by Kim Loraine
Izzy
I wake with Gwen’s sweet face only inches from mine. She’s frowning at me, but before I can ask her what’s wrong, she presses a finger to my lips. “Your beast is naked on the front lawn.”
“What?”
“He’s naked. He is passed out on the front lawn, his perfectly round arse on display for God and everyone to see.”
She’s still hovering over me. Pushing gently at her shoulder, I sit up when she backs away. “Hell, Gwen, what time is it?”
“It’s just past five. I thought you’d like to know before the sun comes up and Helena catches sight of him. She’s been a horrible pain in my backside since you left.”
The sky is a soft shade of lavender, brightening with every minute that passes. Grant will be fine. It’s not like he’s going to go up in flames, but the thought of anyone else seeing his naked body makes my blood boil. He’s mine.
“Thanks for the heads up, Gwen,” I offer as I slide my feet into some slippers and make for the door.
He’s outside, exactly as she’d said he would be. His perfect ass is on display as he sleeps, face down in the grass. The man appears dead to the world as I stand over him. I wonder how much of a toll his change takes on him.
“My, my, what do we have here?” Helena’s voice hits me like a bucket of ice water. “Maybe I do understand why you were so eager to spread your legs for him.”
“Shut your gob, Hel.”
She bends down and reaches out with one hand as though she means to touch him.
“Keep your hand away from me, witch,” Grant’s husky growl sends a thrill through me. He stands, unashamed of his body, his irises once again dark and dangerous. “Are you quite finished ogling me?”
Without thinking twice, I murmur a spell under my breath. Unfortunately, the clothes I’d attempted to conjure don’t appear. “Oh, bloody fucking hell,” I mutter.
Helena laughs and whispers in my ear, “We’re going to have a conversation about that piercing, Izzy.” Then she turns and saunters back into the house.
A smirk turns up the corners of Grant’s lips as he approaches me. “Were you trying to protect my virtue, little witch?”
“I didn’t like the idea of her seeing you.”
“Jealous?”
I shrug, trying to play it cool, and failing. The moment he takes me in his arms, his hardness pressing against my belly and his heated stare saying everything words can’t express, I cave. “Yes.”
He nuzzles my neck and nibbles the sensitive skin under my ear. “Good. I like you jealous.”
“I like you naked, but not where everyone can see. Come on, Beast. Let’s get you inside.” Glancing down his body, I take in the smears of earth covering his tanned skin. “You’re filthy. I think a shower is in order.”
“I am. And, you’re right.”
As we walk inside, I throw up a veil and keep us hidden from my sisters’ curious gazes. My magic works on them. Just not Grant. I should have conjured a veil initially as soon as I realized Helena was outside with us, but honestly, I’d been too preoccupied with Grant’s naked rear-end. His hands slide under my shirt, the insistence of his fingers on my skin making me shiver. A thread of curiosity weaves its way through me at the faint scent of freshly turned earth and the remnants of wild magic still clinging to him.
“What do you change into?” I ask.
We’ve reached the top of the stairs, and his hands stop moving over me as the question hangs between us.
“Does it matter?”
Shaking my head, I thread my fingers with his and pull him toward the master bedroom. “I just…want to know what you look like.”
He breaks our connection and steps away from me before running a hand over his jaw. “I don’t ever want you to see me like that.”
“Why?”
“Because…” he trails off, his gaze not meeting mine.
“This isn’t something you can keep from me, Grant. It’s part of you. If we’re truly mates, you should share every part of yourself with me.”
“Not if it’s a part that’ll send you running for the hills.”
“Unless we stop Calista, I’ll be gone anyway. I thought you wanted to experience us no matter how long we have?”
“That’s true.”
Placing one hand on his chest, I stare at the bruises and scrapes marring his skin. “Then you have to tell me everything.”
“My beast isn’t who I am. It’s a burden I bear. That’s all.”
