by Lisa Daniels
Bree had no response to that. Was it a path that was going to make her feel that she had always tried to do the right thing?
A voice floated through her mind. Someday you are going to quit acting like you are ok with all of this. I really hope you find your peace and finally have a chance to stop running away.
Was that what she was doing? Had Brandon been right? Suddenly all of her work looked like a silly child’s game. When she had started spying, Bree had been happy. She got to travel anywhere she wanted, meet new and interesting people, and experience things she had never dreamed about. But that was not true anymore. The work was no longer as much fun as it had been. There had been too much betrayal and horror to what she had witnessed. It had been a fun game, but now it just seemed …sad. Bree had always tried to be on the right side, but too often there was no right side in the end.
Her mind was racing as Calixto looked down at her. He looked like he was about to say something, when he leaned forward and kissed her. Bree’s mind went blank at the unexpected turn of events. She had started this, but her mind had been twisted and turned in on itself so that she forgot all about wanting Calixto. But now that he was kissing her, Bree didn’t care about anything else. Her hands closed around his shirt as she gently pressed into him.
Calixto pulled away at the sensation, “I’m sorry.” His eyes looked frightened as he stared down at her.
Bree shook her head, “It’s alright. I’m not angry.”
His arms began to release her.
“Please don’t let go of me.” Bree’s voice was barely above a whisper as she buried her face in his chest and her hands balled into fists on either side of her face, “Please.”
His arms circled around her again, and after a slight hesitation, Calixto rested his head on the top of hers. “Do you want to be mine?” His voice was warm and gentle.
Bree nodded her head, then placed her forehead on his chest in a submissive gesture. “Thank you Calixto.” Bree leaned into him not even wanting any more than what he was offering her at that moment. Her heart was racing and she had no idea what would happen if things progressed any further. It had been so long since she had last felt anything like love. Lust was easy, but this feeling was so much harder. It made her feel vulnerable and scared. And alive.
She pulled away and looked up at him, a slight smile on her face and a tear rolling down her cheek. The man’s hand reached up and brushed the tear away, but instead of taking his hand away it went around her head. Without any warning, he was kissing her again.
Bree’s body reacted immediately to the familiar question his body asked. Pushing into him, she let Calixto know that he was not in the wrong. His movements were quick and fluid as he scooped her up and carried her toward the woods.
They stopped kissing long enough for her to breathe, “The cave.”
He stopped walking, but his lips were too preoccupied to ask any questions. Bree pulled back a little as he remained standing on the spot, as if uncertain that she had meant what she said. “It’s fine. There’s a nice little fire and bedding in there.”
Calixto immediately headed toward the cave, his hands working to undo her dress. Once inside, he placed her on the ground and the dress slipped off. Bree stepped out of the dress and flicked her hand at the bedding. She turned her face back to his as she said, “No vermin in the beds n-”
Calixto had grabbed her roughly, pulling her against him, his hands running down her back. Bree gasped at how animalistic he was behaving after all of his restraint. Her hand worked quickly to undo his clothing because she did not feel certain that she could control her magic enough to do it the easy way. The young woman’s emotions were out of control as her body pushed Calixto down. He looked up at her as Bree straddled him. One of his hands moved up her back and pulled her down to him. His other hand cupped her breast moments before he hungrily began to suck on her nipple. Bree moaned and pushed her hips into his. Her hand reached around and rubbed against his upper thigh. She felt him tense as her hand ran between his thighs and began to stroke him. Calixto leaned his head back and moved his hips up into hers. Bree adjusted her body, gently pulsing in response to the rhythm he had set. Slowly, she slid her body down so that she could feel his head pressing against her. Bree had never been so excited before, and when she pressed herself over him, she was surprised at just how easily he slid into her. Her body tensed and she desperately wanted more. She began to slide down when a strong set of hands wrapped down her back and cupped around her upper thighs, preventing her from moving too quickly. Calixto looked at her as he gently pulled a little, further spreading her legs. Bree moaned as he took control from the floor. He slowly worked himself into her so that by the time he had fully penetrated her Bree was ready to climax.
As soon as her body relaxed, Calixto rolled over on top of her and began again. For the first time in her life, Bree accepted the submissive position as the man continually brought her to orgasm.
She had no idea how long they had been together in the cave, but she could easily believe that this man could literally go all night and all day. The smile on his face as he looked down at her made her heart race, and she pulled him down on her. He kissed her before moving down her neck.
Bree caught his face in her hands, “No, it’s your turn.” Focusing on him, she squeezed several sets of muscles and watched Calixto’s face as he tried to hide what he felt. Bree did it again, this time forcing a low moan out of the man. He buried his face in the nap of her neck, and she stroked his neck as she finally brought him to a climax.
He pulled back a little from her, but Bree realized the man had not softened at all. Calixto’s voice was husky and warm as he smiled down at her, “I guess it’s your turn again.” That was all it took for Bree’s body to begin to tense in anticipation. She arched up into him as he began to kiss her neck.
