by C. D. Gorri
Someone like him deserved a perfect female. Someone to compliment his innate attractiveness. Joselyn had never felt so inadequate. He was gorgeous and she, well, she was just herself. Fuck that.
She narrowed her gaze and forced herself to stop trembling. Joselyn was a woman with a healthy appetite, and she’d make no apologies for her size. The way he seemed to growl at her as if he disapproved of her very existence put her back up.
In fact, he seemed barely in control of himself. His eyes roamed all over every bit of her that was visible from behind the table. Noelle tried again to make a joke, but neither she nor the Dragon responded.
Oh no, she thought, he wouldn’t say something disparaging in front of everyone, would he? Her last boyfriend had no problem teasing her about her body and telling her to slow down when they’d gone out to eat with friends of his.
She’d been embarrassed and humiliated beyond words. This was Noelle’s and Sander’s dinner party. Surely, he wouldn’t cause a scene here? He stood up suddenly, startling her out of her thoughts.
“We need to talk, now, minha bruxa.”
CHAPTER 3
Edric could not believe it. Here? Now? His heart pounded inside his chest like a fucking freight train. It was damned near painful. He almost had to stop himself from reaching inside and ripping the offending organ out.
What tricks were the Fates up to this time? Did they not have enough entertainment at his expense? Those three Witches had woven his life thread through more gambits than he’d have ever thought possible. There was a time he swore he’d hunt them down and behead the lot of them with one swing of his sword.
Alas, they’d proved even more wily than he and he’d never discovered their hiding place. He’d thought they might have forgotten about him, until now. Well, he would have none of it. No more games with his heart. He’d live and die alone! In solitude! He was a Dragon shifter, he would not be trifled with!
Edric was a warrior, the second eldest, a ThunderDragon for fuck’s sake! He would not bend to the whims of a few crones. He didn’t need anyone to complete him, to share his ruby rose. Look what love had done to his father! Remember Thea. Women were traitorous and Witches, well, they were not to be fucked with as far as he was concerned.
No. He would fight this, this desire. It was only lust. There was no damn way that he could find his maiden in the blink of an eye, and he certainly wasn’t about to turn into a blithering idiot at her beck and call without even a conversation between them.
Fuck. The tantalizing aroma of the woman in front of him made his heart squeeze and his loins tighten. He might not be in the mood for games, but his body had other ideas. No! Stop this madness! I will not have her. No matter what the fiery beast inside of him wanted!
Edric closed his eyes. He felt more than heard the deep, rumbling growl of his Dragon penetrate his mind’s eye and he knew with certainty that he was well and truly fucked this time. Es meus.
Edric gritted his teeth. He’d do anything to stop the insanity that was certain to follow if he listened to his Dragon. The beast wanted the woman, the Witch, with her warm, lusty eyes and tempting curves.
Fuck. She was beautiful. Worth a king’s ransom for certain, but could he risk it? He’d die if he was betrayed again. Then again, he’d die without his maiden too. It was an impossible situation. One he didn’t want.
The only way to control his life, his destiny, was to make the choice. If he was the one to refuse her, he would have at least been the one to instigate the certainty of his demise, and not those fickle Fates! Better to die at my hands than theirs!
The one thing a Dragon of a certain age needed more than air, food, and water, even more than treasure, was his one true mate, his maiden. He’d thought he’d found her once and look where that had ended. No. Not again. He shook his head, it was better to die on his own terms.
He heard her step behind him as he walked into one of the spare rooms on the ground floor of Castle Falk. This one was decorated in soft beiges and ivories. It was perfunctory, but not especially beautiful. Not until she stood before him.
Edric inhaled, and her scent hit him again. Like nutmeg and saffron, a dark and spicy flavor that made his mouth water. Her eyes were hazel and seemed to change right in front of him from green, to brown, to gold, then to a darkish, purple color. Hypnotic. Beautiful.
