The ringing doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts. “I’ll get it.”
“Wait.” She placed her palm on his arm, stopping him. She pulled the lid off her crockpot, reached inside, and pulled out a gun. “We can’t be too careful.”
He followed her to the living room and peered through the blinds. “It’s just your friend, Rachel.”
Parker’s whole body relaxed as she shoved the gun in the waistband of her jeans and pulled the door open.
Rachel rushed past her and shut the door behind her, clicking the lock. “Thirty minutes ago, the alarm I placed on the protection spell triggered. Someone tried to get past my defenses.” She glanced between them. “Did you two notice anything?”
Parker’s brows dipped. “No, we were in bed.”
“Sleeping? You didn’t hear anything?”
Parker’s lips tilted at the corners as she turned to Quinn. “I didn’t, did you?”
He moved to her side and placed his palm on her lower back. She flinched. That wasn’t the response he’d expect from someone he’d been intimate with. He let his hand fall to his side. “Sorry. We were a bit busy.”
She glanced up at him and tilted her head before looking back at Rachel. “Well, yes… we were preoccupied.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “Oh no, no, no…” She moved farther into the room. “The touch….the look….Crap….Please tell me you didn’t sleep together.”
She clasped her hands together, glaring at them.
Parker grabbed her abandoned coffee from the kitchen and rejoined them in the living room. “There was no sleeping involved, right, Quinn?”
Rachel threw her hands in the air. “I knew better than to wait. But nooo… I told myself that you weren’t Devlin. You wouldn’t sleep with a man you’d just met, especially one you were protecting.” Rachel dropped to the couch and placed her head in her hands. “You two are royally screwed.”
Parker moved to sit down beside her. “Explain.”
Rachel let out a lengthy sigh and raised her head. “I took the crystal to the coven to try and figure out why it wasn’t working right.” She closed her eyes. “It’s cursed. And not just any curse, but a very dark, unbreakable spell, the black widow.”
Parker gasped and leapt off the sofa as if possessed. “That’s impossible. Only a strong dark-caster can master that spell.”
“What does this mean?” he asked.
They both looked at him, and their eyes softened. Oh crap. This can’t be good. Parker guided him to the couch and pulled him down to sit next to her. “When you took your shower and came, you initiated the start of the curse.”
Parker had said it nonchalantly like it was a subject she’d discuss in school. He glanced up at Rachel; now she on the other hand had cheeks that were darkening to a crimson red.
Parker barely skipped a beat. “Sexual release activates the onset.”
He stood and moved away from her. So much for his fond thoughts of this crazy world and wanting to stay in it. “What’s going to happen next, and how the hell do we break it?”
Rachel held out her hand and then dropped it. “There is no breaking it, but the good news is…it won’t kill you. You just have to let it run its course, and it will dissolve.”
“What does that mean exactly? And don’t sugarcoat it. Tell me exactly what’s going to happen.”
He watched heat creep into Rachel’s cheeks, so he turned to the one person who would be straight with him. He turned to Parker. “Well?”
“Well you’ll want sex but since you’re already Fae, you probably already enjoy it, most Fae do.”
Well, that wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. He heard black widow and worried his cock might shrivel up and die. He could handle sex, especially with Parker. He didn’t need an excuse to sleep with her while they worked the case. Partners with benefits. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
Rachel pulled a book out of her bag and set it on the table before dropping down to her knees. She flipped through the pages until she found the one she was looking for. It had a picture of a black spider on it. She turned the book to face him. “You’ll want sex, but you can’t have it.” She gave a slight nod to Parker. “At least not with her or any other fairy.”
She pushed the book across the table and rose. “There were two spells on the crystal. The black widow was the worst of it, but the second one left us all scratching our heads.”
Quinn moved to get a better look at the book while listening to Rachel.
“Whoever touched the crystal was not only cursed with the black widow but a staying spell.”
He glanced up.