“And my curse isn’t who I am, but I’ve told you about it. I told you about Tristan, about the ugly pieces of my past. Yet, you somehow still want me.”
“Aye, I do. There’s nothing that could keep me from wanting you, lass.”
“But you don’t trust me enough to do the same.”
His hands ball into fists at my accusation. “That’s not—”
“It is.”
Anger burns in my chest. I’d been stupid to think this would work. Stupid to let him in and hope we could work together to end the curse. Stupid to start falling for him.
Turning to leave him, I fight the need to say something cutting. My irrational heart wants to wound him as much as he’s just wounded me. But I know my absence will be enough to get my point across.
“Where are you going, Izzy?”
“I said you needed a shower. I didn’t say I was going to join you. Besides, my sisters and I have work to do.”
“Don’t leave the house. The pack is close by. Lachlan knows I’ve found my mate. He’ll be coming round much more often now that he knows I’m mated.”
“Why does he care?”
“He’s like my father, as well as pack leader.”
Great, his father wants to kill me. Somehow that makes this all even worse. “He can’t come here. One look at the three of us and he’ll know.”
His jaw clenches as he mulls my statement over. “I’m aware. I’ll do what I can to keep him away, but you three might need to magic up some sort of disguises, or do a protection spell, or something.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I sigh. “It’s not that easy. Besides, we can’t hide our eyes. If he knows so much about us, he’ll see right through a glamor.”
“Well, what bloody good are you witches then?”
“We should leave.”
“Not happening.”
My ire builds from a spark to a flame. “If I want to leave, I’ll damn well do it, Beast.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“What are you going to do, tie me up?” The challenge in my voice is unmistakable.
“If I have to.”
Pulling every ounce of magic I have into my palms, I stop worrying about whether or not it will work on him. My hair flies around my head, an electrical charge filling the air.
A laugh falls from his lips. “You can’t do anything to me with your charms and spells, little witch.”
“You’re right. I can’t. Not to you directly. But I certainly can do plenty of damage to your surroundings.”
Swinging my hand across my body, I fling open the dresser drawers, tossing his clothes into the air. His eyes go wide as the mess of socks and pants as well as once neatly folded T-shirts and jeans, all fall about the room. Next, I lift the wastepaper basket with a flick of my wrist. It hangs, suspended over his bed.
“I’ll leave if I want to, Grant. I’m in no mood to argue.”
“Fine, but if you expect me to let you go without knowing where to find you, you’re dead wrong. Now stop this nonsense.”
I smirk, seeing the slight hint of panic in his eyes. His inner neat freak is clawing at his self-control. “Glad we could work through this hurdle in our relationship.” Turning, I begin making my way out of the room.
“Damned witch,” he mutters. “I’ll be teaching you a lesson before the night is out.”
The waste bin still hovers over his bed, until I release it and the contents. The sound of his frustrated groan makes me grin. He needs to remember I’m mor
e than just his mate. Then, maybe he’ll find it easier to move on when I’m gone, because I’m going to figure out a way to ensure I won’t be taking him with me when the curse kills me.
14
Grant
It takes me close to an hour to clean the mess Izzy made. She knew exactly what she was doing even though I hadn’t ever shared my issues with untidiness. This is my safety net, my home. It needs to remain in order for it to continue feeling safe. Until her, this was the one place I could let my guard down. The tightness in my chest eases only slightly as I survey the now spotless bedroom. Now there’s so much more than order and neatness in my life. There’s the chaos of my growing feelings for the witch who is sitting downstairs, plotting how to leave me, possibly for another man. It’s driving me mad, knowing she’s right, that they aren’t safe here. But the thought of her anywhere without me makes my chest ache. If she were a shifter, she’d not be willing to leave. If she were like me, she’d also more than likely already be carrying my baby and no one would be after her in the first place.
I catch a whiff of electricity in the air and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Someone is doing a spell.
