by AJ Renee
Throwing his bag on the floor, he made a beeline for the shower. After setting it to warm, he stripped out of his clothes. The water soothed his achy muscles. Each droplet pounded into the overworked tissue.
If not for the routine workouts with Peter, he would be scrawny. He had built muscles over the years from each fight, and the one-night stands had been his reward. At the mere thought of tumbling into bed with a beautiful woman, chocolate-colored eyes drove out the memories of the others. In their place lay Brandy, her hair covering his pillow in a messy halo around her head.
His blood moved quickly, filling every inch of his dick as his mind wondered what lay beyond her clothes. Her curvy body made his hands itch with the desire to explore. Would her breasts spill out of his hands or fill them just right?
Ryan wrapped his fingers around his length at the path of his thoughts. Thinking of her lips, he ran his hand up and down his shaft and exhaled a shaky breath. It did not matter how many times he told himself over the last couple of days to find a woman at the bar around the corner, he could not bring himself to do it. He’d tried once, but before he could even kiss the blue-eyed blonde, he’d superimposed Brandy’s features over the woman’s.
“This is the last time,” he scolded himself as he gave in to his desire. The pressure in his balls built, and his muscles became taut as he envisioned Brandy. For a brief moment, he imagined she was the one making him come and not the reality of another solo lovemaking session.
Ryan grunted and took a moment to catch his breath. His heart raced as he pressed his warm forehead to the cool tiles. “She’s just another woman!” He grunted with a slap against the shower.
After washing and drying himself, Ryan climbed into bed naked with a frustrated groan. He was still hard, and if possible, the ache in his balls was worse than before. Jacking off numerous times since meeting her had not been enough to forget the pull he felt. She was not a one-night kind of girl.
He needed to decide what he was doing. Either he wished her luck and stayed away, or he accepted the truth… Their connection ran far deeper than sexual attraction. It was the latter making his palms sweat.
Ryan would lose more than a few screws if he did not make a choice soon.
Chapter 10
Ryan had not been exaggerating. The power surge and practicing had left her with the worst sort of hangover, at least what she expected one to feel like. She could only guess how she felt was similar to being run over by a semi.
Brandy had not seen Ryan in a week. Refusing to dwell on it, she diverted her attention to working on her control. During multiple chunks of time each day, she focused on her powers. She ended each practice session on a high of excitement over her improvements.
Things at work were closer to her old normal, now that she was not causing havoc. Brandy fell in the habit of scrutinizing each person who walked into the café. She paid close attention to scents and any with the distinct smell of rotten flesh. Thankfully, no more tubars had come in since the woman Ryan followed out.
If anyone noticed her sniffing the air, she merely explained she was working on techniques from yoga. Only Erika had questioned her little fib. Brandy was not exactly a yogi, but the tips she found online helped center her.
After pulling up her contacts, she scrolled to Ryan’s number. Her thumb hovered over it, itching to hear his voice. Past their little secret, she did not know anything about him. And yet, what she felt was stronger than during the three years she shared with Greg.
Before she could make the mistake of calling him, her phone vibrated in her hand.
Andrea: You alive?
Brandy: Sorry! Work’s been crazy and then I got sick.
Andrea: Lunch?
Brandy sighed. Andrea was her best friend. She did not want to lie to her, but her mother’s and Ryan’s warnings were on the front of her mind. Until she could control her powers, she was a risk to everyone she loved.
Brandy: I can’t. We’ll have to get together another time… I miss you!
She wanted someone to talk to about Ryan, not in a witchy sense but hot damn… the connection between them. She could not stop thinking about the feel of his hand on her arm or the look of his lips last week. She went to bed many nights wondering what his kiss would be like, taste like….
When a few minutes passed, her mind drifting off to more thoughts of Ryan, she realized her phone never vibrated with another text. She swiped to unlock the screen again and saw Andrea had never replied. Forcing herself to her feet, she glanced around the office. There was nothing else left for her to do. Sitting at the café thinking about Ryan or her family was something she could do from the comfort—and safety—of her own home.
After grabbing her things, she checked to see no one needed anything else from her. With a quick wave, she left them to work the last few hours and close shop with another manager.
The beautiful prism of colors in the sky announced the sun’s departure. A breeze blew her hair as she walked home for the millionth time since moving into the apartment building. If not for everything that changed since her birthday, she would have described it as just another day.
Scanning her surroundings, she kept her hands free from even her phone. She wanted to be ready for any sort of attack. She didn’t quite feel she could handle one at this point, but she did not want to be blindsided again.
It seemed ages ago since the confrontation with the tubar… since meeting Ryan.
Ryan.
Where had he disappeared to? Did he have a woman in his life? Were there kids waiting for him to tuck them in at night? All the questions she wished she would have asked hit her one by one.
“Stop it,” she scolded herself.
A leaf fell from a tree, swaying downward this way and that as it caught air on its descent to the ground. She focused her energy, and on her second try, it hovered midair. With a smile, Brandy relaxed her hold and walked by as it finished its downward spiral.