“If you have sex with any fairy while under the curse, then I’m afraid it initiates the acceptance of the powers. You’ll lose some of the remaining time you have left to transfer the powers back out of your body.”
“Whoever cast it has a sick sense of humor.”
Parker slipped her shoes on, flipped the book closed, and grabbed her purse. “Or had planned it that way.” She clutched her purse closer to her side. “Sully mentioned in the alley that we were both pawns. I was meant to be there with you as much as you were meant to be there with me. This was planned.” Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pursed into a fine line. “The curse, us, everything.”
He rose and moved around the table. “I may not understand the ins and outs of the paranormal yet, but I’m fairly certain no one could have planned that you’d be the one assigned to protect me.” He nodded to Rachel. “If they originally assigned Rachel to babysit, why did your higher-ups change their mind?”
Parker sighed. “I’m the only fairy in our unit. You touched a fairy stone. You survived the transfer, which means that you’re a half-breed, and I was assigned to help you with the transition. No one had to pull strings to do that. It was only common sense and now that the black widow is in play, it’s as though whoever set this up, knew that you’d be saddled with a fairy.”
They all walked outside onto the porch and waited for Parker to lock the door.
“Rachel, hypothetically, how much time do I lose if I have sex with a fairy?”
Rachel’s blush returned. “It would speed up the process by about 6 hours.”
He nodded.
Parker moved passed him and patted his chest. “I think it’s time we go visit a demon.”
Parker walked to the driver’s side door of the SUV, and Quinn climbed in. Rachel stood behind her. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need a list of every dark-caster in the area.” Parker rested her palm on Rachel’s arm. “I also need either an antidote or another spell to counteract the staying spell.” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest and listened to their exchange. “He doesn’t belong in our world. He didn’t deserve this.” Her eyes met his, even as she spoke to Rachel. “Let’s find a way to lift the curse and the powers.”
Rachel stopped Parker from climbing into the SUV. The witch’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. We’ve been focused on the crystal and fixing it. What if it isn’t about the crystal at all?” She glanced into the SUV. “What if all of this is about Quinn? You said it yourself; someone knew both of you would be there. What do we really know about him?”
“We know he needs our help.” Parker slid into her seat. “It could just as well be about me.” She smiled at Rachel. “No stone left unturned…right?”
Rachel nodded. “You got it.”
Parker pulled the door closed. She leaned her head back against the seat and waited to start the ignition. “Quinn, I’m so sorry. Had I known that getting you aroused would make things worse, I would have dressed and acted like a nun. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Quinn’s deep laugh filled the vehicle. “Honey, my momma always told me to keep it in my pants and respect the woman I was with. None of this is your fault. It could be worse. We could have already slept together, and then the damage would be done.”
Parker started the vehicle. “How much time is left?”
He glanc
ed down at his watch. “Roughly fifty-eight hours.”
Chapter 6
Parker pulled out of her drive and started heading to the Blue Moon. “Are you armed?”
“Yeah, but I’ve only got my Beretta on me.”
She pulled up the center console and pulled out her extra box of “special” bullets. She handed him the box. “You need to reload your clip with these.”
He looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. “I’ve got a full cartridge.”
She shook her head. “Not like this you don’t. Lesson number three. Those are silver bullets, one hundred percent, specially made for our task force. There are only a few creatures that silver won’t kill or stun long enough for you to either attack or escape. Double tap for the heart and one to the head.” She glanced at him.
She pulled up outside of the Blue Moon, checked her gun, and dabbed the lip gloss across her lips in hopes of maintaining her calm. This club specifically catered to the “others” in this town. The parking lot was empty aside from the silver Jag parked out front. “This ought to be fun.”
He moved to get out of the SUV, and she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “He’s leery of outsiders, so let me do the talking.”