She wore a modern dress, but nothing too revealing. Edric applauded her modesty. The bodice was high, covering the indent of her waist, hiding what he imagined were her perfect, dusky-tipped, bountiful breasts to her long, smooth neck. How he’d love to bury his face right there at the place where her shoulder and neck merged.
The skirt to her ensemble fell softly just above her shapely knees. He didn’t particularly like the way, so many normals wore clothing that resembled little more than underwear. It left nothing to the imagination. But this little number did more than that, it made him yearn.
Yes, she was dressed perfectly. The belt at her waist showed off its small size in comparison to her full breasts and perfectly rounded hips. He wondered if her thighs were as curvy as her calves suggested. He could see himself kissing his way to her heated core, sampling the soft, delicate skin just there. Fuck. Get control of yourself now. He had to force himself to look away. She was perfection.
He wondered when she would make her play. When would the temptress begin her dance to enslave him? Would she bat her long eyelashes and beg him to take her? Would she promise him power, pleasure, or wealth? How would the temptress begin her dance?
He was a Dragon, and though the mating call was strong, he felt sure he could resist her. Well, maybe not sure, but he was determined to at any rate. He would control his destiny.
He stood straight to his full six-foot-four-inch frame and waited. The air felt warm to him. His Dragon stirred beneath his skin, and he closed his eyes to calm the beast within. He’d never felt so nervous in battle as he did standing in front of this female. He waited.
Edric was stumped when she made no move. He exhaled and narrowed his eyes. She toys with me. The better to entrap me.
The shine of her long, curly, dark tresses hanging down her back made him think of the onyx mines he held deeds to in South America. She was voluptuous and alluring as a woman should be, but there was danger there behind her full lips. More danger than there was in the fact that she was a Witch.
There was a time when Witches hunted Dragons for their magic. Not that it ever did them any good. Witch Magic was a finite thing in the universe, and those who practiced casting could hardly be expected to harvest and manage the magic of a Dragon. He crossed his arms and decided their staring contest had gone on long enough.
“I don’t want you,” he said. His voice was deep and scratchy from disuse. The words stuck in his throat, as if the Dragon were trying to stop them, but he managed to get them out.
He watched her expression. She seemed more amused than angry. Still, Edric thought he detected a hint of outrage. Sassy. Good. He had no interest in a scene that involved tears or begging. He’d simply let her down easy.
He didn’t care if she cried or pleaded. He would let her down firmly if need be. They’d just have to get through this weekend then never see each other again. Brilliant! Before he could vocalize his amazing idea, she opened her full, red lips and spoke.
Her voice hit him in the gut. Alluringly steady and strong, when she spoke the entire room seemed to turn upside down. Edric forgot how to breathe the precise moment her voice reached his ears, much less talk.
“Well, that’s good,” she said with a hint of annoyance in her sultry tone, “because I don’t want you either.”
CHAPTER 4
“I don’t want you.” The statement hung there between them before Joss had grabbed her balls and replied to him in kind.
“Well, that’s good, because I don’t want you either.”
Joselyn could not believe that man! [TP1]The nerve of him. What a beast! And was it her or did the entire room rumble afte
r she’d answered him back?
Oh well. Too bad. She had no time for a Dragon-sized temper tantrum right now. Did the man do nothing small? He was the tallest guy she’d ever seen with shoulders larger than the doorway and an ego about twice the size!
Just because his eyes were the most unique shade she’d ever seen, indeed the intense dominated his gorgeous, angular face, didn’t mean a damn thing! Forget his hair while you’re at it, she told herself.
Joselyn had a weakness for nice hair. His was thick and multifaceted from the darkest auburn to the lightest strawberry blonde. It hung down to his chin in softly mussed waves. She was shocked at the flash of jealousy that shot through her as she imagined some woman running her fingers through it to get it that way.
