Calling the earth energy to her, she whispered the words to a spell her grandmother told her she was going to have to use one day. At the time, Ivy had laughed about the spell. She even told her grandmother the only way she would need to use it was if she became an undertaker at a funeral home.
Ivy watched as the body slowly changed until there was nothing left but a pile of clothes filled with sand. A rogue breeze swept through the parking lot. It lifted the sand and carried it away until only the clothes remained. With one more spell, Ivy made the clothes disappear. With the body and clothes gone, Ivy let the earth energy drain out of her. Exhausted, her legs buckled, and she dropped to the ground.
“Ivy!” Ben ran to her side and scooped her up into his arms
“Take me home,” she whispered. The dark circles under her eyes stood out against her pale skin.
“I’ve got you. Rest my beautiful little witch. Rest,” said Ben. He cradled his precious mate against his broad chest and walked toward his truck. Before he was halfway to the truck, Ivy was sound asleep.
Chapter 12
“I was so worried your parents wouldn’t like me.” Ivy held tight to Ben’s hand as he helped her out of the truck. It had been a week since the battle with the demon and even though she had slept for two days, Ivy was still feeling the effects of using her magic.
“I told you that you had nothing to worry about.” Ben grinned. “You stressed yourself over nothing. They loved you, just like I love you.”
Ivy gave him a weak smile. “I was so worried about their reactions when they found out I was witch.” She slowly shook her head. “I definitely wasn’t expecting the children to ask me for broomstick rides and to see my wand.”
“Haven’t you ridden on a broomstick at least once or twice?” Ben wiggled his eyebrows.
“Ha. Ha. Would you quit teasing me?” Ivy bumped into her mate with her shoulder. “I don’t even own a wand. Not even my grandmother owned one. As for broomsticks, never in my life have I ridden on a broomstick. In fact, I have never heard of anyone riding a broomstick, except in the movies.”
“It was funny watching Mom and Dad’s faces when the kids suddenly surrounded you and started asking all those questions.”
“They did make some interesting faces. To be honest, I thought they were mad at me.” Ivy sighed at the fresh memory. She pushed her hair out of her eyes.
“They weren’t mad at you. I think they weren’t expecting all the questions the kids were asking. But then, it’s not every day they get to meet a witch.” Ben wrapped his arm around Ivy, and led her up the back stairs.
“There were some interesting questions.” She leaned into Ben, seeking comfort from his warmth and support. Ivy yawned before she could stop herself.
“Still tired?” asked Ben. He kissed the top of her head.
Ivy shrugged. “It’s better than it was yesterday.”
“But it hasn’t gone away?” Ben pushed the issue. He didn’t know much about witches, but he knew something wasn’t right.
“No, it hasn’t,” she admitted. “Really, it’s no big deal. I will get better. I just need a little more rest.” Ivy wasn’t sure if what she was saying was true or not. She suspected her tiredness had something to do with accepting and using the earth energy. It was hard not having another witch around she could ask, and her grandmother’s ghost hadn’t made an appearance in a long time.
“Does it have to do with all the energy you were pulling into you when we fought the demon?” Ben unlocked the backdoor and ushered Ivy into the house.
She watched her mate close the door and turn the lock. “I think so, but I’m not sure.”
“And you haven’t tapped into the energy since, have you?” he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. “I think you need to do it.”
“I’m afraid to. What if I become power-crazy like my brother did? What if—”
Ben kissed her, stopping the flow of words. “I don’t think you have to worry about that happening,” he said.
“But—”
Ben gave her another quick kiss. “No buts.” He caressed her cheek. “Do you want to control the world?”
“No.”
“Do you want to harm others?” The corners of his mouth twitched.
“You know I don’t.” She poked his chest.
Ben looked down at her finger. “Are you sure about that?” He raised his eyebrows.
“I’m very sure. I don’t want to hurt anyone.” Ivy looked at what she was doing. Her face turned pink. “Fiddle sticks! I’m as bad as my brother.”
“No you’re not.” He wrapped his hand around her and pressed it to his chest. “What you did is normal. You’re not power hungry or anything like your brother. You ran into a building that was ready to collapse at any minute, and rescued three men. You refused to let me die. You are a beautiful and caring witch. You healed my injuries and made my clothes reappear. Someone who is out to hurt others or to gain power wouldn’t do any of those things. And then there’s the fact you put yourself between the demon others. I’m definitely going to have to punish you for that.”
“Punish me?” Ivy’s voice squeaked. “What did I do?”
“You put yourself in harm’s way. It’s my job to protect you, and I can’t do it if you put yourself between the danger and me.”
“Punish me if you want, but I will do everything in my power to protect you.” Ivy put her arms around his neck and pulled him down and kissed him. “Even if I have to step between you and the danger.”
Ben rested his forehead against hers. “See, I told you are not power-hungry.”
Ivy started to answer him, but yawned instead.
“If you’ll tap into the energy, I think you’ll feel better.”
“You think I’ll feel better?” Ivy stepped out of Ben’s arms. “How did you come up with that idea?” she asked.
