by Keri Arthur
She took a deep breath. “Now we must complete the circle. Hold my hands.”
He placed his hands in hers. Energy seemed to surge between them, an electric touch that pulsed in time with the ache in his groin.
“Close your eyes.”
He did. And saw her naked, panting with need for him. Her fingers clenched against his. “Concentrate.”
“I’m trying,” he ground out.
“Then try harder.”
He bit back the urge to swear and forced the image from his mind.
“Breathe deeply. Draw breath until it seems to fill every pore in your body.”
Her voice was a monotone. Soothing. He did as she asked and felt the tension begin to slip.
“Now, I want you to raise your body energy by tightening your muscles. Start at your toes and work your way up. Imagine the energy as a mist … squeeze it up through your body until it reaches our hands.”
He had no idea what she meant, but as he methodically tightened his muscles, the air around him began to crackle with energy. When their fingers clenched against each other, it felt like the air was burning.
“Now, imagine that energy leaving your fingertips and fanning out in a clockwise circle around us. Imagine the two of us encased in an orb of mist. Feel the power of it pulsing through you and out into the night.”
As he imagined that orb, she began murmuring. The air seared his lungs with every intake of breath, and energy vibrated through his limbs.
Then the noise died, the energy died, and an incredible silence wrapped around them. He opened his eyes. The air seemed to shimmer above her head.
“Evil and magic cannot enter this place.” Her gaze met his almost challengingly. “Not for as long as we touch.”
“Touching how?” He edged a little closer so that their knees rubbed and was suddenly glad he still had condoms in his jeans pocket.
“Hands on hands. Hands on body.” A smile touched her lips. “Not sex, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Well, damn.”
She raised an eyebrow, her expression amused. “Sex magic raises an altogether different type of power. I don’t think you’re quite ready for that yet.”
He stared at her. “You’re kidding.”
She shook her head. The energy that zipped around them caught her hair, standing strands of it on end. “No. Sex magic raises a very strong energy that can be used in spells, but it’s not particularly reliable when it comes to protection spells.”
“Have you ever tried sex magic?” Even as the question left his mouth, jealousy surged through his veins. The thought of her with another man made him want to hit something, which was totally irrational, especially given her history and the fact that he could lay no claim on her. Not now, and certainly not in the future.
“My history?” Her green eyes narrowed dangerously, and anger touched her voice. “Shall we compare notes when it come to lovers, Ethan?”
He smiled grimly. “No. I’m a werewolf. I have had as many lovers as there have been full moons.”
“Then let’s not talk about my history. I’ve only had as many lovers as I have fingers.”
If she was counting him as one of those lovers, that was still nine too many in his estimation. He frowned at the thought and wondered if in helping her create the protection circle, he’d somehow short-wired his brain.
“So,” he repeated, “have you actually tried this sex magic?”
She hesitated. “Yes. And it was damned amazing.”
He released one hand and touched her mouth, running a finger across the warm lips he ached to kiss, then down the long line of her neck. “As amazing as what we’ve shared?”
Her full lips opened slightly, as if she couldn’t drag in enough air. “Yes.”
He ran his finger around the outline of one pebbled nipple. Saw the tremor run through her. “You sure about that?”
“Yes. It’s just sex with us. You said that yourself.”
That he had. But he’d been lying, and they both knew it. What they had went beyond just sex. How far beyond, he didn’t know and would probably never find out. But one thing he did know. He’d never experienced this level of desire and need before. Not in all the long years and many lovers he’d had since Jacinta.
Maybe not even with Jacinta.
He tugged the blanket loose until it fell to her waist and allowed her wonderful breasts to spill free. He cupped one, brushing his thumb across her nipple.
She shuddered, but her gaze darted to the door. “They come.”
“Can they see what we’re doing?”
“Not with this type of circle, no. They’ll just feel its presence when they try to get in here.”
“And as long as we’re touching we’re safe?”
She nodded. “I think we’d better keep one hand joined, though, just so it doesn’t venture too far into sex magic territory.”
He smiled. He had no intention of going that far, but he did have every intention of exploring what he could one-handed. He leaned forward and captured her lips. It became a long and tender exploration that did strange things to the rhythm of his heart and made him want her more fiercely than he’d ever dreamed possible.
He kept kissing her, kept touching her, all the while aware of the noise beyond their haven and the constant rise and fall of the energy that pulsed around them. Through them.
The fever in his blood burned as fiercely as the air itself, but an awareness of the danger that waited beyond their orb of safety was just as fierce. He wasn’t about to risk her safety to sate his own needs.
After a while, silence fell and the trembling force of energy grew calm. They’d gone. The silence ticked away.
Alarm ran through him.
Silence didn’t tick.
He opened his eyes and glanced toward the door. A small parcel sat in the doorway. “The bastards have left a bomb.”
She grabbed him, stopping him from rising. “Don’t break the circle. It could be a trap.”
“It’s not.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know I can’t feel them anymore. Can you?”
She shook her head. “But that doesn’t mean you can simply walk out of the circle. We have to close it first.”
