by Raine Miller
CHAPTER 16
Ethan
I couldn’t contain my surprise at Mia’s burst of confidence. My overwhelming sense to protect her raged within me, especially with this other werewolf around. I couldn’t help it. It was as if my wolf thought she was my mate. Clenching my fists, I kept them concealed in my jacket, as we approached the Eternally Magick shop.
I’d known Mia forever, and yet she’d hidden this magic and potion crafting part of herself from everyone. She really was a witch. I doubted even her parents knew, and that was probably for the better.
I shuddered to think what they’d say if they found out their girl was an actual witch with powers. They strongly disapproved of the fact she was Wiccan. I didn’t have a problem because people had their own beliefs and disbeliefs. If this was hers, then I’d have to accept it. However, this went far beyond a belief system to something completely different.
Mia rang her friend again, but she shoved the phone back in her pocket. She tapped on the door, then tried the handle, but it was no use.
The werewolf looked increasingly agitated. That’s the last thing I wanted from him because if he hurt Mia, I’d have to rip into him.
“Is there another number you can try for your friend?” She’d probably called all of them, but I wanted to help.
“I’ve tried them all, including texting her and calling her shop. I’m worried, Ethan. The other werewolf said if I didn’t get a poisonous potion to him by six today, he’d kill her.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” The other werewolf took a step toward her, but I blocked him.
“Is there another store that would have what you need?” I knew we wouldn’t find her friend someplace else, but if there was any chance of getting this werewolf off her back, I’d take it. I would help her find her friend, if it was the last thing I did, but we needed to deal with one problem at a time.
“No, not that I know of.” She bit her lower lip and looked down at her phone. “I could check, but I do all of my purchases either here or online. I’ve never had a reason to shop anywhere else.” A few older women walked by staring at us and the shop we hovered in front of. “I think that might indicate just how rare a shop like this is.” She put her cell phone away and went to the door trying the handle again. Glancing around, she scoped out our surroundings, then looked at me. “Watch my back?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What do you have planned?” She pulled out a couple of bent paperclips, and I raised my eyebrows. “You’re serious?”
“I’ll watch your back, chick,” the werewolf said. “Just hurry. There are people around. We should do this later, but I don’t know if my dad will last that long.” He stood near her, leaning up against the wall. “You’re clear.”
Shit, we were really going to do this. I’d done it a few times in the Army, but I’d had the proper tools. Besides, what we were doing was trespassing. I didn’t feel comfortable with committing a crime, even if Mia knew the owner, but these were unusual circumstances.
“Yeah, all clear for now.” A few people walked along the sidewalk toward us. Mia only had a certain amount of time before they’d find out we weren’t supposed to be there. If they saw Mia wasn’t looking for her keys to enter the shop, then we’d be screwed. I only hoped Mia had honed her breaking and entering skills before this.
“There are people coming,” the werewolf said. “Hurry up.”
“Don’t pressure me! It’s not like I do this all the time. Geez.” She took a deep breath, then let it out and continued wiggling the two paperclips in the lock.
Damn, they were almost on top of us now.
“Mia, I’m not trying to rush you, but—” The soft click of the lock opening had me relaxing.
She walked inside, holding the door open for me and the werewolf. It shut just as the people walked by, and she stood with her back to the door holding her hand over her chest. “Oh, God. That was so close.”
“Yeah. What ingredients do you need?” I sniffed the room, and the scent of all kinds of herbs and spices—some pleasant and some not—drifted through my nostrils. However, underneath it all was something that didn’t sit right with me. Something coppery. On the floor were a few droplets of crimson trailing toward the back. “Shit.”
The werewolf met my gaze before we headed for the back, knowing that something was wrong. On the floor was a woman in a black skirt, with a purple silky top and a black corset over the blouse.
“Oh my God, Jessa!” Mia dropped to her knees beside her friend, shaking Jessa’s shoulders. “No....”
