Impulsive Magic: A Snarky Paranormal Romance (Modern Magic Book 4)

by Nicole Hall

  Seth stared at the glittering gem splashing rainbows across their bodies, an inadvertent reflection of the magic swirling around them. He hadn’t even been aware she’d brought it. Keely had chosen his gift over magical protection.

  Hope exploded again, more dangerous than before. The clan began to move around them, beating the rhythm faster and faster. Seth reached out to touch the pendant, then slid his hand up around her neck and into her hair.

  He brought her close and dropped his forehead against hers. Are you okay in front of the crowd?

  Yeah, I can barely see them on the other side of the magic.

  Thank you for being here.

  Keely wrapped her fingers around his wrist, holding him in place. Can’t get rid of me now.

  The dance reached a crescendo, and the air around them shimmered with power. All at once, everyone stopped.

  Seth found himself panting in the silence, tension stiffening his body. Keris joined them in the center of the circle, and smiled at each of them in turn.

  “And so life comes again, born in magic and in clan. We welcome change, and bond to hold the same. Accept what is freely given, and live as one.”

  She held out her hand, entreating the people to her left. “As it once was.” The crowd repeated the words in one solemn voice. As it once was. She held out her other hand. “As it is.” As it is.

  Keris met their eyes, hers full of triumph and power. “As it always will be.” As it always will be. The last syllable hadn’t faded before she raised her hands above her head, clapping them together.

  The magic burst free with a sudden ferocity. Seth felt it punch through him, and Keely’s hand squeezed his until his fingers went numb. Power like he’d never felt hollowed him out, stripping away the bond they’d created with blood. In its place, a new connection linked them. Her dormant magic surged into him, merged with his, then rushed away.

  Keely’s mouth dropped open as she drew in a ragged breath. An instant later, the mate bond snapped into place, a thousand times stronger than the spell they’d used in his living room.

  Her eyes fluttered closed. Seth…

  I know. I’m right here.

  The power ebbed and flowed between them, slowly coming to rest as a combined reservoir they shared. As a true mate bond dictated, his magic belonged with her as much as with him.

  The urge to kiss her, to connect them more intimately, overwhelmed him, and Seth didn’t resist. He stroked her cheek with his thumb as he brought his mouth down on hers.

  Keely tasted like apples and honey, and he couldn’t stop devouring her. He deepened the kiss, pulling her flush against him. She moaned, and Seth forgot all the scheming and planning. He held his mate, and nothing else mattered.

  If not for Keris tapping him on the shoulder, several times, he would have stayed there kissing Keely all night. As it was, the last ‘tap’ included an electric jolt that he hoped Keely hadn’t felt.

  Pulling back for air, he frowned at Keris, finally registering the applauding crowd around them.

  She sent him a knowing smile. “The mate bond is potent, but you might want to wait until you’re alone to celebrate.”

  Keely pulled his hand down and linked their fingers together. “I think we can handle that.”

  Keris inclined her head at the bonfire, where the first revelers had begun to gather. “Now the celebration begins. I’ll be staying with a friend tonight. The house is yours. Seth, I’ll come for you tomorrow when the elders are ready.”

  He grimaced at the reminder. “Right.” How easily he’d let the price slip his mind. Keely squeezed his hand as Keris walked away. She could probably sense his unease now that their bond had been upgraded. He’d been moderately successful at keeping his emotions in check and away from her, but the mate bond didn’t allow that kind of separation.

  “Stay or go?”

  Seth looked at Keely in confusion.

  She rolled her eyes. “These are your people, at your biggest party of the year, and you’re frowning and growling. Either the farce pisses you off or there’s something else on your mind. I’m guessing the second. I’m hoping it has to do with the elders. Of course, I could probably muck around in your head and find out for myself, but I’d rather you told me.”

  He kissed her temple and led her toward the people dancing around the bonfire. “I wasn’t growling.”

