by AJ Renee
She forced her eyes upward and around as she rubbed the goose bumps covering her arms. Random people now walked on both sides of the sidewalk. One couple laughed about something, and the others were engrossed in their phones.
Brandy: …WTF?
She took one step and another, her eyes darting from the phone to her surroundings. If not for all the sudden people, she would have used the cloaking spell.
Andrea: Yeah, I don’t remember anything about the dream but that. It was so weird, and it left me shaken up. Please be careful.
Brandy: Always. I lead a boring life. You know that.
Her heart squeezed as she typed out the lie. If Andrea really knew how exciting Brandy’s life had become in a matter of weeks, she would have Brandy locked behind closed doors until the threat was gone.
Andrea: Love you… Don’t forget to send a picture of Mr. Sexy Pants.
Brandy: Love you too! I’ll work on getting you that proof.
Tucking the phone in her pocket, she sped up. She had never been afraid to walk the city by herself. She had been cautious, but everything had changed in the last couple of months. Everything kept pointing to her death between the curse and the attacks, and now even Andrea was having dreams.
Two blocks later, she turned, choosing the quickest way back to Peter’s condo. She kept a steady pace, looking over her shoulder and studying those she came across. Even though the people she saw looked safe enough, her internal alarms cranked up.
The smell hit her with no warning. She knew better. She should have noticed it sooner. If she survived the mistake, she would not repeat it again.
She watched him sniff the air as he stopped in front of her. The wry grin on his face made her skin crawl. “You’re a hard little witch to find.”
“Witch? Are you okay, sir?” she asked, giving him her best concerned expression. Brandy scoured through Peter’s and Ryan’s lessons, hoping to get out of this without garnering anyone else’s attention.
His eyes narrowed, and his nose flared when he took in another whiff of her. She did what she could to stay relaxed, pretending he was a strange man rather than the werewolf she smelled.
“The boss wants to chat with you,” he said, stepping closer.
Brandy shook her head and stepped back. “I’m not sure who your boss is, but I think I’ll pass.”
His eyes glowed, and her heart stuttered when his teeth elongated into sharp points. She was in more trouble than she could have imagined. Between his mention of a boss and the scary way he could control his form, she realized she was in serious trouble. He was no werewolf. He was a lycan, who reported to a demon. One who wanted to chat with her…
“What’s wrong?” Ryan asked.
Brandy calculated how far she was from the condo and nearly whimpered at the distance. She’d seen Peter run in and out of his werewolf form. He was fast… super fast. There was no way she could outrun a lycan. Peter had described lycans as juiced-up werewolves. As if they needed any advantage…
“Lycan. Fourth Street and Benton, help!” she said.
She felt Ryan’s anxiety shoot up at her words. Pushing it aside, she focused on the lycan before her. The boys had trained her for a moment like this. Plus, it was time to make her parents proud. Sure, a heads-up about this part of the world, her powers included, would have been nice, but the past could not be changed.
Its fingernails thickened and lengthened, and fur coated his hands—and his body, if she were to guess. Shaggy hair sprouted on his head, but he managed to control the rest of his change. Brandy cocked her head in awe. Peter had been all or nothing, unlike this guy.
He struck out fast, catching her off guard, and his claws sliced through the fabric at her stomach. Whoa, too close, she thought to herself. It was time to focus before she ended up on some missing witches list. If there was such a thing.
Concentrating, she flicked her fingers and sent him flying backward until he hit the brick wall of the next building. A growl ripped from him, and he unleashed the last of his change. His snarl rang through the air before he bounded toward her on all four paws.
She threw up her hands in protection and squeezed her eyes. When nothing happened, she opened one eye and then the other. Her lungs constricted, and she stared with her mouth open.
He was suspended in midair. Circling him, she studied him closer. His sharp teeth were bared and prepared to rip out her throat. His fur was matted and thick, unlike Peter’s soft, well-groomed coat.
He shimmered, actively fighting her magic. His eyes unfroze and met hers. She stepped back, debating whether she should hit him with fire or find a way to apprehend him long enough to learn more about why she was wanted.
Those two seconds were all he’d needed to break from the hold, and he landed on all four—massive—paws. He shook and faced her, his eyes narrowing with both curiosity and something darker.
Brandy pushed out her magic, attempting to freeze him again, but missed. She no longer had the element of surprise on her side. As it was, it was not her strongest power. Taking a breath, she dug deep and tried hitting him again, this time making sure to widen the impact of her hit. She did not want him to avoid another strike so easily.
He yelped when the side of his body slammed into the hard wall again. Brandy did not waste time freezing him. Before she could celebrate, she realized her new problem. She was unable to talk to him in his current state. In his animal form, he was useless to her.
Her muscles seized at the sound of footsteps, reminding her they were out in the open. She hoped no one from the building came out to investigate the ruckus. Relief flooded her when she recognized Peter running toward her. Only, his icy stare directed at her was unlike her new friend.
He ran past her a few feet toward the lycan. Peter cocked his head this way and that way as he studied him. “You’ve been keeping things from us, Brandy.”
