by Renee Jordan
I pulled on a skimpy pair of black panties, more lace than cloth. Next went on the garter belt. It took a few tries to figure it out before I had it cinched high on my waist. Then I peeled on the gorgeous, black thigh-high stockings. The nylons were a sensuous whisper as I worked them up my thighs, caressing my flesh. I clipped them on, then glanced in the mirror.
I looked sexy. I couldn't wait for tonight when we got home.
Lastly, I unpacked my little, black dress and pulled it on, contorting my arms to zip up the back. It was quite a chore, and my shoulders were sore, but it was worth it when I smoothed out the skirt. I pulled on my pumps and strode out of the bedroom, my heels clicking on the hardwood floors.
“Damn, Kotie,” Forrest groaned, his eyes widening as he stared up at me. I smiled, walking carefully down the stairs as he drank in my sexy ensemble.
“You're looking good, too,” I smiled as I admired him in his dress uniform. Forrest was handsome in the tailored shirt and dark-brown pants. He had shaved close and a spicy cologne tickled my nose. He pulled out a long, rectangular jewelry box from his pocket. My heart almost stopped as he handed it to me.
“Forrest,” I choked out as I seized it, popping the box open. A lovely, silver necklace dotted with garnets lay inside on red felt. “Oh, it's beautiful.”
I fought back the tears, not wanting to ruin my mascara. I picked the necklace out of the box, then handed it to him. “Will you put it on?” I asked, lifting my auburn hair and baring my neck. He nodded, reaching back to clasp it shut. It dangled down to my cleavage, lying cool on my skin. His lips leaned in as he finished clasping it.
“You look far more beautiful than the necklace.”
“Forrest,” I sighed again, fluttering my eyes as the tears threatened to come. “Thank you, thank you. Tonight is gonna be wonderful.”
Forrest took my arm in his, “Shall we?”
I nodded.
Chapter Ten: Fiery Dance
My giddy excitement almost bubbled over as Forrest started up his Sheriff's SUV. My fingers kept reaching up to brush the necklace. Burt was never a jewelry guy, even before he turned into a complete asshole. I felt so fancy in my black dress and sparkling necklace.
Like a princess in a fairy tale.
“Which makes me Belle,” I giggled out loud.
Forrest frowned, looking over at me as he turned his SUV around in the wide, gravel driveway. “What?”
“I'm Belle because you're the Beast.”
“You have lost me.”
“Beauty and the Beast?”
Forrest returned a blank stare.
I shook my head in disappointment. “I think it should be obvious. I, the gorgeous beauty, have tamed your beast and turned you into a handsome prince.” I let out a throaty purr. “And you are handsome in your dress uniform.”
“I was handsome before we met,” Forrest pointed out, turning left onto Miner's Way.
“It's a metaphor,” I said, folding my arms.
“Sorry, Kotie,” he muttered. “It's a lovely metaphor. I was just a handsome beast.”
“But my beauty did tame you.”
He glanced at me. “Can you ever really tame a wolf?” The hungry passion shining in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine. He was so strong and powerful. I could never fully tame him. And I didn't want to.
“Who wants a lapdog when you can have a beast?” I asked with a smile.
Forrest's hand reached out, squeezing my stockinged thigh right above my knee. Oh, yes, we would have some wild sex tonight. A naughty flush went through me as another thought popped into my head. Why wait until we get home? I bet we could find a quiet nook at the school to be alone.
“You're thinking something naughty.”
“I am,” I said, my cheeks warming, “and you might just hear my idea before the night's over.”
“I can't wait.” He squeezed my thigh again. It was such a possessive gesture. I liked being his mate. His woman. I put my hand on his, stroking his skin as we drove down the mountainside into Moonrise.
The radio crackled.
“Hey, Boss,” a deputy called.
“Yeah, Xavier?” Forrest answered after he grabbed the handset.
“We just got a call in. Ol' Jonas saw a black Mustang parked by a cabin on the east shore of Redrock Lake 'bout twenty minutes ago. He's over at the boat landing and he says he still sees it.”
