Eliza Gayle Witch Bundle (paranormal romance)
Page 23
Her quiet pleas undid him as his lips lowered to hers. His fingers tangled in her hair as he devoured with the deep, rough kiss he craved.
Denn inched in just the head of his cock but Jake wanted more. He pushed back against him until Denn filled him, the familiar pleasure and pain sensations running along every nerve ending. Different this time, though, because when he pushed into Jake, it forced Jake deeper inside Raven, rasping against her clit.
Magick from both Raven and Denn swept through him, seeking and searching for the other. Denn pulled out, bringing Jake’s hips with him so when he slammed back all three of them cried out. Magick entwined and wrapped around Jake completely, loosening the last of his resistance. Heat built in his balls and he knew he couldn’t hold it back. On the next deep thrust his orgasm exploded and Raven cried out in ecstasy as he emptied inside her. The magick burned hot, his vision blurred and he rode out the pleasure until Denn too gave into the need and slumped across his back.
When he opened his eyes he looked into Raven’s eyes, watching him.
“Are you okay, babe?” She looked so serious for a minute he thought—
“I love you. I love you both,” she cried.
Chapter Eight
Raven sat in the sun, letting the heat seep through to her tired muscles. She’d come to love the courtyard as her favorite place in the house. While the entire place glowed with historical charm it was this area that she felt most at peace. She’d lost track after the fourth time either Jake or Denn or both had awoken her with their dark cravings and deep kisses. Once she’d been woken by just the two of them enjoying each other. The sight of them loving each other moved her deeply. Two sensual male bodies expressing their emotions through a powerful show of lust and sex. A smile played across her lips at the memory.
Yesterday she’d found herself alone on the streets of New Orleans not afraid, just alone again. What a difference twenty-four hours can make. She’d thought she could turn to the voodoo priestess for help and had foolishly planned to handle Scott on her own.
Wait. She sat up and looked around. The voodoo priestess.
Raven jumped up and ran to the bathroom where she’d removed her clothes last night. Rifling through her discarded jeans, she found the roll of parchment she’d completely forgotten about until now. Unrolling the brittle, yellowed paper, she read through the note inside.
Be warned.
If each sibling has not found their mate by the youngest brother’s thirtieth birthday, then all power is stripped and bequeathed to the eldest family male.
All hope will be lost…
Surprised by what she read on the note, her butt hit the toilet seat hard as she sank down. She needed to tell Denn about this. She didn’t know how long they had but she imagined it wasn’t long. Hadn’t Jake mentioned something a few weeks ago about Denn’s big birthday coming up?
She rushed from the bathroom back into the bedroom suite they had given her. Pulling up short, she laughed as she looked around the room. They had filled her space with books, flowers, a large wardrobe, a big screen television with more channels than any one person could possibly need, and luxurious linens on a lake-sized bed. Linens that were currently wrapped partially around two beautiful, sexy men that were now all hers. For someone who had technically been held against her will they had really pampered her with everything.
Shaking her head, she focused on why she’d come running in here. Taking the remaining strides to the bed as quickly as she could, she grabbed their legs.
“Denn. Jake. Wake up.”
Both men sprang from the bed, ready for whatever danger she could have been warning them about. Except they were naked and sleek and tousled from sleep.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Denn’s voice sounded alarmed and urgent.
“Calm down. No one’s in danger, at least for the moment.”
“What do you mean for the moment?” Denn scrubbed his fingers over his face.
“I have something you need to read, Denn. It’s about your family.” She reached her hand out in front of her to reveal the rolled up parchment resting in her palm.
“What’s this?” He reached out and took the paper from her. “Where did it come from?”
“The voodoo priestess gave it to me yesterday. Severina. Said the time had come for you to have it. I had completely forgotten about it until about ten minutes ago when I was sitting in the courtyard.”
Denn unrolled it to read and Jake moved closer to read over his shoulder. Raven watched them both as the worry lines rose on Denn’s forehead and Jake whistled a deep and low melody.
Denn looked at her. “What else did the woman say when she gave you this?”
“Nothing. Just that it was time.”
“Well, I’d say so.” His shoulders sagged. “Noah and I will be thirty in just thirteen days.”
* * *
In the kitchen fixing some breakfast, Raven watched Jake fidget and fuss with the dishes and the silverware, then the food and the napkins.
“What’s wrong, Jake?”
He turned away, avoiding her eyes. “Nothing.”
Denn’s head snapped up from his laptop, narrowing his eyes at Jake as well. Something was up, she could feel it. Her magick was already tingling with the sense of it. Denn’s power had stirred as well.
“Jake. Tell us what’s wrong. We can both sense it, so you might as well just say it. Raven isn’t likely to leave you alone until you do.”
“Hey.”
Denn laughed off her protest. Jake, on the other hand, frowned deeper. Denn shut his laptop and stood, walking over to the other man. “I think you should tell us. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together.”
“I’m worried about my sister.”