“We might not have the time—”
“Then we find it. Believe me, breaking this circle right now could be more dangerous that that damn bomb.”
He took a deep breath and tried to calm the urge to ignore her advice and run her out of the danger he sensed was slipping ever closer. “What do we do?”
She grabbed his other hand again. “Imagine that misty field of energy again. Draw it back into your fingers and down into your body. Relax with it, loosening the muscles as you work back down to your toes.”
He took a deep breath and did as she directed. The energy that pulsed around them swirled across his fingertips and slithered up his arms, easing the tension riding his shoulders before trickling down. But long before the sense of relaxation reached his toes, he heard the ticking stop.
Time had run out.
He flung himself over the top of her as the bathroom exploded into flame.
KAT WOKE TO THE WARMTH OF ETHAN’S TOUCH, THE WEIGHT of his body atop of hers, the dampness of earth and grass pressed against her spine. She kissed his fingertips as they brushed her mouth, then opened her eyes. His face was inches from hers, his eyes a heated combination of worry and lust.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded. His voice was as ragged as his breathing, and she knew it wasn’t so much pain as desire. He was fighting the moon fever, but if the desperation that surged around her was anything to go by, it was a battle he was rapidly losing.
She swore under her breath and looked around. Metal loomed above them. The bathtub, upside down on top of them. While it had undoubtedly saved their lives, right now it was also trapping them.
She wondered how much time had passed. Wondered how long the mara would leave watch
ers to see if they’d survived.
Through the noise of the storm she could hear voices, but they were as distant as the sirens. Which was odd, to say the least. Or maybe it just meant they were buried deep under the rubble of the motel room.
“I’m going to lift the edge of the tub and see where we are and what’s going on.”
He nodded. Sweat dripped down his forehead and splashed onto her lips. She resisted the urge to lick the droplet from her mouth, knowing right now the slightest sexual move could tip his control past the edge.
She reached for kinetic energy and carefully lifted the tub. And gasped. Because they were no longer anywhere near the motel. It lay at the bottom of the slope below them, half demolished and wrapped in flames.
The force of the bomb had obviously blown them free, and she had a feeling the active protection circle had a lot to do with that. That parcel might have been a product of the human world, but the imprint of magic had still been on it. Maybe because the soul-sucker had handled it, or maybe because she’d used magic to put it there. Whatever the reason, that imprint had registered with the remaining magic of the stones. How they ended up this far away she couldn’t say, but she wasn’t about to question a quirk of fate. Not when it played in their favor.
She lifted the opposite edge of the tub and saw they were close to the edge of a forest. She swept her gaze across the darkness, but she couldn’t sense the taint of magic or evil, and the only sound she could hear was the distant gurgle of water. Lady Luck had definitely stepped into their corner for a change.
“Ethan?”
His gaze jumped to hers. His eyes had slipped past humanity to become almost primordial. “I need—”
“I know what you need, but right now, we need to get out of here. Do you understand me?”
He didn’t answer. Maybe he couldn’t answer. His whole body quivered with desire, and his groin ground against hers. While it was a need he was obviously still fighting, it was one he was predestined to lose. And she had a bad feeling that if she did anything untoward—even something as simple as rising—that need would be unleashed. Which meant they had to briefly separate. The last thing she wanted was the mara realizing they’d survived, which meant she had to hide any evidence of it. Thanks to that explosion and a huge piece of luck, they’d bought themselves some time. Time from another attack, time to rescue the kids.
Maybe even time enough to ease the hunger of a moon-snared werewolf.
But that couldn’t happen here.
She caught his face in her hand, holding his gaze with her own. It was a wolf in mating heat she stared at, even if that wolf still wore human form—and he was close, so close, to completely losing control. “Can you hear the river?”
“Yes.” His voice came out as little more than a harsh growl.
“Your lady awaits you there,” she said, wondering who he’d see there—Jacinta, her, or someone else entirely? Wondered if it even mattered when the moon had him in its grip.
“Jac?” It came out little more than a harsh rasp of sound. “No.”
“Yes.” She closed her eyes against the sting of tears. “She needs you, Ethan. Needs you to hurry.”
He didn’t reply. Energy caressed her skin, its touch warm and sharp as he shifted shape. She lifted the tub higher, and he sprang away, quickly disappearing into the night.
She loosened the damp and heavy blanket from around her waist, then shifted shape and flew up to the shelter of the nearest tree. She took a deep breath, then kinetically lifted the tub and blanket, and thrust them both deep into the surrounding trees. With any sort of luck, they wouldn’t be found until this was all over.
Then she took to the skies again, flying high over the trees until she found the river she’d heard. It was deep in the forest, and she could neither see nor hear anyone close. No one except Ethan, that is. Though she couldn’t actually see him, just sense the force of his wanting. It had to be dealt with now, before the fever raged totally out of control and he attacked someone.
Besides, they could hardly rescue the kids when he was in this frame of mind.