Ben leaned against the kitchen counter. “Because shifters share their body with an animal, we have to shift on a regular basis to give the animal a chance to stretch and exercise its independence. Even though the animal is part of us, it is also separate from the human side. If we avoid shifting, in a sense, we are caging our animal. And you know caged animals don’t thrive which in turn affects the human. I have a feeling it’s something like that with witches and the energy they use.”
“I was having similar thoughts about the energy and me.” Ivy bit her lip and her forehead wrinkled as she mulled over Ben’s explanation. “So you think I’ll feel better if I tap into the energy?”
“You’ve got nothing to lose if you try, but you have a lot to gain if it works.” Ben raised an eyebrow.
Ivy shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll do it now.”
“Are you telling me what to do?” She blinked at him several times.
“I’m protecting you because I love you.”
Ivy looked at her mate with tears in her eyes. “I love you too, that’s why I have to protect you. I’ll give it a try.”
Ben nodded.
She closed her eyes. Tentatively, she reached out to the earth energy. It seeped in through her pores. She immediately felt the difference. Ivy sighed with relief. She felt so much better. Something told her there was no way she could shut the door and turn her back on her energy like she had done for the past week. She would have to keep a thread open to the energy.
“Is it working?” asked Ben.
Ivy opened her eyes and smiled at him. “It is. I feel so much better.”
Ben started to speak when the doorbell rang. Ben and Ivy looked at each other. “Are you expecting anyone?” he asked her.
“No.” Ivy shook her head.
“Stay here.” Ben walked out of the kitchen before Ivy could protest.
“Great Merlin’s beard!” Ivy snorted. She resisted the urge to stomp her foot. “Over-protective alpha males.”
A few minutes later, Ben walked back into the kitchen. “This is a special delivery for you.”
He held out a large, overnight envelop.
“Who would be sending me mail?” She took the envelop and looked at the return address. She shook her head. “Why would they be sending me mail?”
“Who’s it from?” Ben watched the emotions playing across his mate’s face.
“The BCE. The Braxton Coven Elders.” Ivy’s stomach knotted. After all the years of ignoring her, what did the coven elders want from her?
“There’s only one way to find out.” Ben put his hand on her shoulder.
Ivy looked at him. She didn’t realize she had spoken out loud. She flashed him a smile. “You’re right. I can guess all I want, but I have to open it if I want to really know.” She turned the envelop over and ripped it open. She pulled out a single sheet of parchment paper and read it. “What the blankety blank! You’ve got to be joking?”
“What’s wrong?”
"It's a summons for me to appear before the coven elders for judgment of my actions and the state of my mind." Ivy handed Ben the paper. “All these years, the elders ignored me, and now they think they can judge me? My parents are behind this. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” She hugged herself and started pacing back and forth.
Ben read the paper. “What do you want to do about it?” he asked, looking at Ivy.
She stopped in front of him and squared her shoulders. “Rip it to shreds, throw it into the trash, and ignore it, because it’s a load of stinky fish fingers. The coven tolerated me at the meetings only because of my grandmother. Even though I’m a Braxton, they saw me as a failure because of my lack of magical abilities. They didn’t care about me then, so why should I care about them now?” She snatched the paper out of his hand, and started ripping it to pieces. She walked over to the trashcan and dumped the bits of paper into it. She walked back to Ben and put her hand over Ben’s heart. “The only thing I care about is us.” She felt his heartbeat speed up. She licked her lips. “I really think you should take me to bed.”
A low growl erupted from deep in Ben’s chest. His eyes darkened with desire making Ivy tremble with need. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Gently, he put her down. “You have on too many clothes.”
“So what are you going to do about them?” she asked teasingly.
“This.” He kicked off his shoes and then took off his t-shirt and tossed it into the corner. Slowly, he unfastened his jeans and slid them and his briefs off.
Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. She stared at his sculpted, muscular body. He was everything she wanted…everything she had dreamed and hoped for in a mate. Molten heat spread through her body.
“If you don’t want your clothes destroyed, get them off now.” His deep growly voice turned her brain to desire-filled mush and her knees to water.
Her fingers fumbled with each fastener as she scrambled out of her clothes. When she looked up, she found Ben staring at her. She saw the love and desire in his eyes.
He held out his hand to her.
Ivy held her breath as she took his hand. Her tingled with the passion growing inside her.
Ben pulled her to him. “You are the most beautiful woman.” He brushed her lips with his and then slowly left a trail of kisses down her neck. When he reached his mating mark, he licked and kissed it. “Mine.”
Ivy moaned. She felt like she was going to burst into flames. “I need you inside me right now,” she whispered.
Picking her up, he gently laid her on the bed. Crawling between her legs, he bent down and kissed the mating mark again. He trailed more kisses down one breast. He took the tip into his mouth, caressing it with his tongue.
She gasped. Pleasure rippled through her body. She arched her back, feeling his hard shaft press against her mound. “Please.”
With one last nip, he let go of her breast and shifted his body. “You are mine.”
“I’m yours, and you are mine.”
He slowly guided his hard cock into her body. Slowly he slid in and out of her.
Ivy grabbed his arms. She thrust her hips to match his pace. “Harder,” she cried.
