by Kim Loraine
The scent coming from her is like nothing I’ve ever known. I need to have her. “Let me taste your lips.”
Her lips beckon me like a siren song, and in the span of a few heartbeats, I’m standing closer than decency allows. My heart aches and swells all at the same time.
“Presumptuous.” Her voice flows over me and sends desire rushing through every cell in my body.
“Confident.”
She leans in and presses her palm against my chest before whispering, “I don’t think you can handle me. Even if you are a shifter.”
“Clearly you’ve never been had by one of my kind, lass. I can assure you, if you had, you’d not be denying me,” I interject.
Beauty takes her lower lip between her teeth, eyes widening in excitement. She steps a little closer, practically in my arms and a breath away from a kiss. “If you’re trying to sell me on a night out with you, you don’t have to. Those tattoos and the hair took care of that for you.”
Holding out a hand, I open my mouth to introduce myself, but she puts her slender fingers over my lips.
“No names.” Her earnest whisper sends a bolt of lust straight to my cock.
I can’t stop my smirk. Her skin on mine is like flames meeting wood. I might combust from wanting her. Grabbing her hand, I free my mouth and pull her closer.
“Should I continue to call you Beauty?”
“That’ll be just fine. Names have power, and I’m not willing to give that to you just yet.”
Oh, she’s all fire and challenge, waiting to be tamed. My beast wants her just as badly as I do. If the tightness in my jeans is any indication, I’ll need to get inside her soon.
“Fine, then, Beauty. You think we can take this somewhere more private? I’m not keen on getting arrested for public indecency, but I’ll take whatever you’ll give me—wherever you’ll give it.”
Lips parting as her gaze turns heated, she gives a little gasp. “How do you know I’ll give you anything?”
I take a step closer. “Do you really want me to answer that? You want me.”
“Excuse me?” Beauty’s amusement is obvious from her tone.
“You asked how I know you’ll give me anything. The answer is, you want me. I can smell it.”
Instead of blushing, she leans closer, breathing me in. “You’re not wrong.”
“You want me, and you’ll have me.” I whisper the words in her ear, her scent causing my blood to rush straight to my achingly hard erection.
“And if I say no?” She’s bluffing. There’s a tremor in her voice as her challenge hits the air between us.
Grabbing her hand, I pull her to me. Oh hell, her skin is soft and warm and full of promise.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
Tugging her toward the exit, I force myself to keep my grip light for fear of hurting her. She stops me with a shake of her head.
“Not that way. Come on.” A devious smile quirks up those lush lips as she cocks her head in the direction of the toilets.
“Eager?”
“You’re a stranger. I’m not leaving with you.”
“But you’ll let me fuck you in the pub bathroom?”
Silvery bell-like laughter falls from her. “Are you certain you’ll be the one doing the fucking? I suppose I could find someone else willing to get the job done.”
Unreasonable jealousy races through me. “No way in hell.”
“Let’s go, then.” She pulls me along behind her, and I let her take the lead.
Surprisingly, we pass by the bathroom in favor of a back exit. The cool, night air hits me, but instead of clearing my head, the breeze sends her enticing scent over me. The dimly lit alley is empty, only the sounds of traffic filtering between the brick walls of the two buildings. I can’t keep from touching her any longer. The nearly full moon begs me to change, and my beast begs me to take her.
“Give me your mouth, Beauty. I want to see if it tastes as good as it looks.”
For a moment, I think she’s going to argue with me, instead, she thrusts her hands into my hair and pulls my face to hers.
We’re lips and teeth, harsh breaths and grasping hands as soon as we connect. Lifting her slight form easily, I press her against the brick and ruck up her skirt without ceremony.
A shudder of unbridled lust rushes over my body at her gasped whisper of, “Now. Take me now.”