She spiraled down through the trees and shifted shape as she neared the ground. The rain stung her skin, and she shivered. This wasn’t exactly the best time or place to sate a wolf’s desire, but right now she had very little choice. A twig snapped behind her. She turned as Ethan padded out of the trees.
He hesitated, staring at her with eyes that were neither human nor wolf but somewhere in between and far more ethereal. He shifted shape and took off his jeans, tossing them casually into the trees. But there was nothing casual about the way he walked toward her. Nothing casual in the way he watched her. Even in human form, his eyes were otherworldly.
He stopped in front of her. She’d expected the moon-spun lust to be so great that he’d simply grab her and mate with her. That he didn’t surprised her.
For several seconds she lost herself in the heated embrace of his eyes. Though the night was cold and the storm continued unabated, she no longer felt it. Barely even heard it. His warmth washed over her, through her, stirring her senses with longing.
He raised a hand, cupping her cheek. It felt like he was branding her skin for eternity.
“My lady does indeed wait.”
His voice was little more than a caress of sound, yet it seemed to sing through every fiber of her being. She briefly closed her eyes against the sudden sting of tears. It wasn’t Ethan speaking but the wolf. A wolf who was far more romantic than the man would ever allow himself to be.
His thumb caressed her lips. It was a gentle touch that curled her toes with wanting.
“Does my lady know what night it is?”
The heat of his gaze was melting her insides. His desire burned the air around them, even though he held himself still.
“It’s the night before the full moon.”
“The night of promises.”
“The night of destiny.” She didn’t know where those words came from, and that scared her. She cleared her throat and said, “But there are no promises between us.” Could never be any promises between them until he moved beyond the pain of what Jacinta had done.
He stepped so close her breasts were crushed against his bare, wet chest and his erection pressed heat against her stomach.
He slid a hand down her back, his fingers burning warmth against her spine as he pressed her closer still. “I was told I would find you here by the river, with the magic of the night rising all around us.”
It felt as if he’d reached into her chest and torn out her heart. She closed her eyes against the pain. It clearly wasn’t her he was seeing in the haze of his wolf lust, but rather Jacinta. Otherwise, why would he be quoting her own words back to her?
But in the end, it didn’t really matter. She had to sate his hunger so they could rescue those children, and if he thought he was making love to Jacinta rather than to her, then so be it. She could worry about her breaking heart later.
She swallowed against the bitterness in her throat. “I thought you didn’t believe in magic.”
He brushed a sweet kiss across her mouth. “I believe in destiny.”
His breath stroked her lips and made her tremble. “I’m not your destiny, Ethan.” She might want to believe otherwise, but the fact that he was seeing Jacinta now rather than her only proved how wrong her hopes had been.
“You are my heart, my soul.”
A tear tracked down her cheek. “I’m not Jacinta.”
He didn’t hear her. Or maybe he chose not to hear her. His hand entwined hers. “Kneel with me.”
“We can’t do this.” He couldn’t make whatever promise he intended to make because she wasn’t the woman he really wanted. She’d been a fool to believe she ever would be.
“Kneel with me,” he repeated and tugged her down in front of him.
The ground was muddy against her knees and legs, and it felt like she was going to slide backward. It was only his grip on her spine that held her close and k
ept her upright.
She touched a hand to his cheek, holding his gaze with her own. Trying to reach the sanity of the man deep inside.
“I’m not Jacinta. I’m not the woman you love. Whatever it is the moon bids you to do, forget it. Let’s just make love.”
She pressed her mouth against his, her kiss demanding. His response was immediate, almost harsh. His hands slid down her back and cupped her rear, pressing her hard against the heat of his erection. Then a shudder went through him, and he pulled back.
The wildness was sharper in his eyes. “Not yet.”
She ran her hands between them, cupping him, caressing him. “I don’t want promises, Ethan.” Especially when those promises where meant for another woman. “I just want to feel you inside me.”
His groan was more a growl as his mouth sought hers. His kiss was a possession, one that left every inch of her trembling. His body thrust against hers, but he didn’t take what she so readily offered. He pulled away yet again.
“There are words to be said to the moon first.” His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
She closed her eyes, but tears still squeezed past her lids. “Don’t do this. Wait until the moon fever passes.”
“The moon calls for this promise. Some things cannot be fought.” He touched a hand to her face again. “Look at me.”
She opened her eyes. Almost drowned in the love so evident in his. Love that wasn’t hers to take. She bit her lip, holding back the anguish that rose up her throat. “I’m not Jacinta. I’m not the woman you love.”
“Dance with me,” he said softly. Magic began to pulse across the night. His words were the start of some sort of spell, but one she’d never come across before.
“No,” she choked, trying to pull away. He held her in place, his grip gentle but firm. “Ethan, stop this, before it’s too late.”
He didn’t seem to be hearing her. “This night and the rest of our nights, for as long as the divine light shines in the evening skies. For as long as we live beneath it.”
The pulsing became stronger, tingling across her mouth. Words spilled from her lips, words she couldn’t stop, “By her light, I offer you my body.”
