Charmed by the Beast: an Adult Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Conduit Series Book 3)

by Conner Kressley

  Abram closed in on her, more pleading than threatening this time. “Satina, you have to listen to me—”

  She jumped back. “No, Abram. You have to listen to me!” She pulled her robe on tighter. “Are you really asking me to give my life on the off chance that your super powerful side piece can’t take care of herself?” She shook her head. “I’m not sure which of us that insults more. Either way, the answer is a resounding go fuck yourself.”

  She lifted her hand and used a wave of energy to slowly start pushing Abram out of the room. Supplicant blood had a shelf life, which meant this bitch must have been pricking me for samples while I slept or something.

  “I finally get to live, Abram,” she continued, advancing on him as she pushed him farther out. “I finally get to have a life free of you, free of my father, free of anybody and anything that I don’t want or would dare to try to hold me down. And you want me to give it up just so you don’t feel inadequate and powerless? How do you think I felt back then, Abram? A frail young woman who was looked at like property—property you ruined.” She tilted her head to the side as she continued to push him out of the room. “But I’m over that now. For once, I’m focusing on me. Well, me and solving your problems.”

  Abram was completely outside the room now. With another twitch of her fingers, she pulled me closer. “Now why don’t you sit out there and think about what you’ve done while Charisse and I get to the bottom of what’s going on with our out-of-luck Mr. Prince?”

  “I can help you,” Abram said in a terse growl.

  “This is a job that requires a supernatural touch. As you know, you’re devastatingly mortal now,” Satina said, her tone acidic and cutting. “Though, if you really want to be of use, feel free to make us some coffee while the women in your life actually get something done.”

  With that and another wave of her hand, she slammed the door shut.

  Chapter 5

  I could either go after Abram and prolong the drama, or I could attempt to figure things out with Satina and soothe him later. Immortal, mortal—it didn’t matter. Abram could take care of himself. So I spent the next few hours in that room with Satina, my palms bleeding while she held my hands so she could tap into my power. Together, we searched the area for magical energies.

  I wasn’t sure what I was doing since I almost never knew anymore. But I must have been doing it wrong. Even after what felt like hours, Satina and I weren’t able to come up with anything.

  Aside from the magic radiating from the two of us, there wasn’t a speck of supernatural energy anywhere. We even moved locations, doing our hand-holding searching thing directly over Charlie’s unconscious body. But there was still nothing.

  However, there was no way that could be right. If there was no magical energy surrounding Charlie, then it meant he wasn’t being possessed or controlled. It meant he killed that woman of his own free will. It meant that the ‘great strength’ Abram saw Charlie showcase last night was nothing more than Abram adjusting to his new powerless state.

  I shook my head. “This has to be wrong. Charlie wouldn’t do this!”

  “I didn’t say he did,” Satina snapped. But she didn’t have to. We both knew what she was thinking. “Though, if he did, we would have to deal with it. Which means—”

  “Abram is right.”

  “Well, about that.” Satina rolled her eyes. “Let’s not forget about the whole ‘sacrificing me’ thing.”

  “He wouldn’t,” I said, pulling my hand away from hers. I had done quite enough bleeding for the moment. “I know that man. He wouldn’t sacrifice you.”

  “I know that man, too,” she said, “and for you, there isn’t much he wouldn’t do.” Satina waved her hand toward Charlie. “You should wake him up soon. Magical slumber can cause brain damage if it lingers too long. You know, unless that’s what you’re going for.”

  “I just don’t want Abram choking the life out of him the minute he’s back on his feet. Or worse, Charlie slitting our throats in our sleep.”

  “You sure know how to pick ‘em.” Satina winked at me. “Give me a vial of your blood and wake the bastard up. If he so much as twitches a finger in our direction, I’ll magically snap his neck. And yes, I’m well aware that you could do it yourself. But no one should be forced to murder their first love, and no one should have to watch their new love do it, either.”

  Charlie looked so innocent sleeping like that, so much like the boy I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. I glanced up at Satina. “You murdered your first love, though.”

  “Well, where else would I get that wisdom from?” she asked.

  But I knew Satina well enough to know that even when her plan was to help us, there was also a secondary agenda that required her to have my blood for her own selfish reasons.

  Still, we needed her help. “Fine,” I said. “But I’m only giving you a little, and if you use it for anything else, there won’t be a next time.”

  She held up her hands. “You have my word. But the shelf life is kinda short, so maybe a spell to extend it?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Don’t push your luck.”

  Satina grinned as she sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside her. I rolled my eyes, sat down, and stuck out my arm so she could do her thing. When the vial was half full, I disengaged.

  “That’ll be enough,” I said, “but we’ll extend the shelf life.”

  It was a compromise. Less blood, longer life. We were going to need her help, and I wasn’t sure how long this would take. After reopening the wound on my hand, we cast an enchantment on the vial. Satina explained this kind of thing could only be done when a Supplicant was willing, but I still had my doubts.