The use of her name was a bit of a slap in the face. He vibrated with anger. It was the most upset she had seen him to date. “Peter—”
“How long will he hold?” he asked, cutting her off.
“I—” Brandy turned at the sound of Ryan joining them. “I’m not sure,” she said, all the while watching Ryan. His eyes were not as cold as Peter’s, but he was also visibly upset with her.
“Are you okay?” he asked, checking her for any visible injuries. His fingers slipped through her shredded shirt.
She nodded. “Yeah, just a close call.”
Ryan looked at Peter, and she did the same. “Be careful!” she warned as the lycan fought her magic.
“You did that?” Ryan asked in awe.
“I fucking told you she hit me with something,” Peter growled.
Brandy ignored the men and walked to the lycan. His eyes were on hers, and he was seconds from breaking free again. She focused on his body and envisioned his head moving. The ripple through his fur stopped and he snarled, spittle dripping from his mouth.
Peter and Ryan quit their bickering and walked to her.
“Can we communicate with him?” she asked no one in particular.
“I’ve never tried,” Peter murmured before removing his shirt.
“Be careful. We don’t know who’s watching,” Ryan said.
Peter unzipped his pants and toed off his shoes as he walked toward the wall, leaving the articles strewn about. “Yeah, but we also don’t have a lot of time to try. Brandy, can you hold it a little longer?”
She turned from Peter’s broad back toward the lycan. “I’ll try. See who he’s working with if you can.”
Ryan watched her, a storm of emotions filtering through him. Her chest puffed out as she focused on his pride.
She listened to the now-familiar sound of Peter’s bones cracking and adjusting as he changed into his wolf form. A deep growl filled the air, and Peter moved to the lycan. The two snapped their teeth at each other, and growls tore free.
Seeing the shimmer again, Brandy ignored Ryan and focused on the lycan. Sweat slid down he
r brow as time passed. Keeping the lycan frozen was a full workout. They could not risk him breaking her hold.
She fell forward when the lycan dropped to the ground. Leaning her hands on her knees, she stared at the lycan’s crumbled form. It took her a moment to realize his throat had been ripped out. Unlike the tubar, he did not go up in flames. Rather, his muscles twitched a few times as a pool of blood formed under his body.
Wolf Peter stepped in front of her. His hot breath fanned her face, blood dripping from his teeth. His gold eyes squinted at her before a small growl slid free.
The friendly wolf who was her friend was gone, and in his place was a cold, angry one.
Chapter 21
Ryan woke up on the couch and found Peter shaking strangely next to him. His glowing eyes were filled with anger and confusion. Ryan neared Peter’s immobile form and noted the remnants of Brandy’s magic.
Peter pulled free a moment later. “What the fuck did she do to me?”
“I don’t know. Where is she?” Ryan asked, moving to the room she was sleeping. He pushed open the door and found it empty. “She’s not here.”
Peter said he wanted to find her and was eager to rip into her, but he also forced them both to hold off until after they communicated with her. He wanted to give her the time she needed, since she needed it enough to put a whammy on them. When her cry for help came in, they hauled ass, fearing what the lycan would do to her.
A growl pulled Ryan from his memories. “Peter,” Ryan warned. Deep inside, he knew Peter would not hurt a hair on her head, but he did not like the predatory way his friend was watching her.
His friend’s head cocked to the side, his eyes meeting Ryan’s. A snarl tore through his large body before he snapped at air and trotted away. They watched until his tail disappeared around the wall.
“How the hell are we supposed to know what the lycan knows?” she asked, putting her hand on her hips.
Ryan gathered Peter’s clothes and glanced from her to the dead lycan. “He wouldn’t have killed him until he either got all the information or realized he wouldn’t get any.”
“He said he wasn’t sure if it would work. What if it didn’t, and he killed him anyway?” she asked, flailing her arms toward the body.
Ryan did a quick spell to make the lycan the size of a domestic dog. They did not need humans questioning more than a stray dog being killed or the large wolf running through the streets.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her away as she rattled on about Peter and how he had acted impulsively. “Brandy!” Ryan snapped at the edge of the block. He stopped them and dropped his chin to his chest, trying to control his emotions. “What you did—what Peter had to do—look, let’s just wait until he calms down and get the facts.”
Peter never had an issue killing if he believed it was needed, but he didn’t take it lightly. If he were as annoyed and upset as Ryan, he would be gone until well into the morning, unless of course he retrieved time-sensitive information.
“Look, I’m sorry about—”
“Freezing Peter? You need to talk it out with him. It was stupid and immature of you,” he said and watched her face change. Ryan bit his cheek to stop himself from apologizing for something he was not at fault for.
Brandy nodded slowly. “Oh, okay. I didn’t realize you felt that way.”
She stepped around him and joined the few walking on the sidewalk. Looking up at the sliver of sky between the buildings, he released a long sigh before catching up to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged him off.
They walked in silence as Ryan scanned the area once. He glanced down at her. So many things could have gone wrong. His eyes dipped to the tattered fabric of her shirt, and a shiver of fear rolled down his spine. He could have lost her.
Turning onto the next street, he peered around and found them alone. He took the opportunity to cloak them from view before someone came along.