“We all are, Jake, that’s why I’ve been working together with my brothers to come up with a plan. We are trying to contact Noah as well as devise a scenario to free your sister without anyone getting hurt. I have faith in my brothers and their ability to work the magick in their favor.”
“We need to take Scott down,” Raven insisted.
“In due time. If we go for him now, there’s a good chance we’ll fail. We’ll be ready soon. Just as soon as we get Noah here.”
Jake shook his head. “You don’t understand. I told you that the bastard was stealing her magick, but I didn’t tell you about her magick.”
“Her magick?”
“What you don’t understand is that she isn’t a witch. Her magick is different, stronger than what you’re familiar with.”
“I’m confused. If she isn’t a witch then what is she?” Denn asked.
Jake paused looking between both Raven and Denn. “She is—” He looked toward the window, nervous. “She’s half demon.”
Raven sucked in her breath. Oh, Goddess.
“Fuck. We’ll be hard pressed to get Noah to go after her if he knows that. You know how he feels about demons.”
“That’s not all of it.” Jake sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
“It gets worse?” Raven questioned.
“She has the same birthday as you, Raven.”
Epilogue
Jessie grunted as she was dragged roughly by the arm through the mansion. She really couldn’t exactly call such a large and over the top ornate building a house. Weak and tired, she longed for her magick to return. Not only did she feel lost without it, she wanted to show this bastard a thing or two about manhandling women. For weeks now he’d been pushing her around and basically making her life miserable. Something he wouldn’t be so quick to do if she had her power.
He opened the familiar door in front of her and shoved her inside. Her foot caught on the doorjamb, sending her sprawling to the floor. Her hands barely caught her before her head crashed into the tiled floor. She let her head hang low as she crawled to her knees. Tired and hungry, she fought the rising tears of despair. How much more of this could she take? Would Jake be able to save her? Had he given up trying?
“N
ow that’s more like it. A woman on her knees in front of me. Just where she belongs.”
Her back stiffened at the sound of his voice. She’d known she would have to face him tonight, but hearing him speak made her skin crawl. “Don’t flatter yourself, you sick bastard. I wouldn’t willingly kneel to you for any reason.”
He snorted. “Be careful what you say to me, especially regarding what you will or will not do for me. You should know by now that if you don’t do what I want I will find a way to get you to, and it won't be pleasant.” He stepped in front of her and jerked her by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. Pain shot through her jaw and neck. “You haven’t already forgotten what I can do to you, have you?”
Her stomach roiled and bubbled, making her nauseous as her brain recalled the memories she knew she would never forget. She fought the urge to vomit. No way in hell would she give him the satisfaction in knowing she was scared of him. Somehow, some way, she would get back at him for what he’d done.
She spat at him.
“You bitch.” He dropped her head and wiped off his arm on his pants. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you now?”
Alarm bells went off in her head as she worried this might finally be it for her. She’d wondered and waited, thinking any day could be her last.
“My magick.”
“Is getting weaker. Look at you. You’re pathetic.”
“Jake is helping you. You promised if he did what you asked…” She drew in a breath embarrassed at the weakness in her words.
“Yeah, well, I guess your dear older half-bastard brother has decided he’d rather fuck a witch then save the likes of you.”
His words slammed in to her, staggering her. “Bullshit.”
“It’s true. He turned on me in favor of my nephew and my fucking witch. Something he is about to pay dearly for with your life.”
Jessie’s mind reeled with this new information. No way would Jake just abandon her, but Scott was pissed at him and wanted him to pay. Something had to have happened.
“Your usefulness has come to an end.” He walked back to his desk, pacing back and forth in front of it. “All that’s left to do is offer you up as a sacrifice and drain what little magick you have left. So tonight, my dear, you will die. It’s a beautiful ceremony, you’re going to love it.”
His face shone with pure joy as he said that last. Proving he really was a crazy son of a bitch. As if on cue his muscle walked through the door and hauled her to her feet, practically dragging her from the room.
The closer they got back to her cell her mind began to panic. She struggled and squirmed in his grasp, fighting to get away.
“Where do you think you’re going to go now?” He tightened his massive fingers around her bicep until he brought tears to her eyes and she cried out in pain.
The guard pushed her into her cell far harder than he needed to and she banged her head on the opposite wall. Beyond the point of physical pain, anger bubbled instead. She had to find a way out. She had the will, she just needed a plan.
Hours later, she had no ideas and she just wanted to rest for a while. She didn’t know how long she had, but she decided her only chance of escape would be when they came to get her. In that case, she needed to rest.
Click. Click. Click.
Still huddled on the floor in the corner, Jessie realized someone was standing at the door of her cell trying to get in. The fuzz of sleep slipped away as she realized this was it. It was too dark to see for sure, but the man standing there wasn’t her normal guard and he wasn’t opening the door with his keys.
“Jessie, is that you?” his deep male voice did not belong to any of the guards she was used to, yet there was something familiar about it.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Jake sent me. We have to hurry.”
Her heart soared for her brother. She knew he wouldn’t leave her to die here. The door swung open and he reached his arm inside waving for her to hurry up.
“Grab my hand, let’s go.”