“Look, before I respond to your ridiculous statement, let me say congratulations on your perfect Portuguese. I don’t hear it anymore, not since my grandmother passed,” she raised a hand to stop him, “Now, yes, I heard the call too, and I agree with you. There is no way on this Earth that I will ever be with you. Nothing personal, I just have a lot to deal with right now.”
She waited for him to acknowledge her, but it was a long time coming. She guessed Dragons weren’t used to hurrying since they lived notoriously long lives, but still, the way he was staring was simply rude.
She fidgeted under his watchful gaze. The tension was thick in the air and Joss squirmed uncomfortably. Edric stood silently as if he were judging the truth of her words. His eyes had a haunted look about them. Joselyn couldn’t help but be drawn to him. Curse the Fates! Damn tricksters!
She needed to find something else to look at. Anything, anywhere other than those fiery infernos that allowed his Dragon’s soul to peek through. Joselyn knew if she looked at them too long, she’d let go of all her inhibitions and jump right in regardless of her own safety. No, not today. Not any day. I will not be love’s pawn.
She turned her eyes down only to run into his delectable body. Warrior. She’d picked that out of his mind earlier and cringed when she pictured him in battle. He’d been fierce, she knew it without asking. Fierce and brave, maybe even foolish once or twice, on the battlefield and off.
“Then we are agreed, Witch,” he looked down at her from his great height.
Joselyn narrowed her eyes as she tried to decide if he was insulting her or not. Hmm. Not.
“We will resist this thing, and we will get through the nuptials this weekend for the sake of Alexsander and Noelle,” he continued as if he were some king and she a servant to do his bidding. She wanted to argue just for the sake of it, but who was she kidding. The more time she spent around him the more dangerous things would get. Best to simply leave it, and him, alone.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” He sounded as if he didn’t believe her immediate acquiescence to his request.
“Yes, it sounds good to me,” she said crossing her arms against the ache that suddenly flared up inside her chest.
“Aye, me too.”
Joselyn was the first to move to leave the room. She paused for only a second. She wasn’t sure why. She forced one foot in front of the other and left the room, only to head straight to the hallway bathroom.
What was the matter with her? She had too much on her plate right now to worry about some freakishly handsome Dragon’s love life. He didn’t need her to warm his sheets. The man was gorgeous! He must have countless offers from numerous other women. Those sluts! Murderous jealousy flared up inside her.
She exhaled and closed her eyes. Focus. She had a conference call after dinner with a Council member from the Coven Silva. She had no time for petty and misplaced jealousy. Her petition was being heard by their Council. Finally.
Whereas it was true that Joselyn did not wish to be part of a coven, she found herself in need of protection since her powers did not include casting spells.
Yes, she could make potions in a pinch, but they were hardly powerful. Anyway, the idea was they needed a reason to want to include her. She had to bring something to the table per se. Therein lies the rub.
Joselyn had nothing. The grandmother who’d raised her was gone now. Josefina Coracao had very little in her lifetime. No property, no money, no powers of her own. All Joss had was her talents and a good work ethic.
Her small collection of orchids helped her keep the balance between her powers and nature, but she was no great gardener or horticulturalist. She ran a psychic hotline and sometimes phoned in anonymous tips to the local Sheriff’s Department to help solve crimes. The Coven Silva was a small, tightly knit group who tended the nearby forests and pine barrens and focused their energies on keeping the lands free from development.
They were environmentalists. Not really her cup of tea, but they had strength and she believed she needed that. Word was getting around about her psychic hotline and website. She knew what this meant of course. Endless readings and being at the coven’s beck and call.
She was getting better at focusing her talent, but as was true with any powers, there were those who sought to use her for their own personal gain. She needed them to protect her from people like that. People like her ex.
She couldn’t believe she’d fallen for that jerk’s line. It wasn’t even original. He’d pretended to care about her for herself, when he was only interested in Joselyn for her powers.