She wraps her legs around my waist, her lips leaving a teasing trail of kisses along my jaw as I use one hand to cup her ass and the other to unbuckle my belt and tear at the zipper of my jeans. Her soft gasps send tingles over my skin and when she takes my earlobe between her teeth and bites just a touch too hard, I know I wouldn’t be able to contain myself even if I was trying. Using my fingers to pull aside her knickers, I’m rewarded with a cry of surprise when I push two of them into her wet heat.
Her mouth claims mine as I move in and out. I never want to leave this woman. I groan as she slides her hand over my boxers and rubs my cock without warning. I nearly lose all control when she moves in long, slow strokes. Fuck. I need to be inside her. Now.
Laughter floats through the narrow alley accompanied by the sound of footsteps. We still, both breathing hard. But, with a deep breath and some murmured words I don’t understand, she does…something. I feel it—a shifting in our environment, a veil.
“It’s fine. I’m ninety percent sure they can’t see us,” she whispers.
The scent of electricity in the air sets me on edge. She’s a bloody witch.
As much as I want this, I can’t be with a damn witch. My kind doesn’t stray far from our own. A human can always be bitten and changed, but a witch? They’re just as bad as vampires. I have to bite back my groan of frustration when I remove my fingers from her heat and step back. It physically hurts me to do this, but I have to let her go. She could very well be in league with the witches I’m searching for.
“Tell me your name,” I say.
She shakes her head. “I said no names. I don’t want more than a single night with you.”
“You’re a witch. I’m not interested in tangling with the likes of you. You’d probably curse me and make my cock fall off.”
Her eyes widen, then narrow. “And you’d probably give me fleas, beast.” She rights her skirt and starts walking away. “Thanks for a lot of nothing.”
I fight the need to go after her. Regardless of my disgust toward her kind, I can’t deny the pull of her. She’s still the most enticing thing I’ve ever seen as her blond waves blow in the slight breeze before she heads back inside.
“Beauty,” I call, wishing I’d not let my scruples get in the way of having her just the once.
She turns blazing eyes on me and lifts her chin in defiance. “No. You had your chance. I’m sure I can find plenty of willing partners tonight. I’d say it’s been a pleasure, but…” she trails off, shrugging.
Then she’s gone, and I’m alone with a cock as hard as stone and my wolf desperate for control. I need to run and burn off some of this pent-up energy.
In moments, I’m at my car, starting the engine and heading toward the freedom of the countryside. I’ll forget her lips, the taste of her, the smell of her pussy on my fingers. She’s a witch, and she won’t be mine.
Izzy
Days have passed since our night out on the town, and my almost-one-night-stand with that sexy as fuck shifter. I’ve not been able to keep him from my dreams. Rough stubble, heated kisses, and dirty words, all permeate my subconscious night after night. Every day, I’ve gone to work, continued to pretend I’m a normal human woman and tried desperately to force myself not to look for him each time someone comes through the pub’s doors. Tonight is no exception.
I wipe the damp towel across the glossy bar for the hundredth time tonight. It’s been busy. Friday’s always are, but I’ve been working the lunch shift all week. Tonight I’m closing and it must be a full moon because all the nutters are out. The late hour has finally offered a lull in customers and
now I’ve only got a few lone stragglers hanging around before last call.
“What’re your plans after work tonight, love?” The man sitting at the end of the bar grins and leans forward. We’re definitely not his first stop of the evening because he sways slightly in his seat.
I look him up and down, taking in his unkempt hair, thinning at the top, and bloodshot eyes. “No,” I say, turning away and tossing the rag in the laundry bin under the bar.
His hand grips mine, tugging me hard. “You don’t have to be rude, now. I’m just making conversation.”
Pulling every ounce of my power into my body, I ready a defensive spell but I know it won’t do much. Something is slowing the build of our magic. It has been since my sisters and I helped lock Lucifer in a cage.
The man lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles, flicking his tongue between them and sending shivers of disgust through me.
“I said, no.” My voice is hard, and instead of power, I grip the hilt of the paring knife I’d just used to slice lemon wedges.