He nodded and slid out of the vehicle and followed her into the club. She’d rarely been inside the club with the lights on, and the atmosphere was completely different. There weren’t half-naked shifters on the dance floor gyrating their hips together. No loud music thumped through the speakers strategically placed around the room. She used her super-sniffer and inhaled a deep breath, sniffing the area to see if anyone other than Zander was lingering around the club. It didn’t reek of the musk associated with the smell of sex. All she smelled was Zander. Her gaze met his smoldering stare. His eyes were lit with fire as his jaw ticked. He turned back to the news report he’d been watching.
“It’s nice to see you, love…but you’ve come at a bad time.”
“I can see. That must be some interesting news.” She slid onto the bar stool next to him and crossed her arms on the bar. “What did I miss?”
Zander glanced at her and then at Quinn, who’d slid into the chair next to hers. “Seems there is a political fight brewing between the commissioners of our fine town.”
Parker gave a slow nod. “I’ve heard talk of that. Commissioner Bob Carlton is already receiving death threats about his half-breed remarks. If it were up to him, it would be against the law to pollute our lineage by breeding between the races.”
“The man is ignorant.” He turned toward Parker. “You wouldn’t be here had it been against the law, and that in itself would have been a crime.”
Parker chuckled and swatted at Zander’s roaming hand, now on her leg. She motioned to the television. “Who’s that?”
Quinn tilted his head. “I think that’s my mom’s attorney.”
Zander sighed, removed his hand, and turned back to the television. “That’s Commissioner Marco Atkinson.” He glanced at Quinn. “He’s an Attorney as well as a commissioner on the board. He’s also a wizard extraordinaire and likes to play Robin Hood to win over the people in the community. He also has an invested stake in the outcome.”
“What’s that?” Parker asked.
“His son is engaged to a half-breed.” He glanced back at Parker. “So he’s opposed to everything Carlton stands for. Atkinson is trying to prevent an uprising.”
Parker lifted her brow. “Oh…how so?”
Zander turned on his stool and took Parker’s hands. Lifting each one, he pressed a gentle kiss. “Now, my lovely fairy, could you imagine what a bill like that would do to our town? There is a reason that law was banished over a hundred years ago. Shifters and others alike would kill if told they couldn’t be with their mates. Sacred mate pairings often cross the race lines. Could you imagine telling Jameson that he couldn’t be with Devlin?”
“Devlin would kill the commissioner.”
Zander chuckled. “She would have to beat her wolf to the punch. Wolf shifters can turn deadly if kept away from their mates or if they feel their mates are threatened. Can you imagine how many people currently residing in this town would be affected by that kind of law?” He glanced back up at the television. “That fairy leader must have a death wish.”
Parker shrugged. “Guess I should have taken Reyes up on his bet.”
“Ah, the jaguar. Now there’s one kitty I would like to declaw.”
Parker swatted at Zander’s shoulder. She leaned back and gestured to Quinn. “Zander, this is Quinn, my new temporary partner.”
“Temporary?” Zander narrowed his eyes at Quinn before meeting her gaze. “Why did you bring him, here? You must have known that I wouldn’t like it. Was it to make me jealous, my love?”
Parker batted her eyelashes. “I don’t recall caring what you think. He is my new partner after all.” She tilted her head. “Are you really going to make me flash my badge, or will you play nice? For me?”
The demon’s eyes swirled different colors before they settled on her favorite color of blue. “You’re evil, my little fairy, but I’ll play…” He glanced over her shoulder at Quinn. “…for now.”
He moved behind the bar and poured two shots of tequila. “Only first you get to play a game with me. Do you prefer lime or lemon, my sweet?”
“Lime and I’m only doing this once. Then I expect you to answer all of my questions.”
“Parker…” Quinn said.
She held up her hand and held Zander’s gaze. “Lesson four. The bite of a demon has two outcomes. It either burns like the fire of hell or is the best pleasure you’ll ever experience, even more so than the bite of a vampire. The healing properties alone make the bite worth its weight in gold.”