“I’m sorry. I put us all in danger by leaving. I was on my way back when he approached me,” she whispered from his side.
Ryan pulled her in close and kissed her head. “I know this is hard on you. Thank you for not blocking me out when I called. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
He had to give her that. She had settled his anxiety by assuring him she was okay at first, and she also hadn’t assumed she could do it all on her own. Although, not that he would admit it to her, but she seemed to have the situation with the lycan in control when they got there.
“I was terrified,” she muttered, their gazes meeting for a second.
“I know. Scared the shit out of me to be honest,” he admitted. “Peter was like a caged lion when you told me about the lycan. I was barely able to keep up with him.”
She nodded, and her arm circled his waist. “He’s so mad at me.”
“He is. He’s a protector by nature, and not being able to keep you safe—” Ryan shook his head, struggling to explain Peter more without divulging his best friend’s business. “You’re going to have to fix that mess all on your own.”
The little groan that escaped her lips made him smile and squeeze her. They walked in silence, and he took a cleansing breath of air. She was safe and where she belonged.
The woman was the most powerful witch he knew, and she still had not mastered her skills. She would need to practice her new power, in addition to the others, but at this point it seemed the sky was the limit with her gift.
“Your powers are… extraordinary,” he said with awe. “They’re developing at a rapid pace, and we need to figure out if there’s a reason. The stronger you get, the better, but it’s also attracting a lot of shit.”
“It’s crazy, Rye,” she whispered.
Ryan sensed her energy waning. The strength it had taken to combat the lycan fighting her power should have wiped her, but she was holding on better than he could have hoped. “Let’s get you inside so you can take a nap. Peter should be back by then.”
He handed her Peter’s things and scooped her up. Her cheek lay against his chest, and her breaths evened out before they reached the elevator. Having her in his arms, where she belonged, eased his heart and mind. Peace washed over him as he breathed in her soft floral scent. If not for her exhausted state, he would walk her straight to their room and show her exactly how much she meant to him. At the mere thought, his dick strained against the zipper confining him. “Not now, buddy.”
Chapter 22
Brandy floated back to consciousness, Ryan’s familiar scent under her. She recalled her encounter with the lycan, Peter’s icy behavior toward her, and Ryan telling her she had acted like a child. The latter stung the most.
“Feeling better?” Ryan asked, his voice husky from sleep.
Her eyes were dry from her nap as she opened them. “Yeah, I guess.”
He tipped up her chin and studied her. “We’ll figure it out together.” The fingers on his other hand rubbed gentle, teasing circles along the skin at her side, a touch meant to soothe her but sent a shiver of need between her thighs.
Brandy freed her chin and kissed his palm before he could withdraw it. She could feel him suck in a breath at the simple touch. Running her bare foot along his calf, she pressed herself against his leg.
“Brandy,” Ryan groaned, his eyes dilating.
She pulled her lip into her mouth and bit down, her breaths uneven with desire as she stared at his handsome face. Throwing caution to the wind, she straddled his narrow hips, and his hands responded by moving to hers and holding her against him. She pressed her hands to his chest, and her hair fell around her face.
Neither spoke as they stared into each other’s eyes. The intimate moment calmed her. Ryan released one hip and cupped her cheek. Leaning into his palm, she soaked in his warmth as his thumb caressed her skin.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
Brandy closed the distance and pressed her lips to his. An electric sensation tickled their possessive kiss. She breathed in
his scent and moaned when his tongue ran along the seam of her mouth. The affection was a slow burn as lips, tongues, and teeth clamored for more.
His arms banded around her, pressing her breasts against his firm chest. Releasing her, he grabbed the hem of her shirt and whipped it over her head. He made quick work of unhooking her bra and freeing her body from it.
Brandy’s breath caught when he pinched, pulled, and caressed the taut peaks. With the sensations swirling within her, she rolled her hips against his hard length, needing the friction of his touch.
Sliding a hand down and around to her backside, he massaged the flesh through her jeans, encouraging her to rub harder against him. Wound tightly, she moaned and ground down harder.
She was on the edge, her release within grasp when he stilled her hips. Brandy whimpered with frustration at being denied. Before she could ask him what he was doing, she was flipped onto her back and under him. He whipped his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side.
A smile tugged at her lips at the beautiful sight. Ryan unbuttoned his jeans and lowered the zipper, his straining erection tenting his boxer briefs. She lifted to her elbows, intent on having a taste of him, but he gently pushed her down.
Ryan chuckled at her pout. “Tsk tsk, sweetheart.”
He tugged off her jeans, leaving her in her damp lace panties. Reaching forward, Ryan ran a thumb along her lower lip, and she sucked on it before giving it a nibble.
Groaning, he freed his thumb and ran it down her body… between the valley of her freed breasts, to her stomach, and over the small triangle covering her. He pressed it against her clit, pulling a long deep moan. The tease moved a finger down to her opening, and her core tightened around it.
Blood rushed through her ears, excitement and desire fogging her mind and making her forget everything but Ryan.
“Please…” she whimpered, unsure of how much more she could take.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart?”