Forrest grinned, “Take all the on-duty units and head on out there. Be careful, he may be armed.”
“Will do, Boss.”
“Redrock Lake?” I asked.
“It's near the county border. It's about an hour drive to get to that side of the lake. But my boys will take care of Burt.”
“I bet they will,” I glanced at Forrest. “You want to be out there, don't you?”
“I do.” His voice was low and gravely. “I want to get my hands on Burt. He threatened me, he hurt you. He needs to learn where his place is in Moonrise.” His hands relaxed on the steering wheel. “But I'm the Sheriff. I need to be at this ball.” He glanced at me, “Besides, you look delicious in that dress.”
“I do,” I nodded, loving his eyes on me.
“So we'll just forget about Burt and have an enjoyable time.”
We reached the school a few minutes later. Kalipsel High School was a combined institution: middle school and high school in one building. The elementary school was further up the road. Cop cars lined the road, and not just from Moonrise. It looked like all the cops in southeastern Montana had arrived.
The gym doors were open, light and music flooding out into the night. Forrest climbed out first, dashing around the SUV to open my door and help me out. I took his hand, my heels clicking as we walked up the cement path to the door. The music grew louder, a Country-Western twang spilling over the thudding bass.
Couples danced on one side of the gym before the band, who were a group of guys playing Country-Western covers in tight blue jeans, unbuttoned plaid shirts and cowboy hats. They weren't too bad. Small, round tables sat near a well-stocked buffet. Almost all the men wore police dress uniforms, their wives and girlfriends in lovely dresses. A few older men wore suits, they might be retired cops or politicians, and a few women wore uniforms.
The Mayor of Moonrise, a rotund man with a ruddy face, walked up to Forrest. His wife was tall and bony, but she had a friendly smile and gave me an inviting hug and a pair of kisses on my cheeks.
“You're spending a lot of resources on this one guy,” the Mayor said, leaning in.
“He challenged my pack,” Forrest answered, staring hard at the man.
The Mayor flinched and nodded his head. He wasn't as shifter, but a regular man. “I didn't mean anything by that. I just meant, is he a threat to this town? Like...the witch last week?”
“No,” Forrest answered, shaking his head.
“That's good to hear, Sheriff.” The Mayor swallowed. “Well, um, I hope you get this man and there aren't any...legal complications.”
Forrest shrugged. “If he resists arrest, it's his own fault.”
I didn't want to think about Burt, so I grabbed Forrest's hand. “Come on, let's dance, honey.”
“Yes, yes, dance with your beautiful girlfriend,” the Mayor's wife smiled. “Politics can wait.”
“Oh, um, yes,” the Mayor nodded. “Just keep me appraised on this situation.”
“I will.”
Forrest led me out onto the dance floor. The music pulsed and boomed as we danced. Neither of us were any good at it, but it was fun. I held Forrest tight, wiggling my hips as we swayed and spun, his strong hands sliding up and down my back.
And he had stamina. Which was good, because I loved to dance. We spun about for a few songs, laughing and having a great time. I loved being held by him and pressed against him. I put my hands around his neck, kissing him in the middle of the dance floor, our bodies swaying as our lips worked together.
“Ooh,” a woman gushed by us.
I broke the kiss, my che
eks red, and saw Penny staring at us as she danced with Deputy Kiernan. She looked gorgeous in a powder blue dress that hung on her curves in all the right places. She had a big smile on her face as she winked at me.
“I didn't know you're dating Kiernan,” I smiled.
“Oh, dating such a, um...inexact word for it,” Penny giggled.
Kiernan shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Umm, hey, Boss.”
Forrest nodded as he twirled me about the dance floor.
“So what do you call it?” I asked.
“Having fun,” Penny laughed, pressing tighter against Kiernan, her hands sliding down to squeeze his rather nice ass and pulling the wolf shifter harder against her. Kiernan's smile grew as she ground on him to the music.
After the song finished I needed a drink. I found a table to sit at while Forrest fetched us something. He came back with a soft drink for him and a glass of punch for me. I sipped at the fruity drink, my heart still beating from the fun of dancing.