A bubble of excitement filled her at seeing her improvement. She worked on her control every chance she got, determined to be prepared for another attack. Tonight, she planned on opening the grimoire and learning more about her enemies, spells like the ones Ryan used, and about her ancestry.
Laughter, a sexy tinkle belonging to a woman, drew her attention from her plans to the present. It belonged to an attractive woman in a little black dress. Brandy slowed to admire the closeness between the woman and the man who held her. Her imagination wandered, considering if they met up after work because they could not wait any longer.
“I love you so much, honey!” the woman cooed as the man pressed his face between her neck and shoulder.
Brandy’s steps faltered when she heard him speak. She missed what he said because she was focusing on a voice she’d listened to for years.
The woman’s eyes caught Brandy’s. They were pretty, and her face was soft with the love she had just proclaimed. She shot the woman a small smile and forced her legs to move, to leave before Greg spotted her.
She turned on the next block as her heart squeezed in her chest. If she was honest with herself, she fell out of love with Greg months ago. Seeing him with another woman, one whom he had obviously been in a relationship with before the end of theirs, hurt. His betrayal tasted bitter.
The encounter left her confused. She did not want Greg. So why on earth—
Earth.
The smell of dirt hit Brandy hard. It took her from her jumbled mess of thoughts and brought her back when she reached the end of the block.
When she did not spot anyone ahead of her, she glanced behind her. A man was on a bicycle, peddling only fast enough to keep himself from falling off. Her gut clenched when their eyes met. Their shape and color shifted for a split second, long enough to reinforce her need to flee. Brandy hurried down the sidewalk and worked at keeping her breaths steady.
Control.
She looked behind her at the man and watched him lick his lips, exposing sharp canines in the proces
s. She took in a deep breath, hoping she was just losing her marbles, and noticed the smell of dirt once again.
“Werewolves smell like dirt.”
Ryan’s words came to mind as her skin tingled, reminding her she was not entirely helpless. She could handle this. Sure, she did not know how to kill one, but she could do something. Brandy only needed to hold him off long enough so she could get the hell out of there.
He snarled from behind. “Here, witchy witchy.”
All she had on her side was surprise. Ignoring him and her internal alarm telling her to run, she centered herself. There was only one chance to get this right. Brandy spun on her heels and faced the were. With a flick of her fingers, she sent the newspaper dispenser flying in his direction. He caught it with ease, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She was in trouble.
A growl tore free from him as Brandy spotted another dispenser across the street. Taking him by surprise, she managed to smack him from behind. The metal crunched around his solid body, and spittle flew from his mouth.
Taking advantage of his stunned state, she ran. When she reached the corner of the block, she glanced back at the pissed-off werewolf who wanted to maul her. Not paying attention to where she was going, she stumbled to the ground, knocking someone down in the process. Her heart pounded inside her rib cage as she silently cursed Ryan for not teaching her the disappearing spell.
“Are you o—Brandy?”
Shit.
Brandy looked between Greg and the woman, glaring at her from the ground.
“Brandy?” the woman hissed.
“Yeah, sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She stood quickly, her eyes darting toward the sound of snapping teeth.
“Is a dog chasing you?” Greg asked, hearing the same noise.
“It must have gotten loose,” Brandy told him as she walked backward away from them and the werewolf. “You guys might want to go a different direction.”
Turning on her heels, she booked it up the street. She wanted to run but did not want to draw any more attention to herself. She could already feel the curious stares from those who had witnessed her knocking Greg’s woman down.
She managed to get to her place without any other supernatural exchanges. After rushing inside, she set the deadbolt and stared at the door frame. There were no signs of the images that had formed momentarily after Ryan’s spell, but she raised her hand and still felt magic in the air. She wondered if this was what he’d meant when he said he sensed her magic the night they met.
Brandy needed to learn more. The grimoire was key, since Ryan all but forgot about her. Not that she could get him off her mind…
After filling a glass with water, she took it to the living room. She could not see her best friend or family, thanks to her powers. The least she could do was study the grimoire. She dug out the leather-bound book and brought it to the living room too.
Inhaling deeply, she began working on the strenuous task of understanding her new world. As if everything was not gibberish to her logical mind, she had to read through old script.
She was not sure how much time had passed when she finally set the book down and laid her head on the back of the couch. Disappointment filled her as she processed some of the spells she’d found in the book. There was one to change the color of her hair or eyes, but none to cloak her like the one Ryan used.
Brandy was warm, too warm. She could not handle getting the actual flu after calling in sick for it last week. Needing to cool her dry throat, she filled the glass with more water. Exhausted, even though it was only eight at night, she decided to prepare for bed.
Sighing, she tucked the grimoire away where no one could find it. The rest of her studying would have to wait for another time. Feeling herself worsen every minute, she opted to skip her shower and get some nighttime medicine.