“Bloody hell,” I mutter as I rush down the stairs. “Beauty? What’s going on down here?”
If she’s left me without a word of warning, I’ll lose it. But I still feel her presence. She can’t be gone. I’d know the moment we were separated. Every minute I’d been gone due to the change had been painful, like a spike being slowly driven into my heart.
The three of them sit on my living room floor, their hands joined and candles burning in the center of their circle. The worry in my chest eases at the sight of her. Her gorgeous wheat-colored hair moves in the non-existent breeze, as though it has a life of its own as she murmurs silently. The flames in each of the three candles rise higher than would seem possible before snuffing themselves out and leaving curls of white smoke behind. Izzy opens her eyes and offers me an apologetic grin.
“Sorry about my tantrum.”
I can’t even be angry about it. Not after witnessing whatever they’d just done. Shrugging, I gesture at the candles. “What’s all this, then?”
Helena stands as Gwen collects the candles. “It’s a protection spell. Sort of like an alarm system. It’ll tell us when anyone other than the four of us enters the property.” Helena’s voice doesn’t hold the disdain I’ve become used to hearing.
“That should give us time to get to another location,” Gwen says, a soft smile on her pretty face. “Izzy doesn’t want to leave you, Beast.”
My gaze snaps to my beauty. Izzy’s cheeks are pink with embarrassment, but she doesn’t look away. “I thought you’d leave if you wanted to. That’s what you said earlier.”
Lifting her chin in defiance, she says, “Obviously I don’t want to.”
“So, you like to play games with me, then?”
Eyebrow cocked, she huffs. “I’m very competitive.”
“I don’t know if that’s the word I’d use.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Stubborn. Maddening. Frustrating.”
“Would you like me to conjure a thesaurus? None of those words mean the same thing.”
I step closer to her, the heat crackling between us like a live wire. “Beautiful. Enrapturing. Captivating.”
“Ugh, this is ridiculous. Just throw her over your damned shoulder and shag her senseless, will you?” Helena’s sharp words break through the cloud of desire between Izzy and me.
Izzy blinks a few times and grins. “Sorry, Hel. You’ll need to get used to this if you’re staying here. Grant is…insatiable.”
“Don’t let him get you up the duff. I’m not ready for little ones cramping our lifestyle just yet.”
The thought of Izzy carrying my child makes that primal part of me rush to the surface. If I don’t rein in this need, I’ll have her against the wall with her sister witches looking on. I’m certain she won’t be happy with me if that happens.
“Don’t be stupid. Shifters and witches can’t breed. We’re totally different.” Izzy’s voice carries a note of panic.
Running her hand through her long chocolate locks, Gwen laughs. “Have you even asked him how he became what he is?” She turns her gaze on me with a serene smile on her face. “Born, or bitten?”
I know the instant I share this bit of my history Izzy will pull away. “Bitten.” The simple word brings back thoughts of a childhood spent mourning my human life because of the vicious attack that had taken everyone I loved. At least, that’s the story Lachlan told me. I can’t remember much aside from flashes of a forest, screams of my name, and pain.
“So. It’s not impossible, then. Unlikely, but not impossible. There’s still a human in there.”
I am bloody well done with this conversation as soon as I take a moment to glance at Izzy’s expression. The color has drained from her cheeks.
“Are you having me on?” she asks. “You might have filled me with your spawn and you didn’t think it an important detail to share?”
“Frankly, no. I didn’t think it possible, same as you. Obviously I haven’t studied the mating habits of witches and shifters, now have I?”
Helena snorts. “I doubt you’ve studied much other than hairball maintenance and the moon’s cycles.”
“Hel, that’s not helpful,” Gwen says, and I love her just a bit for that.
Grabbing Izzy’s hand, I squeeze and murmur, “Come with me. We’re having this conversation alone.”