She eagerly grasped his hand willing her body to move her up and out of this hell hole.
In the light of the doorway, he turned back to say something to her and froze. His hand fell away from hers. “Is this some kind of fucking joke?”
She knew then and raised her head to the all too familiar piercing blue eyes and wavy black hair. “Oh, shit. Noah…”
Magick Provoked
Pentacles of Magick Series
ELIZA GAYLE
Chapter One
The guard pushed Jessie into her cell far harder than he needed to, and her head slammed into the far wall. Beyond the point of physical pain, anger bubbled to the surface instead. She had to find a way out. She had the will, she just needed a plan.
Hours later, she still had no ideas and she just wanted to rest for a while. She didn’t know how long she had, but she decided her only chance of escape would be when they came to get her. In that case, she needed to rest.
Click. Click. Click.
Still huddled on the floor in the corner, Jessie realized someone was at the door of her cell trying to get in. The fuzz of sleep slipped away as she realized this was it. It was too dark to see for sure, but the man standing there wasn’t her normal guard and he wasn’t opening the door with his keys.
“Jessie, is that you?” The raw, deep male voice did not belong to any of the guards she was used to, yet there was something familiar about it.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Jake sent me. We have to hurry.”
Her heart soared for her brother. She knew he wouldn’t leave her to die here. The door swung open and he reached his arm inside, waving for her to hurry up.
“Grab my hand, let’s go.”
She eagerly grasped his hand, willing her body to move her up and out of this hell hole.
In the light of the doorway, he turned back to say something to her and froze. His hand fell away from hers. “Is this some kind of fucking joke?”
She knew then, and raised her head to the all too familiar piercing blue eyes and wavy black hair. “Oh, shit. Noah…”
The breath stole from her lungs as the memories crashed down around her, threatening to debilitate her. Electricity stuttered through her system as her magick attempted to rise to the surface before sputtering to a halt. No magick, not now. Jessie took an unsteady step on weak and wobbly legs. She could do this, just take one step at a time.
“What the hell has he done to you?” Noah grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close to his strong, solid body. Her cold skin soaked up his heat with little regard to the fact that touching him was detrimental to her mental health. His gruff voice sounded like barely controlled rage, like a beast rising to the surface. A feeling she easily identified with.
“Have…to…go…now. Not much time.” She looked into his eyes, trying to communicate their need to hurry.
“I would agree. This place is crawling with idiots and users, all itching to impress their boss. I prefer to get us both out of here undetected. No one has to die tonight.”
Weak but determined, Jessie followed Noah’s lead. The farther away from her cell they went the scent of dark magick intensified, burning her nose and making her eyes water. Her captor had a horde of spell casters itching to do his dirty work at a moments notice. When they turned down a back corridor that wasn’t familiar, she hesitated. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”
He threw her a quick glance over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised and a smirk across his face. It was one of Noah’s famous “don’t be stupid” looks. The man could always could cut someone down or put them in their place with a dark look or a single word. Instinctively she bristled against his typical alpha male behavior, wishing she were strong enough at the moment to show him what she thought of that.
“I can’t believe you have to ask.” He shook his head and pulled her close.
Jessie sighed. No way could she fight him now as he tucked her ti
ght against him, lending her his strength and a little of that magick that she got from him every time he touched her. The at-odds combination of his dark and light halves swirled inside her, searching for her beast. But this wasn’t the past. The beast didn’t move—she’d repeatedly had her magick raped from her, each time leaving her less than before. She couldn’t help but worry that he’d gone too far, if it was already too late for her. Was she now living on borrowed time?
“There’s some pretty tough security up ahead that you’re going to have to walk through alone, can you handle it, Jessie?” Her spine stiffened against him at the question. Any other day she’d have been insulted and kicked his ass just for suggesting it, and he damn well knew it. She looked up at him and, sure enough, the amusement was there plain as day. He was enjoying her predicament way too much.
“To get out of this shit hole, I can do just about anything.” She gritted her teeth in determination. They continued through the tunnel that sloped downward, giving her the illusion of going further underneath the compound instead of up and out to where freedom waited. “Where are all the guards, Noah? This place is usually crawling with them. And why are we traveling deeper inside the mansion?”
“This is the path of least resistance, and your brother and mine are running a little special interference for us.”
“Jake is here?” Panic rose in her, sharp and swift, like a vice squeezing her body and making it difficult to breathe. “Oh no, Noah, he can’t be here. Scott will kill him. Tell him to go now, he has to leave before it’s too late.”
“Jessie, stop. Calm down. Breathe, baby, slow and deep. He isn’t here on the property. Denn’s earth magick is pretty powerful stuff, and he can accomplish a hell of a lot from a perfectly safe distance.” He grabbed her chin and gently pulled her head to look at him. “Look at me, Jessie. Breathe, damn it. Despite whatever hard feelings one or both of us might be harboring from our past doesn’t matter right now. I gave my word to Jake that I would get you out of here safe and sound. So, do as I tell you and follow my plan, and everything will be fine.”