When her eyes fluttered open a sliver, she found only darkness. She wasn’t sure what time of night it was. Brandy had sweat through her clothes and onto the comforter she’d passed out on. Touching her forehead, her heart sped at the heat radiating off her.
To say she was on fire was an understatement. Of all the times she could recall having the flu, she had never been this warm, and she had never experienced the odd sensation coursing through her.
Forcing her eyes open, she searched for her phone. She raised her head an inch before it became too heavy. Panic bubbled within her. How would she call for help if she could not even lift her head?
Remembering her new skill, she focused what little energy she did have on using her powers to bring her phone to her hand. Her head lolled to the side so she could scroll through her contacts, and she and let her thumb land on Ryan’s.
It rang a few times before going to voicemail. What little hope she felt deflated at the sound of the beep.
Her lids became heavy, and she was pulled under once more by whatever bug had attacked her system. Brandy’s last thought was whether the werewolf’s spit had come in contact with her body, and if it had, was she dying?
***
“Shit. She’s burning up. Find me some towels and wet them with cold water.”
Brandy heard Ryan’s muffled voice through a tunnel. Her lids were too heavy to open, and her mouth was too dry to speak. She could only whimper in pain. Had someone rolled her into a pile of hot coals?
“What’s wrong with her?” a man asked.
A cool hand touched her face, and a sigh slipped from her lips. “I don’t know, man. She was fine this morning.”
“Does she know you’ve been stalking her?” the man asked.
Stalking her? “Protecting. I’ve been protecting her, not stalking,” Ryan snapped at the man.
The man chuckled. “I’m not sure that’s how she’s going to see it.”
“Shut up and give me the damn towels. I need to cool her down,” Ryan told the man, and Brandy heard the strain in his voice. She could feel the weight of the wet towels as he laid them on her forehead and torso.
Ryan had been watching her? She sure as hell hadn’t seen him, but then again, he liked to use the lovely spell that kept him hidden. She should be pissed at him for being so close and not revealing himself. How many times had she been tempted to call him? Did he see all the times she had pulled her phone out? Had he entered her home at night and watched her undress?
The idea should repulse her, but the image of Ryan’s eyes on her naked body caused goose bumps to form along her skin. Something about this man made her want to throw caution to the wind, which was crazy because she was not that girl.
It had taken Greg months to get close enough for her to accept a date, not to mention the six months that passed before she allowed him to see her naked. Even after that, it was another two months before they became intimate. She was not sure how Greg had stuck it out that long. Maybe she was a challenge to him, one he no longer cared to love.
The memory of the pretty woman and how she’d proclaimed her love came to mind. It was obvious their relationship was not new.
“Wait for me in the other room,” Ryan said.
“Don’t go all creeper on me.” The man laughed, then grunted. “Ouch!”
Her fever must have been really bad because she could swear she heard a low growl.
“Out!” Ryan snapped before a door shut.
She wished she could talk to him, that she could ask how he knew to come to her. What was wrong with her? Who was the other man? Had she really heard a growl? How had Ryan gotten in? Why was he taking her clothes off—
Her heart stuttered with fear and confusion. Why was he taking off her clothes? Her bottoms lowered, sliding down her thighs and off her legs. What was Ryan doing?
He stopped and cupped her cheek. “Shhh… Sweetheart, it’s me, Ryan.” His cool lips touched her forehead, and her heart hammered away for a different reason. “You’re burning up. I need to cool down your body. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She moaned in response. It was the only sound she could force from he
r mouth.
“I’m going to go draw a cold bath. I’ll be right back,” Ryan told her and kissed her temple before stepping away.
She heard him shuffling through her room before the noises moved toward her bathroom. Brandy’s attention returned to her body. She felt paralyzed. The heat claiming her was like no other fever in her life. Tears trickled from her shut lids as fear overwhelmed her.
“Shhh… don’t cry. I don’t know what’s happening, but we’ll figure it out.”
Ryan gently pulled off the rest of her clothes before lifting her into his arms. His clothes against her sensitized skin hurt like sandpaper. He carried her the short distance to the bathroom, where he placed her in the filled tub. He propped her up until the cold water reached the sides of her breasts. She did not slide down without effort.
Placing a hand over her head, he muttered a spell. “I’ll be right back.”
His magic swirled around her as her lids fluttered from feelings of exhaustion and the fear of drowning.
Chapter 11
Closing the bedroom door behind him, Ryan met Peter’s eyes.
“What’s wrong with her?” Peter asked.
Ryan shook his head. “I’m not sure. I did a healing spell and hope it helps.”
He sat on the couch next to his friend and dropped his face in his hands. Ryan was both relieved and terrified. He had been out walking with Peter when fear hit him, knocking him onto his knees in the middle of the sidewalk. It was a punch to the gut, sucking every bit of oxygen from him.
He had decided it did not help matters to keep his distance and choose to watch from afar until she got her powers under control. She needed him, and there was not a person alive who could have kept him from her. It was in that moment he was thankful for their connection. Ryan had used it to track her down, first finding traces of her in the street, then finally at her apartment.