Jessa cracked her eyes open, groaning in pain. “Mia. You’re here. I...I heard the phone ring, but...oh, goddess...I hurt so badly. I couldn’t move.” She turned her gaze toward the back room, and from the shadows, another figure moved into the area, knocking the werewolf back.
“You! How could you do this?” The werewolf and the new guy tumbled through a display of dragon statues. I couldn’t stand by and let them wreck the shop. Besides, this new guy had hurt Mia’s friend.
I leapt at the men, but the new guy shoved me away without any effort. Something about him was so familiar, but I couldn’t place it. No, wait. Those distinct green eyes were the wolf’s, the one who’d attacked us at the airport parking garage.
“Mia, I’m sorry,” Jessa said, her voice cracking. “I wish I could’ve warned you not to come. I’ve put you in so much danger, hon. I only wanted you to grow and get experience to be the powerful witch you are.”
“Just hang in there, Jessa. I’m right here with you.” Mia stood and looked at me. While I wasn’t sure what she would do, I had a feeling. She wasn’t about to get herself hurt on my watch. If she even thought about—
A massive fireball flew past me and struck the bad werewolf, who was in the process of shape shifting. He let out a half-scream-half-howl.
Mia took a few steps toward them, muttering under her breath. She looked like the ultimate badass female, and I’d seen my fair share of those, but she was absolutely strong, confident and beautiful. She threw her hands at him, striking the bad werewolf with one fireball after the other. Each dissipated as they struck their mark, making certain the store wouldn’t burn down around them.
“Stop.” The werewolf grabbed the new guy by the throat. “Please, witch. I know who this is.” He curled his lips in disgust as he said it. “This dirt bag is my father’s second in command. He’s betrayed the man who trusted him most. Your friend will have her justice, but most importantly, he’ll pay for betraying the Pack.” His breath was coming in harsh pants. “Please, construct the potion to heal my father. I need to go take care of him, but I will meet you back here to pick up the potion. Get your friend to the hospital. I’m afraid she might be hurt worse than either you or I can see. Something doesn’t smell right with her.” He finally looked at me. “We’ll meet again. I won’t make you go through this process by yourself. I can help.”
I nodded. A weight lifted from my chest. Even though I was going through this crazy change, I wouldn’t be alone. Someone would be there to explain things. I just hoped the rest of his Pack agreed to this.
Mia straightened her spine. “I’ll have it ready in a few hours.” She turned to me once the two werewolves were gone, worry in her gaze.
If Mia were to make the potion and get it to the werewolf, then I needed to get her friend help. There was no one else to do it. “Will you be okay? I’ll take your friend to the hospital. I just need to borrow your car.”
Mia nodded, but she wavered on her feet a little. “I’ll have to drop you two off, since I need to return to my place to concoct the potion. Thank you for taking care of Jessa. It means a lot.” She lowered her gaze, brushing tears aside, but she went to the wall lined with all the spices that I’d smelled.
I couldn’t believe I’d held back from getting to know more about her and from being in her life. She was more than I’d ever dreamed. I walked up behind her, pulling her in my arms. “Everything’s going to be okay. We’re g
oing to get through this together.”
She looked up at me. “Thank you. For everything. I’m surprised you showed up at my door after Greg was such a total jerk. I’d thought I scared you off. I’m so over him. Can’t believe I ever—”
I held my finger to her lips. “We’ll talk about it more later. I showed up because I needed to tell you how I felt. I love you, Mia.”
Her jaw dropped, and she stared at me wide-eyed. Had I done something wrong? “You l-love me? You really do?”
I nodded.
“Are you sure it’s not the love potion talking?”
I leaned back, raising an eyebrow. I’d been suspicious but knowing for sure rocked me. “What love potion?”
“The accidental ingredient. It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t mean to—”
“I don’t think the way I feel is because of a love potion. I’ve felt this way for you for a long time, Mia. I want you to be mine.” I walked back to Jessa, knowing she needed to focus while I got her friend to the car.