Vanessa strolled by in her red dress, drawing almost every guy's gaze. Even Forrest glanced at her for a moment. She grabbed a guy sipping a soft drink by the tie and pulled him out onto the dance floor. She had found her first prey of the night.
The buzz from my excitement demanded that I head back out onto the dance floor. I grabbed Forrest and he took a last gulp of his soda before he followed. We danced for a few more songs. I ground on Forrest and when a slower song came on I turned, wiggling my butt against him like we were at the club, his arms wrapped around me.
“Hey, Boss,” Vanessa called, waving from across the stage, “we need to talk.”
“I'll be right back,” Forrest said, kissing me.
“Sure,” I smiled, staying on the dance floor. I didn't want to stop. I swayed, letting the music guide me. Penny grinned and joined me, the pair of us laughing as we danced a few feet apart.
A few guys started watching us and Penny had a naughty look in her eyes.
“I'm not kissing you,” I told her. I'd been to enough drunken parties with Burt, I wouldn't do that again.
Penny laughed, “You don't want to put on a show?”
I shook my head, glancing back at Forrest and Vanessa talking. What was going on?
“Do you mind if I have this dance?” one of the men watching us asked.
“Oh, not at all,” I shrugged.
He was a handsome man, tall, with black hair pulled back into a ponytail. His face was tan from working outdoors. He put one hand on my hip, the other grabbed my right hand as we danced. I took care not to get too close to him.
I frowned, peering up at him as we danced across the room. There was something so familiar about him. “Who are you?”
He grinned at me, his hand sliding from my hip to my lower back.
“Hey, buddy,” I gasped, pulling my hand from his shoulder to swat his hand away.
“You're getting a little too frisky.”
I tried to tug his hand away, but he didn't move. The tattoo on my lower back suddenly itched as he pressed right on it. I went to jerk away, but his grip was too strong. My heart beat faster. Who was this guy? What was he doing?
“Hey,” I snapped. “You're in a room full of cops, and one of them is my boyfriend. Do you really want to do this?”
“Spirits of creation,” he chanted, “sever your connection with Dakota. Withhold your gift from her.”
“Wha—”
Pain flared on my tattoo for a brief instance. A fiery, needling ache shot through me. I gasped and stumbled, my knees buckling. I would have collapsed if it wasn't for this stranger’s grip holding me up.
“What did you do?” I demanded again, confusion filling me. My totem didn't feel right anymore. I reached out with my magic, trying to push through it, only it wasn't there to focus my magic.
“I neutralized the Imbuement spirits on your totem, Dakota,” the stranger said. “I was there when it was created. I made sure I could control you.”
“Forrest!” I shouted, my voice drowned out by the band. I arched my head, looking for him. Where was he? My panic rose. “Forrest! Help!”
“Calm down, Dakota,” the stranger said again. “Spirits of illusion, release your disguise on me.”
The stranger's face rippled, his tanned face melting away to reveal Burt. My heart stopped, gripped by terror.
Burt grinned at me, the black dissolving out of his hair, revealing his straw-blond coloring. I trembled in fear. Burt had me and he did something to my magic.
“You're a witch?” I gaped. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. “How?”
“Since I was a child,” he shrugged. “My Master found me young. He showed me the depths of power.”
“Master?” My panic grew. I reached out to Forrest, calling him with that bond that connected us. I needed him so badly.
A loud snarl ripped through the gymnasium.
“Forrest is coming,” I told him. “He's a wolf shifter. He's killed witches before.”
Burt looked down at me. “You love him, huh?”
“Yes!”
“Then come with me and I won't kill him.” Burt's face grew hard. “But if you don't come, I will burn him to ashes.”
“I won't!” I hissed.
Fire suddenly crackled in the air about him. Beneath his dress shirt, crimson gleamed right over his heart. Right where he had a tattoo of fire wrapped in chains of smoke. His totem. Why didn't I make the connection sooner? I just thought it was one of his stupid tattoos. I never thought Burt could be...like me. The fire exploded out from him, washing across the gymnasium and slamming into the nearby dancers. The floor and walls caught fire. Smoke billowed thick as the heat grew.
