside the cabin. Empty.

  Light spilled into the darkness from a house a little ways ahead. Padding silently across the lawn like a shadow given life, we rounded the corner around the backside of the house. Ivy was crawling up most of the brick building, and we almost ran right into Boss’s motorcycle while observing the outside of this place.

  What the fuck is Boss doing here? Last he’d told us, he was heading out on the bike to ride for a while and see if he could find anything interesting along the town limit lines. This was clearly Saige’s house. Her scent was everywhere.

  We paced up and down the gravel driveway, Bagheera growing increasingly agitated because he could smell our woman, but he couldn’t see her. Had Saige been in trouble? A low growl pierced the silence of the night. Calm down, you big fucking jungle boy. She’s fine! She’s here with Boss, I consoled the possessive cat.

  Bagheera wasn’t acting jealous at all, which surprised me since he was all about Saige and claimed her every fucking chance he got. Shouting about mine, mine, mine like a two-year-old with a shiny new toy. But no, he was content. He was relieved that our woman was being taken care of, and I agreed wholeheartedly. Once the sounds stopped and the light turned off above us, we sniffed around the gardens. Now that we could focus without the distraction of what Boss was doing with Saige, we noticed something smelled... off. Tainted. Dark and unnatural.

  We dug around in one of the large flowerbeds, looking for the source of this stink. Coming up empty, Bagheera whined low in his throat, nausea creeping into our belly. The big cat was sensitive to dark magic, and he was feeling it here, which in turn, meant I was as well. Whatever this was, we didn’t want it anywhere near our woman. I had pe
rsonally never encountered anything like this, and it didn’t feel right. Unlike a mage’s magic, which felt light and organic, this felt shadowed and tainted, forced. It almost felt like something demonic, but that wouldn’t make any sense. I hadn’t seen anything in Emerald Lakes that would make me think there was a demon lurking anywhere near. And yet... that smell. Rotting, decomposing, something was not right. We’ll have to talk to the others about it tomorrow.

  It took convincing, but eventually, I got the stubborn cat to head back to the apartment. It had taken a lengthy discussion and promises of us sleeping in cat form tonight, but whatever. It was already later than I’d wanted to stay out, and I was exhausted from the amount of physical activity we’d put ourselves through tonight. Sprinting through the quiet town, the only sounds were our breathing and the hum of air conditioners. When we approached the front of the magic store, a flash of darkness caught our attention as a shadow slipped around the corner. Sniffing the air, something that didn’t belong lingered. Bagheera growled, and I sharpened my senses, listening intently. One word came through the bond: mage. Not one of ours. Water mage. We could smell the crisp scent of fresh water and a hint of whatever soap this mage had used in the shower earlier.

  We could’ve chased him down, but I was ready for a damn shower, and whoever it was was probably just out for a walk. It was warm enough for it despite the oddity of the hour. We shifted quickly, and I grabbed the towel I had left folded on the stoop of the entrance to the apartment. Wrapping it around my waist, I pulled the door open and headed inside.

  Shaking my head to clear away thoughts of last night, I hopped out of bed and tugged a pair of gray sweatpants up over my hips, listening for any movement in the apartment, but all was quiet. Sloane and Fischer had been asleep by the time I’d gotten in last night, and as I made my way out of my room, I stopped and pressed my ear to the door, hearing Fish snoring lightly and Sloane’s even breathing. I smirked, guessing they’d had a session last night. Good. They both fucking needed to loosen the hell up.

  Cam and I knew the arrangement those two had. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a mystery. They’d started hooking up back when we were still in high school. Sloane needed to dominate, and Fischer needed to submit. It was perfect for them and their needs. Plus, it’s pretty hot. Hell, I still think about the times I’d joined in...

  The morning light was shining in through the windows in the living room area, but the kitchen was still pretty dark. Flipping the light on, I replied to the message I’d gotten from Sprout and set my phone down with a smile. I didn’t feel like making a big breakfast this morning, so the guys could fend for themselves while I made a bagel for myself. I did make a pot of communal coffee though. I wasn’t that much of a dickhead.

  As soon as the coffee started dripping, I heard the door open downstairs and then Cam’s heavy footsteps. I leaned over the island with my chin propped up on my fist, a dazzling smile spread across my face. One look at me and he barked a laugh.

  “Fucking quit, Kaito.” He shook his head, but he was still smiling.

  “So, should I still call you Boss, or would you prefer something a little... kinkier? Can I also call you Daddy?” I darted to the other side of the island, narrowly avoiding Cam’s lunge for me, laughing outright as we circled the square countertop.

  “You want to call me Daddy, Kaito? Maybe I should spank your bratty ass alongside hers next time.” He chuckled and turned his back on me, choosing caffeine over our game of cat and mouse.

  “Promise?” I held my fingers up and crossed them while squeezing my eyes shut.

  “Shut the fuck up,” he shot back, only amusement in his voice.

  “Fine, fine. But for real, dude. How did you end up over at her place last night? I thought you were going riding.”

  He shrugged. “That was my plan, but I’ll fill you in when the other guys get in here.” The lucky bastard.

  “I’m sure you were really upset about having to spend the night.”

  “It was a real inconvenience, but somebody needed to do it, and I was the man for the job.” He winked at me before downing his coffee. Must not have gotten much rest after I left.

  Creaking floorboards announced the arrival of our other two friends. Sloane slid onto one of the barstools, brushing his hand through his hair. “You got laid last night, bro? About time.”