A few hours later, I sat in the hospital’s waiting room, trying to breathe as shallowly as possible. The overwhelming scent of blood, urine, and bleach was nearly enough to make me vomit. The men’s magazine had several articles on buffing up my arms. It didn’t distract me as much as I’d hoped it would.
I didn’t want to think about what condition Jessa was in, or if Mia was able to make her potion. Was she okay? Why hadn’t she called yet?
I shouldn’t have let her go alone. The werewolf had said the guy who attacked us was their second in command. There could be others following him. Danger still might be out there. Besides, I had a big problem with people not honoring the chain of command. In the military, you had a chain of command drilled into you, and you followed it.
My phone vibrated, and I looked to see Mia calling. I headed outside before answering. Hopefully she was okay.
“Ethan, I dropped it off. I’m so tired. How is Jessa?” She sighed. “Have you heard anything yet?”
“She’s stable. It’s a good thing we brought her here. She’ll need to be monitored for a week or two to make sure everything is alright.” I was glad Mia was okay. I’d been worried.
“I’ll come by and pick you up, I guess. I’d like if we could finish our conversation from the shop and talk...about us.”
Concern nagged at me. “Sure. Sounds fine. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just...never mind. I’ll be there soon.”
“See you then.” I blew out a breath, not willing to lose her.
CHAPTER 17
Mia
We didn’t talk much on the way back to my place. We opted to go there instead of Ethan’s. That way we wouldn’t have to worry about Nolan being there.
How was I going to tell him? How could I put my feelings into words? He loved me. It was exactly what I’d dreamed of him saying. If it weren’t true, I didn’t want our relationship to revert to friendship mode after a few days. I wouldn’t be able to bear that.
If he wanted to be with me, then we needed to know what we were to each other. I was scared he’d lose himself to the werewolf within, but...who knew? Maybe the Alpha’s son could help. He had seemed nice enough, after the initial trouble, that is. If he did help Ethan with his abilities, that would be one less worry.
I’d know Ethan wouldn’t wind up hurting himself or others if he lost control. My brain went a mile a minute. I needed to stop thinking so much. I would only end up working myself up.
We sat staring at one another. Ethan propped his arm on the back of the couch. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
How did I even start? “I need you like I’ve never needed anything before.” I charged forward. If I stopped, I might not get the words out. “Things are over with Greg and me. He’s not in my life, and he shouldn’t have been there for as long as he was.” I fingered the hem of my skirt. “I’m not sure what we are to each other. You said you love me, and I love you, too. Are we...dating?”
He blinked at me. Instead of answering, he pulled me into his lap, crushing his lips to mine. While we’d started our previous make-out session soft and gentle, nothing about this was slow. Passionate, needy: those were better descriptions.
Ethan pulled back for a breath of air. “I don’t care what you call it: dating, in a relationship, boyfriend-girlfriend. What matters is that we’re together. And, Mia, Greg was wrong.” He nibbled on my neck, leaving delicious sensations behind. “I’ll never get tired of you. Not in two weeks or two years.”
I shivered under his touch, wanting more. Those had been my fears. Ethan saying that made me relaxed. We weren’t going to burn hot and fizzle out fast. Smiling, I unbuttoned his pants, revealing black boxer briefs.
He brushed my hands away before I could shove them aside. “Not so fast. I don’t want our first time to be on your couch.” Smirking, he carried me upstairs to my bedroom.
“Fair enough. I just can’t help myself.”
Since the last time he’d been here a few days ago, I’d made sure to keep my room picked up. No laundry lying around, dirty or not. He laid me out on the bed.
Biting my lower lip, I groaned desperately, needing him inside me.
Ethan ran his hands over my body, making me feel delicious and wanted. I arched my back as he slid his hands over my breasts, brushing his thumbs across my nipples. Moisture pooled between my legs. His nose twitched, and he ran his gaze down to my thighs. He slowly tugged at the waistband of my skirt as if I’d stop him.