“Vampires can’t even hold a candle to the orgasm my bite will give you, my little fairy.” Zander smirked. “In due time, my sweet, you will come to know and beg for my bite.”
Parker grabbed the salt shaker and her shot. “I want your word. We do this once, and you answer my questions.”
He inclined his head. “You have my word. One shot and I answer your questions to the best of my ability.”
Her brow lifted. “And no biting. If your teeth break my skin, I’ll kill you. Are we clear?”
Zander chuckled and glanced at Quinn. “Crystal. Ladies first, my love.”
Zander tilted his head to the side and waited. Parker tried to move closer to the demon without actually touching him. He kept his fingers laced behind his back. She pulled his shirt to the side and licked the juncture of his neck and shoulder. She tapped the salt onto his wet skin and licked again.
She stepped back and was met by Quinn’s muscular chest. His arm came up around her waist to steady her. She downed the heat of the liquor and bit into the lime.
Zander’s gaze flew down to Quinn’s arm. The color of his eyes swirled eerily until the entire area of his eyes, including the white, turned dark blue and swirled like the seas on the brink of a storm. Oh, this is not good. She held up her hand. “You promised.”
He nodded but didn’t say a word. He took her hands and drew her closer, out of Quinn’s hold. He turned her in his arms and pulled her back to press against his stomach. The steel of his erection pressed into her back. His fingers caressed her neck while moving her blonde hair out of his way. She tilted her head in dread and anticipation. His hold around her waist tightened. The palm of the demon’s hand pressed against her stomach right below her breasts. She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know he’d be fondling her if he’d been allowed. From the look on Quinn’s face, she would guess that Zander held Quinn’s gaze as he licked her skin as though it was his favorite flavor of ice cream dripping from a cone, afraid he’d miss a single drop.
Parker squirmed in his embrace. Zander whispered against her ear as he clamped her in place. “I’m almost done, Parker my sweet.”
She held still while he poured the salt. From the feel of it, it was half of the shaker, not just the smidgen she’d used. The
muscles in Quinn’s neck twitched. His body tensed. The man looked ready to kill.
“Zander, you aren’t scared of the liquor, are you? Cause it only burns for a few minutes going down,” she teased, trying to get the demon to hurry up.
His growl reverberated through his chest and against her back. “You shouldn’t taunt a demon that you’re baring your neck to, little fairy.”
Quinn pulled his gun and aimed it at Zander.
The demon chuckled as he wiggled his finger. “You don’t want to do that.”
“Oh yes I do.”
He gave Parker’s neck one long last lick and scraped his teeth against her skin while keeping her pressed against him. He threw his head back and downed the shot, skipping the lime completely. His hands slid down her body and around her legs. To be honest, his tactics to turn her on were working. It might have been Zander’s touch, but she imagined Quinn’s hands and mouth from this morning. She could smell her own musky desire in the air and held in her curse.
Quinn’s heated gaze held hers as he lowered the gun and shoved it behind his back. “Start talking, demon.”
Zander moved behind the bar, pulled out three beers, and passed one to her and the other to Quinn. He twisted the top off and tossed it in the trash. “Quinn, isn’t it?”
“Quit playing, Zander, and start talking. Do you know why we’re here?”
“I assume you came because you missed me, my love.” He leaned his elbows on the bar and glanced at Quinn. “It’s not often I let a man live after pulling a gun on me in my own establishment. Stronger men have tried, and they’ve all failed.” He glanced at Parker. “You need to better educate your partner on my kind before he ends up getting hurt.”
Parker lifted her hands and turned to Quinn. “Lesson five. Our silver bullets only immobilize demons.” She smirked. “You have to set him on fire and burn him to send him back to hell.”
Zander’s gaze flew to hers. “You just told him how to kill me!”
“Just leveling the playing field, my love.” She batted her eyelashes. “I’m sure you understand.”
Not My Shifter/ Sinfully Cursed (Shifter Paradise) (Volume 1) Page 16