  Keely pouted dramatically. “That’s all I get?”

  Seth smiled. He couldn’t help it around Keely. She elevated his mood. And she deserved the truth. “Let’s enjoy the party for a while. I have some things to tell you when we’re alone.”

  “Why does that sound so ominous?”

  “Because you’re trapped in a strange world tied to a man you barely trust with people much more powerful than you?”

  Keely frowned at him, a real one. “I trust you or I wouldn’t be here.” She pulled away from him to turn and prance backwards toward Oren. “And you have no idea how powerful I am. None of us do. I could be the strongest one here.”

  Seth slowed and let her approach Oren alone. His smile faded as she moved farther away from him. She could be the strongest one here, especially now that she had access to their combined magic.

  The elders had given him a reprieve until the mate ritual before he had to begin paying the price for defying them. In the moment when his magic had joined with Keely’s, he’d felt unstoppable. More powerful than ever. But as the heady rush faded, a slight weakness crept in.

  I trust you. A sick feeling joined the weakness in his gut. She trusted him now, but after he confessed the manipulation and the lies—the blatant disregard for her choice in the mating ritual—she’d see the truth and close him out.

  Oh, she’d finish the job, but the unfettered access to all of Keely would be gone. Worse, with the connection he’d selfishly allowed, Keely might be affected by his punishment from the elders. A passing reveler clapped him on the back, congratulating him. Seth answered out of habit, but his attention stayed riveted on Keely across the square.

  Seth believed absolutely that his banishment should be lifted tomorrow. With the necklace, he could prove he had nothing to do with the theft, but the elders didn’t always operate using logic. No matter his innocence, they might still decide to uphold the exile and take his magic.

  He had to protect Keely.

  Seth watched her talking with Oren across the square and felt his heart constrict. She’d be safe in Terra, and the bond would be muted through the doorway. After he explained the truth to her, she’d probably jump at the chance to go home early. Tamra could get her through the portal.

  Oren pulled Keely in for a hug, spinning her around, and Seth clenched his fists. A visceral need to defend his mate had him moving before his brain caught up. Keely’s laugh floated to him on the breeze, and though he’d love to knock Oren’s teeth down his throat for touching her, he knew Keely would hate it.

  She turned and cocked her head at him. Stop brooding and come enjoy the time with your friends.

  Seth raised a brow. You seem to be doing a fine job for both of us.

  Keely giggled into his mind, and a matching grin spread across her face. Jealous? Because I’m pretty sure I just pledged my lifeforce to you or something. No pressure though.

  Maybe she understood more than he thought. Instead of answering her, he joined them at the fire. Her approval soaked into him through the bond, and Seth basked in her favor.

  They danced and flirted for hours, switching partners, until Keely escaped from Oren’s hold with a playful warning look and came back to him. Seth wrapped his arm around her waist when she leaned into him.

  His stubborn weakness hadn’t abated, but it hadn’t gotten any worse. Keely didn’t seem affected by the magic drain, but he felt exhaustion weighing on her. They hadn’t had much rest in the last few days.

  Keely yawned wide. “How long do you expect this to go on?”

  “How long do you need?”

  “I’m ready to go now
.”

  Trepidation made Seth slow, but he took her hand, kissed it, and led her away from the festivities.

  KEELY

  Seth was seriously upset about something. He didn’t stray far from her side all night, and he’d always had a smile for her when she’d tried to tease one out. But the bond told her a different story.

  Unease ate at him, though he tried to bury it where it wouldn’t touch her. Too bad for him, Keely excelled at digging out people’s emotions. The mate bond made reading him ridiculously easy on one level. All she had to do was point her attention toward him, and the bond rewarded her with reams of data. Unfortunately, the data often turned out to be frustratingly vague. She knew something worried him, but she couldn’t get any information on what.

  They walked hand in hand back through the village toward Keris’ house. The further they traveled from the bonfire, the emptier the streets became. Darkness had fallen while they danced, and away from the bright lights, Keely could see the sky awash with stars.