  “Seems I wasn’t the only one,” Cam quipped back at him as he eyed the bite marks that thoroughly decorated Fish’s chest and neck.

  “Sure did. Fischer had a great time, didn’t you?” Sloane turned on his alpha dickhead voice with no effort at all, Fish raising an eyebrow at him from where he stood beside him.

  Instead of answering, Fish smashed his lips to Sloane’s. Caught off guard, Sloane’s eyes widened briefly before closing as he deepened the kiss, making my dick twitch in my sweats. Fucking hot. I could watch them all day.

  Breaking apart, Fischer added, “It was alright.” Cam bellowed a laugh as Sloane’s face heated, who could say if it was in embarrassment or annoyance? Either way, it was funny as shit.

  “So who did you get lucky with, Cam?” Fish asked while he walked over to get himself and Sloane some coffee.

  “I was heading out of town on my bike last night when I came upon Saige with a flat tire about two miles out from her house. I gave her a ride home. We talked, ate dinner, drank a couple of beers, then we fucked,” he filled us in, and equally satisfied grins grew on mine and Fischer’s faces. Sloane, on the other hand, looked surprisingly intimidated. The fuck is that all about?

  “Good for you, man. She’s a firecracker.” Fischer’s fingers tapped against the counter at an increasingly faster pace, and we waited for him to continue. “... Is she still okay with going out with me tonight? Like, does last night change things for her?” he asked, uneasiness lacing his tone.

  Cam chuckled. “Don’t worry, brother. She is very excited about going out with you tonight. We discussed the situation, she asked questions, and I answered them openly. I think she was really shocked that we would all be willing to date her. Which we are, right?”

  Just talking about sharing our girl was getting my blood pumping, and Bagheera’s little face popped up every time her name was mentioned, flooding our bond with possessiveness and longing, and I laughed at him when he flashed me an image of Saige rubbing his big belly. Leaning down on the island, my forearms rested against the cool smooth surface, and the shocking difference in temperature between it and my heated skin felt amazing. The damn cat was always causing my temp to rise whenever he decided to force his awareness closer to the surface of my mind. “I am one hundred percent down with it.” I grinned and wiggled my hips, dancing in place. Fish laughed at my antics, his own shoulders matching my movements, which caused Mr. Grouchface to scowl.

  “Don’t include me in that arrangement,” Sloane mumbled.

  “We didn’t,” Cam snapped, his eyes narrowing. “She thinks you hate her. She’s been nothing but hospitable toward us all, and you’ve been an ass.”

  Sloane just shrugged like he couldn’t give a shit less.

  “Regardless of your feelings for her, I need you to go over there tonight. She’s having problems with some of her flowers and gardens. The ones she’s used her magic on are dying, but the ones her gran cultivated are fine. I’m thinking someone hexed them or something, and you’re the best at detecting that shit.”

  Standing up straight and clearing my throat, I added, “About that... we went on a run last night, and when we were heading off Saige’s property, we picked up on a weird energy tainting the gardens. It smelled terrible, like rotting food, and it reminded me of the scent rogue demons give off. Remember when we went to spy on The Exiled?”

  The guys nodded. Yeah, they remembered. How could they forget? One of the most notorious gangs in the country had consisted of five really powerful and really fucking dangerous demons and last year we’d been assigned to go and see what they were up to. It wasn’t the demons themselves that had this s
cent, but the remnants of their magic. The darker the magic, the worse the stench. I supposed there could be demons whose magic smelled “clean,” but the likelihood of finding an uncorrupted demon was about the same as Sloane not being a dick. So, really fucking unlikely.

  “You think there’s a demon hiding out in this town?” Sloane asked eagerly. He loved torching those destructive creatures. I mean, really, he enjoyed a good fight of any kind but found it particularly fun to roast demons. Larson almost exclusively used our team to dispatch the hellspawns when they got too murderous and troublesome. During our training, we’d been taught that there was a demon realm, but sometimes the creatures slipped through a barrier and snuck into our world. Sometimes, they’d go back willingly, but if not, well, it was the end of the road for them and torch time for Sloane.

  “I haven’t picked up on any demonic indicators,” Fischer added, taking a swig of his coffee, his brow furrowed in thought. “Granted, they’re pretty similar to humans or witches when they’re wearing a glamour. Sometimes the aura can be a giveaway since demons’ have a heaviness and radiate black and red, but humans can show those colors, too, especially if they’re abusive or destructive in some way.”

  “I think we might have just found our first solid lead about whatever is off around here,” Cam said, cracking his knuckles, the tattoos on his hands stretching out with the movement.

  “I’ll head there tonight when she’s out with Fish and see if it’s a curse or hex. Maybe that jerk ex is behind this. If it’s something else, I’ll know.” Excitement was sparkling in Sloane’s icy blue eyes. Even more than torching demons, he loved a good mystery. He was worse than a hound dog with the scent of a raccoon; once he had a mission, he was relentless.

  “Alright, I’m going to shower and then call Larson to update him. I’ll wait until tomorrow to tell him about the possible lead with the gardens since we’ll hopefully know more then.” Cam looked to Sloane before addressing the rest of us. “I like Saige. I’m going to be honest about that right now. I don’t have any issues with the three of us dating her, but our mission still comes first. Our goal is to find Laura, but we also want to try and keep Saige and the rest of this town as safe as possible. I’m going to go down to the bank where Laura was last seen on the surveillance camera, and I might do some asking around to see if anyone knows her. I don’t want to raise too much suspicion and have word get back to her, but so far, no one has given us a solid lead.”