Ben lost control and pounded in and out of her. He felt her muscles tighten around him. Ivy screamed his name as her release swept over her. He continued thrusting into her as his release washed over him. “Mine!” He rolled over taking her with him.
“Mine,” whispered Ivy. She nuzzled his neck.
“Yours.” Ben pulled a blanket over them and wrapped his arms around her. “Yours always and forever.” He nuzzled her cheek as they drifted off to sleep.
*****
“Someone needs to go to the post office today.” Forrest dropped a pile of mail into one of the wire baskets behind Ivy’s desk.
“I’ll drop it off when I pick up lunch.” Ivy looked up from the paperwork she was entering into the computer.
Forrest nodded. “Did you order the scanner and software?”
“It should be here next week.”
“Just in time,” said Forrest.
“Just in time?” Ivy raised an eyebrow.
“By this time next week, we’ll be in the new office.” Forrest sat on the corner of her desk.
“Good. I won’t be sad to see this trailer go back to where it came from.” Ivy gestured at the room with her hand. “The quarters are a little too cramped especially when the four of y’all decide to camp out in here while I’m trying to work.”
“We don’t camp out in here. We come in here for meetings.” Forrest grinned at her.
“Keep telling yourself that.” She shook her head.
“You know you enjoy our company.” Forrest winked at her. “Skylar Anderson called about ten minutes ago, and said they would be finished by the end of this week. That means you’re going to miss all of our sexy company.”
“I’ll miss Ben’s company.” A smile lit up Ivy’s face.
“And just my luck. The girl of my dreams is happily mated.” Forrest put his hand over his heart.
Hank walked into the office. “Ivy, there’s a couple outside looking for you. They said they were your parents. I told them I would see if you were here.” He pinned her with his stony stare.
“My parents?” Ivy got up and looked out the window. She closed her eyes and sighed. Sure enough, her parents were standing by a limo. “Flippin’ horse feathers! What are they doing here?”
“I take it you weren’t expecting them.” Hank crossed his arms over his chest.
“No, I wasn’t expecting them. And they sure aren’t here because they miss me. They’re up to something and it’s probably no good for any of us.” She stuck her hands in her pockets. “I guess I had better go see what they want.”
“Do you want me to get rid of them?” asked Hank.
Ivy shook her head. “I wish you could, but it won’t do any good. Either they won’t leave, or they’ll keep coming back. I have to deal with them now.” She was glad she had taken the time to set up guards around the property to prevent the use of any magic intended to harm others. It would come in handy if her parents had some sort of hidden agenda which she was absolutely sure they did. She walked out of the trailer and down the steps, with Hank and Forrest following behind her. “Great! They brought reinforcements.” She looked at the cars pulling into the parking lot.
“Is one of them the shifter you claimed to have mated?” Delphine Braxton, her mother, wrinkled her nose as if she had smelled something bad.
“I’m the bear shifter who is mated to Ivy,” called Ben from the garage. His long strides quickly covered the distance between him and Ivy. He stopped next to her and folded his arms over his chest.
Ivy stared at her parents. “I’m sure you’re not here to congratulate me, so why don’t we get right to the point of your visit.”
“You are a Braxton, and it is time for you to come home.” Her father, Bradford, took a couple of steps toward Ivy.
“This is my home.” Tiny goosebumps popped up on Ivy’s arms.
“This is not your home. You need to come back to Elde
rwood with us. It’s time for you to take your rightful place as the future leader of the coven. Once you are home, we can begin your training. But first you must renounce your mating claim.” Her father’s voice was hard and emotionless.
Her mother curled her lip as she stared at Ben. “Shifters are beneath us. They may hold a dangerous thrill, but they are not mate material. We have already found several candidates from influential families from which you can select a more suitable mate. You need someone who can lead the coven with you.” She lifted an eyebrow. “You need someone who is intellectual not muscle bound.”
Ivy snorted as she rolled her eyes. “You wasted your time coming here. Ben is my one and only…my fated mate. I’m not giving him up or renouncing my mating. Nothing can force me to leave him.”
“You must. You have a duty to the coven, and we must start your training.” He narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve seen the results of your training. No. Thank you. I’ve never been considered a member of the coven, and I have no desire to lead it even if I was a member. So why are you here? What do you really want?”
“We only want what’s best for you,” said her mother. “It is your duty. Your grandmother left you her grimoire.”
“Fiddle sticks! You’ve never wanted anything to do with me. Robert was your prized child. He was everything you wanted.” Ivy slowly shook her head. “You only want me because I have the grimoire. You know it will never be yours.”
“Insolent child! Do you really think the grimoire will make you a witch? It belongs to a true witch.” Delphine’s face turned red. Her hands balled into fists. “You are a pathetic excuse for a witch.”
Ivy watched the coven members, including several of the elders move closer before she turned her attention back to her parents. “And you’re both pathetic excuses for parents. Robert’s greed and need for power surpassed even yours, and it led him to make a deal with a demon. Now, he’s dead. I’m not as easy to manipulate as he was.”
Surviving Ivy Page 16