“Don’t be a cunt. What else are you here for? A pretty face, tits like those…you’re begging for it.”
Before I can say anything, the man is on the floor, and my heart nearly stops at the sight of someone I never thought I’d see again. Someone I’d lost lifetimes ago due to tragic circumstances and the danger of loving me.
“I believe the lady isn’t interested.” His warm voice breaks my heart and makes my knees weak all at the same time. Then, he turns familiar pale blue eyes on me and offers a soft smile. “Are you all right?”
I can’t breathe. Clearing my throat, I try to push out an answer but nod instead.
He smiles again and grabs the prat who’d been messing with me by the back of the neck. “I’ll just take out the trash.”
My heart is pounding so hard it’s all I can hear. How is this possible? How can he be here? I’ve been to his godforsaken grave. But here he is, clear as day as he escorts the drunk out of the bar. His golden blond hair and broad shoulders are all I can focus on. I remember so clearly the feel of those thick strands of wavy hair tangled in my fingers, his arms around me, holding me close, his lips whispering words of undying love and devotion. My chest hurts. This was not what I expected today.
He turns and locks eyes with me, sending a wave of longing for the past straight through me. Bugger. I can’t let him distract me again. The last time, I nearly lost everything. I spin on my heel and face the back of the bar, grabbing the bottle of vodka to my right. With practiced ease, I pour myself a shot and down it, relishing the burn. I don’t usually drink on the job, but I think I’ll need a little extra courage to deal with this.
He’s taken a seat at the bar, but I don’t allow myself to turn. It doesn’t keep me from watching him in the mirrored glass shelves.
“Excuse me,” he says, and I can’t ignore him. I have a job to do.
I face him, a bright smile on my lips. “Thank you for your assistance. What can I do for you?”
“Seeing a beautiful woman safe is thanks enough.”
I can’t help but offer a genuine smile at that. Always the gallant knight. “I meant, what would you like to drink? It’s on me.”
“Only if you’ll have one too. What’s good?”
“You look like a man who likes a whiskey sour.”
His blond brows rise. “You’re good.”
I shrug it off. “I’ve a gift for reading people. And…most men either want that or an Old Fashioned if they’re not having a pint.”
I feel his eyes on me as I work, not glancing up from the drinks I’m preparing. My hand shakes as I hold the glass so I slide the glass across the bar to him. I can’t let him see how much he’s hurting me by just being here. The ringing of the bar’s phone saves me from staring into his eyes. Unfortunately, there’s no one on the other end of the line and I have to face him before long.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
So, he must not know our past. He must not know of our love. “Isolt. But everyone calls me Izzy.”
He holds up his glass and waits for me to do the same. The man doesn’t take his eyes off me as we clink the sides of our cups together and both take small sips. “I’m Tristan.”
And just like that, the cracks in my armor become fatal breaks. “T…Tristan?” I croak. “Like the knight in the story?”
He takes another sip of his drink and gives me an embarrassed grin. “Yep. Mom was a bit obsessed with Arthurian legends.”
“I think it’s a nice name.” I can’t believe he’s in front of me.
“Do you?”
God save me, I’m blushing. My cheeks burn with the intensity of it. “What brings you in here tonight?”
“Not sure. Felt like a night out.”
“Lucky me.”
He laughs and brings his drink to his lips. “I’d say it’s me who’s lucky.”
How is it I still feel so much for him? God gave Sariel back his soul mate. Maybe he’s rewarding me by returning my lost love.
I handle a few more customers, unreasonable anger building because they’re taking him away from me, but he’s never far. His blue eyes always on me, always guarding me. After I announce last call, I focus on him again.
“Can I get you anything else, Tristan?”
“A pen?” he asks, grabbing a coaster from my stash at the end of the bar.
I pull one from the pocket of the apron around my waist and hand it to him, our fingers brushing as he takes it. His touch makes my heart squeeze. Damn. I’ve been without this for so long, and now I’ve met two men who make me feel more than I want.