The woman tears her fingers from my grasp. “What is there to say? I might be pregnant, my baby daddy is a shifter, oh, and I’ve got an expiration date that’s about eight months away. And let’s not forget my former lover has been brought back from the dead and wants me to go back to him.” She places a hand on her hip and stares daggers at me. Her mention of Tristan sending my jealousy brewing. We haven’t spoken of him again and I’ve been hoping to keep it that way.
I choose to ignore her little barb about her lost knight and focus on the one thing I can do. “As much as I’d love to see you carrying my child, we’ve nothing to worry about.” I close the distance between us and try to grab her by the waist. I want her to see what the idea of putting a baby inside her does to me.
She wriggles away, holding her hands up in a defensive gesture. “From now on, Beast, you can keep your dick in your pants and your apparently viable sperm away from my eggs.” I know it’s a terrible decision to smile, but I can’t bloody help it. She’s fucking adorable. “I’ve died more ways than you can imagine, but never in childbirth. I don’t want to experience that.”
Her words sober my expression immediately. “You remember every time?”
Nodding, she casts a glance at each of the two women in my living room. “We do. It’s not something one easily forgets.”
“You’re not pregnant, Izzy,” I say.
“How do you know? Are you a seer now too?”
Taking both of her hands, I pull her close and run my nose along her neck. “I’d be able to scent it. I’d know your belly was full of my bairn within a day of me putting it there.”
A full body shiver rocks her and I know I’ve gotten through the panic. “That’s good to know.”
“Is it?”
She nods and takes a deep breath before pushing away and putting distance between us again. “Yes. Thanks for letting me in on the state of my womb.”
“My pleasure.”
Izzy
I’m going stir-crazy stuck inside this house. As much as I love the scent and feel of Grant being so close, I can’t stand another minute trapped indoors. Catching Gwen’s eye, I jut my chin toward the door and cock an eyebrow. She grins and nods, rising almost immediately. She understands me. I’ve got my hand on the doorknob before I’ve even cast the spell to disguise myself.
“Where are you going?” Grant’s deep rumble makes my knees weak with desire, but damn it all, I’d hoped to avoid a confrontation.
�
��For a walk. I need to get out of here.”
He shakes his head. “You’re not going alone.”
“I know. I’m taking Gwen. We’ll be stronger together.”
The heavy sigh that falls from him makes me roll my eyes. “No, I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t need to babysit me. I’ll use a glamor. I won’t go far.”
“You’re damn right you’ll use a glamor. But I’m still going with you and Gwen. I’ll not take the chance of any of my pack finding you.”
Gwen clears her throat, calling my gaze from my angry beast to her. “He’s right. We need him. I don’t want to risk it either.”
Bloody hell, Gwen’s up to something. “Gwen…” I start but don’t know how to finish that without it ending with us trapped inside.
“Come along, Izzy.” She closes her eyes and her body changes from the lithe brunette I know to a curvaceous redhead with freckles dotting creamy skin. “Your turn.”
Following her lead, I conjure my own disguise. The only thing that would give me away is my irises, but a pair of dark sunglasses hides those just fine. My gaze finds Grant and I can’t help but laugh at the shock on his face.
“She just…morphed into that.” He gestures at Gwen and his brow furrows.
“You change into a beast but watching Gwen put on a glamor has your delicate sensibilities tied in knots?”
Clearing his throat, he links hands with me and tugs until I’m close. “No. It’s just a strange thing to see.”
“Let’s go,” I say, removing my fingers from his grasp. “I need some fresh air.”
I leave him behind, still needing space and desperate to keep from giving in to his seductive ways. To his credit, he stays a few paces behind Gwen and I as we walk down the long gravel driveway. I can hear each crunch of his footsteps but he doesn’t close the distance.
“I had a vision this morning,” Gwen says, making my heart lurch.
“What was it?”
“There are too many threads between us all to make sense of anything right now.”
I don’t know how to respond. She’s sometimes cryptic and others clear as a bell. “Did it feel ominous?”