  When we were done, Satina nodded toward Charlie. “Now wake him up and go talk to Abram. I know I basically ripped him a new asshole, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t mean well. At least where you’re concerned.” A smile crept across her face. “And give me a few minutes. I think I might have an idea about how to get to the bottom of this.”

  Five minutes and a concentrated magical push later, Charlie was slowing rolling into consciousness. Since I had no obligation to ease his transition, I marched into the living room, hoping to find Abram.

  He was staring out the window, just like in the bedroom this morning. The sun was lower in the sky, which meant that not only had Satina and I spent most of the day making magical fools out of ourselves, but that I had also missed dinner.

  “Are you all right?” I asked, stepping closer.

  He flinched before turning to face me. “I didn’t…hear you there,” he said, his expression haunted. “Do you have any idea how odd that is for me?”

  My heart ached for him. Yes, I knew just how strange it was when part of you died. When cancer stole my mother, there were days something happened and I picked up the phone to call her, only to remember she was gone. Forever.

  “It never feels right when part of you is missing,” I said, tenderness making my words soft.

  Abram huffed. “Don’t do that,” he said, a scowl marring his beautiful face. “I won’t be treated like some whimpering school boy who can’t take care of himself.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, feeling annoyed with him and angry with myself for getting that way. I closed the distance between us, drawing in a deep breath as I took his hand. “Look, just because you didn’t hear me walk into a room doesn’t mean you’re anything less than you were yesterday.”

  “Don’t be daft,” he said, pulling away. “That’s exactly what it means. I’m not the man I was, Charisse. I’m not the man you fell in love with. Not anymore.”

  “Are you done?” I folded my arms and stuck out my hip.

  He arched his eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

  So he wasn’t the type who responded to sympathy. Everyone handled grief differently, and I was still learning about the man. One thing I did know was that whenever I tempered my attitude, his adjusted. If he needed me to be callous
about his loss, so be it.

  “Feeling sorry for yourself,” I said, eying him to gauge his response. “I mean, I get it, and it’s fine. This is a big change for you, so of course it’s going to take a bit of adjustment. But could you just give me a heads-up when you’re finished acting like the world just came crashing down around your ears? We have a crisis to deal with, and, on a different note, I’d really just like my boyfriend back.”

  “This isn’t a joke,” Abram snarled at me. “And it’s not the minor setback you seem intent on painting it as.”

  “No, it’s not,” I said, not moving an inch. “But it’s also not the terminal diagnosis you want to tell yourself it is, and it sure as hell doesn’t invalidate the way I feel about you. So you can stuff that nonsense in a sack somewhere, because I’m not about to listen to it.” I pursed my lips. “We couldn’t find any magic around Charlie.”

  “Which means he’s a cold-blooded murderer.”

  “Not necessarily,” I said, thankful I had at least gotten him back on track. “I can’t believe he would do something like that, and if he would, why would he bring it to our attention?”

  “Does it matter why?” Abram asked. “What matters is that we deal with this situation before it escalates.”

  “I’m doing that,” I said. “He’s in this hotel room, trapped with us where he can’t harm anybody else.”

  “Unless he rips through us,” Abram said. “Do I need to remind you what happened last night? He nearly killed me. And he did kill that poor woman.”

  I chewed at my lip. “I won’t allow that. I’ve got magic coming out of my pores, and Satina’s already promised to help.”

  “That’s generous of her, given that she’s the reason we’re in this situation in the first place.”

  “Just let me do this, okay? I’m not ready to give up on him yet, and I’m not ready to admit that someone I used to love could do something like this. If I was wrong about him…” My gaze lingered on Abram, and I shook my head. “Please, just give me a little bit of time.”

  “All right,” he answered, but he didn’t sound as if it were. “But only if you promise me that, when the time comes, you’ll put him down if you have to. Or let me do it.”

  “If it comes to that,” I assured him, while trying to reassure myself.

  He stepped toward me and took my hands in his. “I trust you. If this is something you need to do, then I’ll do it with you.”

  “I love you,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips. “You’re not an ounce less than you were yesterday. Not to me.”

  “Care to prove that, Miss Bellamy?” he asked, his voice dropping to a husky tremble. The hungry glint in his eyes that was missing last night came roaring back, and my body perked up with anticipation.

  “It depends,” I said in a low purr, trailing my fingertip up his chest to his neck. “What did you have in mind?”

  His dark gaze penetrated my own in the most unreadable expression. “Something different.”

  * * *

  An hour later, I was in the hotel bar nursing a drink I had never ordered before with a slice of lemon wedged along the rim. I was wearing a little silver dress that must have looked pretty good on me given the fact that I had shot down no less than three men in the fifteen minutes I’d been here.

  “Hey there.” Abram’s voice drifted over to me from the left. This was one man I would not be turning away.

  Abram stood beside me. He was dressed in dark-wash jeans and a plaid shirt with the top three buttons undone, revealing just enough of his chest to get my mouth watering.

  He looked a world away from the slicked-down businessman I had come to know and love.

  Of course, that was the point.

  He pulled my drink toward him with two fingers. “What’s your name?”

  “Why don’t you take a guess?” I asked, biting my lip and enjoying this little game much more than I figured I would.