  A sense of peace settled in her, despite Seth’s agitation. Aecantha offered a rare respite from the pressures of life in her world. No incessant bombardment from social media, the internet, radio, television. She’d left her phone behind in her bag, and after the first hour or so, she’d stopped checking for it constantly.

  No connection, no responsibility, only a freeing release of obligation.

  Keely glanced at Seth, lost in thought next to her. She hadn’t given up all connections, and the reassuring consistency of his presence gave her hope. Maybe she didn’t need all those other obligations anyway.

  They remained silent until the door to Keris’ house closed behind them. Keely sighed and turned her attention to Seth’s apprehension. Better to get it out of the way first.

  She stopped him in the foyer. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or am I going to guess? Spoiler alert: you don’t want me to guess.”

  Seth pulled away from her to pace across the living room and back, and Keely followed him. She had trouble sorting through the chaotic emotions vying for dominance.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I should have warned you before, but I didn’t because…I just didn’t.” He stopped at the far end of the room and met her eyes. “You signed on to be a fake mate, but that was the lie. The mate ritual we went through was the real thing. I’ve known you were my mate for a while. I chose not to tell you, and I went through with the rite anyway.”

  He’d braced himself for rejection, that much the bond provided her. Contrary to what he seemed to think, Keely had no intention of pushing him away. As far as secrets went, she’d had much worse.

  “Okay. Can we talk about your snooping now?”

  He scoffed. “Not okay. You don’t understand.”

  Keely held up a finger. “Do not mansplain my feelings to me. You should understand more than anyone what’s going on in my head and my heart since you’re privy to both.”

  “I don’t deserve that privilege.”

  Her heart hurt for him, for what he believed about himself, but the rest of her wanted to throttle him. “I get to decide who gets that privilege, deserving or not. Besides, it’s a little late now. This mate bond seems pretty sturdy, not that I’m complaining. I wanted you before the ceremony. Hell, I wanted you when you were still a llama, but I wasn’t going to admit that your voice in my head did it for me.” She glared at him. “Except I just did because you made me angry. I fully expect you to forget I said that.”

  “You don’t want me. You want some perfect version of me you put together with that voice in your head. The real me is selfish. The real me locked you into a lifetime bond because it was what I wanted, and I don’t regret it.”

  “I know that. Are you forgetting that I chose a lifetime bond weeks ago? Do I look like I’m running away? Am I being too subtle for you?” Keely stalked up to him and punctuated each of her words with a poke to the chest. “You. Don’t. Scare. Me.”

  Seth captured her hand like he’d done once before. “My actions and secrets affect you whether you’re afraid of them or not.”

  “Gah!” Keely threw up her hands. “Everyone has secrets. We don’t all get magical bonds to force us into honesty. Even then, people are complicated and deserve to be forgiven when they make mistakes. What makes you so much worse than anyone else that I would choose?”

  “Because I don’t give a damn about other people if they get in my way.”

  “Then you won’t care if I go find Oren at the party.” Keely knew the risk she took. He could call her bluff and let her walk away, relegate her to a means to an end and nothing more.

  Instead of watching her go, he prowled toward her. Keely backed up without meaning to, all the way until she hit the edge of the living room. His arms came up to bracket her face, palms flat against the wall on either side of her. Anger still coursed through her, but it quickly sputtered in an overwhelming tide of heat.

  Seth leaned down, his breath warm against her ear. “No one gets to touch you but me. I told you I was selfish.”

  He saw possession and selfishness, but Keely felt the difference in him. Felt the way he cherished her. She was rusty at trusting her instincts, so maybe Seth knew himself better than she did. Maybe she had created a fantasy Seth to fall in love with, but she wanted the one pinning her against the wall. For now, that was enough.