She dated seldom in her adult life, always managing to keep things light. Luke was unlike anyone she’d ever met. He was an investigative reporter for a local paper. He’d made it his mission to get her to go out with him after they’d met on a missing person’s case where she advised the police.
He got wind of her psychic abilities and was hooked. She was shocked at his easy acceptance and flattered by his belief in her. She shook her head now. Fool.
The person who’d been missing was a woman from the hospice center Joselyn’s grandmother had been living in after her last surgery. The old woman was all alone in the world and had wandered off the hospice premises one afternoon without anyone noticing.
Well, Joselyn had noticed. When the cops were about to give up, she’d summoned a vision. They found the woman thirty-hours later in the pine barrens. She was bruised, but alive. Joselyn had visited her every week until she passed from the malignant brain tumor that had sent her to hospice, to begin with. She still brought flowers to her grave.
After her success, the local police took her tips more seriously. Luke, well, he seemed to get more serious as well. He started asking her for tips on crimes and other things, so he could get ahead in his writing career. To her utter shame, she fell for it.
Until one day when they met at her apartment for dinner. Joselyn had had a lousy day. Normally, Luke was attentive. He’d ask about her feelings, listen to her, but not that day.
His temper had been short. He’d scoffed at her wanting to call in their order to a local Chinese restaurant that delivered before they talked.
“Really, Joss? Can’t you wait for a meal, it’s not like you’re starving!”
She’d been hurt by his callous words. She knew she was a bit plump, but she’d always been a bigger girl than society deemed acceptable. She’d always joked she’d have been right at home in the 1950s when women with curves were appreciated and size fourteen leading ladies not impossible to find.
Luke had been kind of mean that night, and impatient. There was a ring of car thefts, and he wanted to unveil the crooks behind it, but the cops had no leads.
“I’m sorry, Luke, I don’t think I can help you.”
“What? You ungrateful bitch! After all the time I’ve spent hanging out with your fat ass, listening to you whine and complain, and you won’t help me!”
He’d made a move towards her, to grab or smack she didn’t know. But Joselyn had sensed something foul about him that night. She’d seen his anger before he expressed it. She knew better than to ignore her feelings. Before he could grab her, she was already up and running to the bathroom. She used every ounce of magic she had that night to hold
the lock closed.
Oh, he beat on it for an hour or so, but the neighbors had called the police, and he’d fled before the sirens had gotten too close. Joselyn hadn’t gone out on a date since. That was weeks ago.
Sure, Luke started calling her a few days later. He’d done some other things too. Like leave her rotting flowers in front of her apartment with a cryptic note made from cut out newspapers that read “you’re next”. He’d also smashed some potted plants she kept outside her door. Not that he left any evidence for the police to find, but she knew it was him.
He wasn’t stupid enough to leave her voice mails, but he called her all the time. She learned not to answer her cell when she didn’t recognize the number. It seemed he found a way to hide his real phone number with an app that masked it to read a local number. Damn app should be illegal.
That wasn’t the worst thing he’d done. She couldn’t prove it, but she suspected he’d poisoned her neighbor’s cat too. All because Joselyn fed the poor thing.
Yeah, Luke was a dark spot in her history with men. He was becoming unhinged, and if she were honest, he frightened her. She tried using her visions to see what he’d do next, but he was so unpredictable it was near impossible.
That was why she needed the Coven Silva. To petition them for membership or at the very least, sanctuary. She needed to stop Luke from hurting her or anyone else.
Joss had no time for Dragons. No matter how gorgeous he was or how much he excited her from the inside out. She had other things to worry about. And besides, that’s why they invented toys! Sexual frustration be damned. She counted to ten, smoothed out her dress and walked back to the dining room.
“Everything okay?” Noelle whispered as she took her seat. Joselyn nodded and noted that Edric had not come back to the table.
She tried to ignore the regret that welled up inside of her, but there it was. She wondered if he was okay. Before, she knew what she was doing she reached out with her mind and found him. He was on the roof.