  “Well,” he said, looking me up and down. “You look like a Natasha to me.”

  “And what does a Natasha look like exactly?” I asked, grinning.

  He leaned in and winked. “In my experience, Natasha looks like the best sex I’ll ever have.”

  “Well, then, by all means, call me Natasha.” He took a swig of my drink as I continued. “And your name is?”

  “Does it matter?” he asked. “After tonight, you’ll never see me again.”

  I knew it wasn’t true. If luck were on my side, I’d see this man every day for the rest of my life. But that wasn’t what tonight was about. Tonight was about the game. It was about playing along and letting go of all the nonsense that had dragged us down.

  “After tonight?” I asked, tapping my finger against the bar. “Did you have something naughty in mind?”

  “Naughty?” he repeated. “What I have in mind is downright devilish.”

  I smiled. “I have a room right down the hall.”

  “No,” he said.

  Uh…what? This wasn’t part of the plan.

  “What do you mean by no?” I asked.

  “I’m not going to your room,” he said. “Not when we have other options so much closer.” He looked across the room to a set of bathroom doors.

  “I don’t know, Abram.” Uneasily, I looked around at the people in the bar.

  “Abram?” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. “Sounds like I have competition.”

  “Anyone could just walk in,” I whispered.

  He led me across the room, pushed open the door to the ladies room, and swept me inside. Pinning me against the wall, he pressed his lips to my ear and whispered, “That’s the point.”

  Thankfully, the bathroom was empty. I wrapped my legs around him, and he reached under my skirt, growling with delight as he found that ‘Natasha’ was the type to go commando.

  “Lock the door,” I whispered in his ear as he nibbled on my neck.

  He ran his tongue up my ear, sending shivers of heat through my body. My nipples hardened, and a moan escaped my lips as that familiar throb between my legs returned. God, I wanted this man.

  This time, he didn’t make me wait for it. Apparently, the man with no name was all wild passion and no torturous self-control. He pushed my legs apart and drove two fingers inside of me, reminding me just how big his hands were.

  Beast or not, he was still beastly in his own way.

  A thought tingled in my subconscious, breaking through my arousal and enhancing it at the same time. The door was still unlocked.

  “Anyone…could…” My lips wobbled as I spoke, my heart speeding up like an accelerator.

  “Have you ever done this before?” he asked, tugging my dress up to reveal the slick mound between my legs. “Been so bad while being so close to good people?”

  Was this part of the game? Was the question meant for Natasha or Charisse?

  “No,” I said, since I never had. Besides, without the experience, I couldn’t fake like Natasha had anyway.

  He unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his muscular thighs. The proof of his arousal sprung forward, pressing against my leg. Moisture pooled between my thighs, aching to take him in.

  “Do you hear them out there?” he asked, looking me right in the eyes. “The people going on about their business?” He hoisted me up against the door, and my legs wrapped around his waist. “They’re out there having business meetings and talking to old friends. Do you think any of them could imagine what we’re doing in here?”

  “Lock the door,” I said in a heated whisper.

  He adjusted himself against my body and plunged into me, driving deep and opening me up to the height of pleasure. I stifled a moan. I could hear them out there, which meant they could likely hear us.

  “Do you trust me, Charisse?” he asked, thrusting into me again.

  His hands dug into my hair, pulling it until I yelped. He wanted me to moan. He wanted me to make noise—to make a spectacle.

  “Of course,” I said, my nails diggin
g into his back as he pounded against me.

  “Then scream for me.” His fingers traced my nipples, squeezing them hard, and he pulled out.

  “Don’t stop,” I panted.

  “Beg me, Charisse,” he said, the pretense of our little charade officially falling away. Man from the bar had been replaced with Abram, man who loves to torture me with sexual desire. “Beg me, and do it loud.”

  Spinning me around, he pushed me up against the mirror. He worked his way down my body, tongue flicking my bare skin. Finally, he rested between my legs, exciting my lower lips with his mouth.

  Sparks ran though me. Although I tried to hold it in, I couldn’t anymore. A moan escaped my lips, and then, right when I was about to climax—right when I knew he would stop if I didn’t give him what he wanted—I screamed.

  “There she is,” he said, looking up at me.

  That was when I understood what this was about. He wanted to be in charge. Abram wanted me to know that, beast or not, he still had power.

  I wanted him to know it, too. So I screamed again.

  * * *

  Exiting the bathroom was a monumental walk of shame. Perhaps some women could trot out of the place as if they owned that shit, but not me. I walked quickly and with my head down, though still able to see Abram’s smirk from the corner of my vision.

  As we made our way back to the room, hand in hand, I tugged him along faster, and he let me. The sun was down, and there wasn’t a hint of the beast in Abram. It seemed this arrangement had its pluses after all.

  When we settled in front of the door, Abram kissed me deeply as he slid his key in, but the door swung open before he had a chance to turn the knob. Something was wrong. Abram pushed through the door to find the place in shambles.

  Satina was on the floor, dazed and bloody. “He’s so…strong,” she mumbled. “I couldn’t stop him.”