I tilted my hips up to help him get the offensive barrier between us off. He threw the skirt on the floor, but he kept his hungry gaze fixed on me. He helped me into a sitting position and ran his hands under my shirt.
Desire built inside me. The more we made out, the more I knew this time I wouldn’t be able to stop. This time, we wouldn’t need to stop.
I freed the buttons from the loops on Ethan’s button-up shirt, revealing inch by inch his muscular chest. I wanted to run my hands over that hard expanse, memorizing each curve. When I finished unfastening it, I shoved the shirt from his broad shoulders. I wouldn’t be content until we were naked.
Obviously, he felt the same way. We made quick work of the rest of our clothes. Being undressed in front of him wasn’t the least bit awkward. Then again, with his lips against my neck and trailing ever lower, I didn’t have time to feel that way.
He spread my legs and slid a finger into my core. A jolt of electricity surged through me at the feel of him pressing inside.
“Ethan,” I moaned, grinding my hips against his hand. Any residual shyness I’d felt disappeared at the pleasure building within me. Something about him left me desperate for more. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of him, even if we both lived until we were ninety years old.
He pulled away after a few moments of thrusting his finger in me. “Are you sure, Mia?”
“Yes! I need this.” I wanted to shake him. Could he really not know how much I was burning for him? But maybe he was just giving me a chance to stop him before we took things to the next level. It was good of him, but I knew fully well what we were doing. Stopping was the last thing on my mind.
He hopped off the bed and dug into the pocket of his pants. When he came back, he wore a condom on his cock.
I looked forward to exploring every inch of him. From the ravenous hunger in his eyes when I spread my legs wider, I suspected he echoed that sentiment.
He covered my body with his, and I pulled him closer to claim his lips. I nibbled his bottom lip as the tip of his dick pressed against my entrance. My heart pumped in anticipation.
He slid inside me, oh so slowly. With his size, it was for the best, but that didn’t stop my need to completely be filled by him. “You’re so tight, Mia. I can hardly control myself.”
I ran my hands over his back, kneading the taut muscles. “Don’t hold back.”
Raising an eyebrow, he eased out then thrust in a little faster, still careful. Withdrawing again, he slammed back inside m
y, pumping his hips. Each caress came quicker than the last, until he fell into a steady rhythm.
I leaned my head back, unable to keep myself from moaning. If we’d gone back to his place, this wouldn’t have happened. Or if it had, Nolan would’ve heard what we were doing. Staying quiet was impossible with Ethan making love to me.
Sensations raced through my body shaking me to the core. What we had was hotter, more magical, than anything I’d ever dreamed could be possible between two people.
He slid his hand over my breast, tracing my nipple with his thumb until it hardened into a point. Once he was satisfied, he bent his head and closed his mouth over my other breast. The heat of his breath and warmth added to my desire.
With each thrust, Ethan drove me closer to the edge. My thighs trembled for a moment before I came. I dug my nails into his back, clinging to the one person anchoring me from floating off in pure bliss. Waves of pleasure smashed into me over and over, as I screamed his name. Only Ethan’s sure, strong body kept me from drowning in our shared ecstasy.
Groaning, he balanced on his elbows above me. “You’re so damn amazing, Mia.” He swept a few strands of hair off my face.
I ran my hands over his short black hair and grinned. “I’m looking forward to doing that again.”
“You’re not the only one, babe. So many positions, so little time.” He winked, and heat burned up my neck to nestle in my cheeks.
Oh, boy....
***
I woke up, lying side by side with Ethan. The blankets were tangled around his long, muscular limbs. Shivering, I wondered why it was so bone-chillingly cold in here, especially with Ethan this close. I climbed out of bed and peeked through the blinds. So far, I hadn’t needed to turn the heater on this year, but the temperatures usually didn’t get this cold until January.
Outside, snow fell in gentle flakes on the lawn, and I watched the snowy scene. This was awesome. I absolutely loved snow. To see it on Christmas Day like this after the intimate night I’d had with Ethan was the icing on this cake, exactly what I’d imagined the perfect day could be.