“I will consume him, Dakota!” he laughed, his eyes reflecting the red dancing flames.
People screamed, rushing for the exits as flames spread far faster than fire should. Except around us. We stood in a circle of untouched floor. Fire popped and crackled, dancing with a mad glee as it consumed everything.
A path appeared to a side door through the flames. Burt gripped my arm tight, yanking me with him.
“You're a monster!” I screamed, clawing at his hand.
“I'm your protector,” he spat. “You ungrateful cunt. I spent the last three years guarding you, keeping you safe.”
“Beating me,” I added. “Terrorizing me.”
“You made me do that, Dakota. You never listened. If you just obeyed me, I never would have had to hit you.”
He reached the doors, kicking them open. Beyond lay the backside of the gymnasium built right up to a stretch of dark woods. A wind rushed through the open doors, sucked in by the roaring fire. My hair whipped back. I couldn't let him kidnap me again. I concentrated, trying to touch my innate magic. I saw the spirits dancing around me, the Love spirits skirting around my body, the hungry Fire spirits dancing around Burt.
More Fire spirits played inside the gym, spreading the flames as they greedily consumed the building.
If I could see them, then I could control them. I concentrated on my protection, on throwing up a shield to protect me. But my tattoo was inert. I couldn't focus my will. I couldn't control the Love spirits dancing about me.
“Please,” I sobbed as Burt dragged me outside into the night air, “obey me.”
“It's useless,” Burt laughed. “Now stop struggling or I'll hurt you.”
“Hurt me!” I spat, then hissed and clawed at his face with my free hand. “I'm not gonna be your prisoner again.”
My fingers scratched down his face before he caught my hand. He shoved me backwards with a growl. I stumbled, my ankles folding thanks to my heels. I landed on the cement, gasping in pain as he strode towards me and planted a foot on my chest.
“Listen, bitch, I need to keep you alive. That's what I was told to do. So long as you breathe, that's good enough. So it's up to you how much you want it to hurt.”
“Who told you to?” I demanded. “What are you saying?”
“That I was told to seduce
you,” he laughed. “You were so easy to befuddle. A simple spell, and you panted like a whore that night. What a slut you were for me. You gave up your cherry and let me wrap you around my finger.”
I shuddered, repulsed. He cast a spell on me? That strange night when I was entranced by his music, by his performance, that wasn't true lust. That wasn't me. A wave of disgust went through me as I remembered letting this monster touch me.
It was even worse than remembering his abuse. There was never a time in our relationship when I wasn't his prisoner.
“But your damn magic was too strong! You wouldn't stay in love with me. You started drifting away, panting after other guys. You were mine to protect. Mine to love. That's what he wanted.”
“Who?” I demanded, reeling from the news. I needed to understand. The last three years of my life had been a lie. “Tell me who you're talking about?”
“My—”
“Kotie!” a voice howled. Forrest.
Bursting out of the doorway, through the roaring flames, was Forrest, his dress uniform singed, his eyes wild and golden. He slammed into Burt, throwing him off of me. My abuser gasped in shock, hitting the ground hard and rolling onto his back.
“Burt!” growled Forrest. “Burt! I'll tear you apart!”
Burt groaned, struggling to stand back up, blood pouring from a gash on his forehead.
Fur sprouted on Forrest's body. His body grew long and lean, his uniform ripping as he unleashed his beast. Fingers sprouted into claws, his roaring mouth became a howling muzzle full of sharp teeth. Only shreds of his uniform remained, falling off his black-furred body as his golden eyes fixed on Burt.
“You hurt her!” Forrest snarled through his bestial jaws.
Burt stood. “Spirits of defense, protect me from my enemy’s attack!” he cast as Forrest lunged.
The Love spirits that floated about me responded, racing to Burt's defense. Golden light burst about him, a shield of shimmering energy engulfing him. Forrest slammed into the shield, a wave rippling through it as my mate was thrown back with a whimpering snarl.
“No!” I shouted at the Love spirits, betrayed by their fickle service. “Stop protecting him! Don't help him fight my love.”