  Keely tangled her hand in his shirt to yank him forward. “Prove it.” She kissed him, pouring all her desire and trust into their connection. Her teeth nipped his lower lip, and she finally got to feel the real benefit of the mate bond.

  Seth matched her fury, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to duel with hers. All the intense hunger they’d been holding back broke free and had her gasping for air. His hands dropped to her thighs to lift her, wrapping her legs around his hips. She ached for him and groaned in frustration when her shorts got in the way of his roving hands.

  Their magic spurred them on, stoking the fire ever higher, until Keely thought she’d melt if she didn’t have him naked against her.

  “Good idea.” Seth ground into her and trailed kisses down her neck. A warm prickle danced over her, then the touch of cool air caught the sweat on her bare skin.

  Keely rolled her hips in a slow, wet slide against the hard length of him. Her head dropped back against the wall with a broken whimper. His mouth descended on her breasts, sucking and teasing with his tongue.

  Tension coiled in Keely as she strained against him. “Dammit, Seth.”

  He smiled against her chest. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

  Keely yanked on his hair until he met her gaze. “Fuck me, right now.”

  His golden eyes blazed, and he shifted them away from the wall. Keely grasped his shoulders for the few steps he took to the couch. His hand slid up her back, and after a quick freefall, his body pressed hers into the cushions.

  They stilled for a moment as Seth kissed her, slow and deliberate. Keely framed his face with shaking hands and whispered in his mind.

  Only you.

  A rush of vindication, a claim, spiked through the bond, and Seth thrust into her. Keely moaned at the feeling of completion. He nudged her head to the side so he could bury his face against her neck. Her nails dug into his shoulder, urging him on as he pulled back far enough to plunge furiously into her again and again.

  This was what she’d wanted. Heat and craving and desperation. Keely arched up to take more of him, and his hands bit into her ass to hold her there. A small shift of the angle, and she exploded around him in glorious bursts of light.

  Seth sucked in a breath then growled against her neck as his body went taut.

  Sweaty, satisfied, and content to lay there under him the rest of the night, Keely trailed her fingers down the curves of his back. His muscles moved with his deep breaths, and she could feel his heart racing against hers.

  She’d asked him to prove his claim on her, and he’d certainly succeeded. What she hadn’t expected was the intense
need she had to claim him back. The truth wouldn’t be denied any longer. Despite the mistakes and the fear, she was no longer willing to let him go. Magic, mate bond, fate, whatever, she didn’t care the cause as long as she got the guy in the end.

  14

  SETH

  He was probably crushing her, but Seth didn’t have the energy to move yet. Lost in the moment, he’d had no trouble, but the weakness had returned, more pervasive than before. With a grunt, he heaved himself to the side and rolled Keely on top of him.

  Keely yawned and pulled a throw blanket over them from the back of the couch. “Where did you magic our clothes to?”

  Seth took stock and realized he didn’t know. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Probably the bedroom, but I was a little distracted at the time.”

  “Think we should apologize to Keris about her couch?”

  “No. I’ll make sure everything is clean in the morning. Besides, she knew what she was getting into.”

  Keely tucked a leg between his and cuddled into his chest. Seth tightened his arm around her. He knew she liked to sleep curled up next to him, but the couch wasn’t really big enough for both of them side by side.

  Her breath tickled his chest in a soft sigh. “Are you finally going to tell me what you were snooping for?”

  Seth hesitated, then decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to tell her. “I was looking for information about my parents’ disappearance.”

  “Not about the banishment? I thought we were here to clear your name.”

  “We are, but I have stretch goals.”

  “Okay.”

  Seth kissed the top of her head. “There’s that ‘okay’, again. I manipulated you. How can you forgive so easily?”

  “Because you didn’t manipulate me any more than I manipulated you. Keris explained how the mate bond worked. I had the choice to accept the magic during the ritual. I knew going in what would happen.”

  Seth huffed out a breath and smiled. “Of course, she did. Keris can’t help but interfere. Maybe this time I should thank her.”