Tristan jots something down on the paper coaster and pushes the square back toward me. “It’s been a pleasure, Izzy. I’d love to see you again.”
He stands and walks out the door, but the man who’d left a hole in my heart stops to look back. I can’t help but think of our past love and what this could mean for me, and my curse.
3
Grant
The moon’s pull has me running hot. I need to fuck or shift and let my wolf free, but all I can think of is my little witch from the pub a few nights earlier. I can’t get her scent out of my mind, and I’d be lying if I said I didn't bring myself off more than once a day to thoughts of her. She’s everything I want…except for the witchy bit. I could do without that.
I’ve been round the pub a time or two, hoping to see her, but never found her. I want more of her, and I don’t fucking know why. Everything in me screams to make her mine and not let her get away, but that’s not going to work. Witches and shifters don’t mix.
Even still, here I am, standing outside of the pub like a bloody stalker. I wait and watch, hoping to see her coming off shift for the night. It’s just past one in the morning, and I’ve held off my change far too long, but I need a fix. I need to see her. Tonight, I can smell the cherry and rose scent of her stronger than ever. She’s here.
She steps out from the darkened alley, that wanker co-worker of hers right next to her, too close for my comfort.
“That was one hell of a night,” the man says, slinging his arm over her shoulder. “Want to come back to mine for a bit? We could—“
She stops him with an icy glare. “I’ve told you time and again, you’re not my type. Truthfully, you couldn’t handle me, William.”
To his credit, he backs away and gives her some space. “Sorry, sorry. I was just having a laugh.”
He’s lucky he stopped there. This close to the change, I’m not responsible for what my beast does when it takes control.
My beauty stops in her tracks and looks behind her, directly at me. It’s not like I’m hiding, standing on the corner, under the light of a streetlamp. Her eyes widen and that enticing mouth opens in a surprised little O. Fuck, what would those ruby lips of hers feel like wrapped around my cock?
I smile and shove my hands into my pockets, hoping to somehow hide the erection growing in my jeans. When she murmurs, “I’ll see you later,”
to her co-worker, my stomach tightens in anticipation. She’s coming to me.
I start toward her before she’s even turned around and in the span of a few breaths, we’re standing inches away.
“We meet again, Beauty.”
She takes her bottom lip between her teeth and looks me up and down. “Are you stalking me?”
Busted. Bloody hell. I’m usually much more composed than this, but she brings out the savage side of me. “Maybe.”
“You don’t want to get on the wrong side of a witch,” she says.
“The only side of you I want is the one that gets you underneath me.”
Her small intake of breath makes my swelling cock rock hard in an instant. “That’s…that—”
“What’s the matter? Now you’re shy? I had my fingers in your cunt before we’d said more than a few sentences to each other. I’m back for more.”
“I’m not…I don’t think we should…”
I love that she’s flustered. Her cheeks are a charming pink, and she’s shifting from foot to foot like I’ve caught her in a lie. “I think we should. I was stupid to stop us when I did. One night. That’s what you wanted. I can’t stop bloody thinking about you, and I need to get you out of my system.”
She cocks an eyebrow. “You’re a regular ladies’ man, aren’t you? You know what…I don't think this is going to work out.”
My wolf claws at me, begging me to sate my lust and claim her as mine. It’s a strange feeling of desperation, like if I don’t make her mine, I’ll never be the same.
“What is it you want, then? Do you need me to woo you? Win your heart?”
A frown creases her brow. “I don’t know.”
“Do you have a man? It didn’t seem like it a few nights ago.”
She shakes her head, and I’m relieved, until her eyes meet mine. “I didn’t. I still don’t, but…things have changed since that night.”
I can’t help but run my fingers over her cheek and down the column of her throat. Her skin is so fucking soft. “Aye. They have. I want you more now than I did before I knew you were a witch. It doesn’t make any sense. I need you.”