Chapter 4
A Choice and Another Surprise
The sun was rising when Bree left the cave the next morning. It was with regret that she left, but she had work to do. Calixto had fallen asleep beside her, and she had run her hands through his hair as he slept. Her eyes barely looked at his naked body because there was enough for her to focus on his face for days. He was beautiful in a way that she had never seen before. As he slept, Bree could not help but trace his lips, his jaw line, and his cheek bones. She had not felt this since her first time with a man, an experience that had ended so badly that she had decided that men were nothing more than toys. Saskia had made that boy pay dearly, but the damage had been done and a deep scar left on Bree’s heart. After more than five years of remaining emotionally detached, now her heart was saying it wanted more, and she was torn. If she believed what her heart said, there was a very real danger than something bad would happen. Strong emotions were very dangerous for her to feel because Bree knew that there was a risk of losing control of her abilities. When she had been hurt before, Bree’s powers had been undeveloped and too weak to pose a real problem. She had thought she was just a witch. It was a year or two after that when her abilities had struck like a hammer on an anvil, but by then she had already decided that love was not something she should take seriously. All she needed was a look at the history of her kind to know just how dangerous it was to lose control. Calixto had not been wrong there – sorcerers and sorceresses had nearly ended the world several times. It was why witches and wizards were treated so cruelly by most species, not just humans. A powerful witch or wizard could wipe out a small country unaided. Shifters were one of the few species that seemed to give them the benefit of the doubt. Bree believed it was because they suffered from similar discrimination for being caught between two different species.
But her heart ached, and it was difficult to take her eyes off of the cave. “Don’t be a fool Bree,” she muttered to herself as she looked longingly at the cave opening wanting to run back inside. “You know exactly what Annora would say about what you are doing.”
The mention of her friend had just the rig
ht effect. With a cold laugh, Bree could hear her prudish friend making fun of a weakness over a man. Or maybe she would pity Bree, a realization that made Bree feel even worse.
“I don’t know how you do it Annora. I almost wish you could show me how you keep from letting anyone touch you. You always warned me that someday something would change, and I always laughed it off. I wish that you had been wrong.”
Knowing that staying would only cause complications that she couldn’t handle, Bree finally turned to head back to Imalone. With a quick wave of her hand, the corpses disappeared, causing the crows and other creatures to squawk in protest. Bree felt a little twinge of satisfaction that she was not the only one who was discontent that morning.
Less than two hours later, Bree reached the little town without any real thought into what she should do next. It was completely unlike her – she knew what she needed to do for work, but at the moment it didn't feel that pressing. She had drawn down the magical veil that kept her identity and powers largely hidden, this time pulling it a little further over herself so that only the most powerful creatures would be able to identify her as nonhuman. It meant to give her a little bit of time to recover her senses.
As she stepped into the town, the young woman’s mind was still in the cave, wishing that things could have been different. Bree pulled her bag in front of her, trying to refocus her thoughts, and began to go through the contents to make sure she didn’t need anything once she left. It had occurred to her that Kildeer would be a better way to reach her final destination. For some reason, Bree was craving the distractions humans provided. Walking in the wilds on her own seemed a little less attractive that morning.
Suddenly, she stopped as her hands encountered something. Her head continued to move forward and hit something very firm and warm. The contents of her bag spilled out onto the road. Startled, Bree took a step back and looked into another incredibly handsome face. Like Calixto’s, the face was serious, but there was something about the man that also reminded her of Phelan.
Stuttering, Bree apologized for bumping into the man, “I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry! My head just is not on straight today.” She crouched down and began to collect her things.
To her surprise the man crouched down too and began helping her, “It wasn’t entirely your fault. I wasn’t paying attention either.” He flashed her a beautiful smile. Bree knew that there was something seriously wrong with her when instead of flirting, she continued to apologize.
“No, it’s totally my fault. I’m just…distracted.” She looked away as she shoved things back in her bag.
“I’ll let you take 50% of the blame, but the rest is mine,” the man was smiling at her, his hand offering her the last few items that had fallen from her bag.
Reaching out, she nodded her head to him, “Thank you very much.”
They stood up. A less serious look now covered the man’s face as he took in her body, something she was accustomed to. To her surprise, he didn’t start flirting or tell her she looked nice. The words that accompanied the smile that had spread across his face had nothing to do with her beauty, “Hmmm, that’s interesting. I shouldn't think you would need to travel with that, given…” his finger was pointed at the medic badge.
Bree’s eyes followed his finger, and without thinking her hand covered the badge, “What do you mean?” Her eyes looked up into his. “I do a lot of medical work.”
The man’s beautiful smile drooped as he looked at her, “I’m sure you are more than capable, but, well, you-” He stopped and looked around. His eyes were narrowed as he looked at her, “You're a witch.” Bree’s eyes went wide and she really looked at the man, her senses now pulled fully into her current predicament.
Another shifter. The third man she had met in as many days who was a shifter.
Honestly confused, she looked at the man, “You are not completely right there. I’m a good bit further removed from humanity than witches.”
“Oh,” he smiled back at her, “it’s just surprising to find someone so powerful wandering around a little town. The most powerful creatures I’ve encountered tend to stick to their own instead of mixing with humans.”
Instead of laughing it off as she usually would, Bree narrowed her eyes, “You must be a rather powerful shifter yourself to be able to see through the veil.”
The man shrugged, “It’s a talent I have honed after years of being among humans. To be honest, I'm surprised it took you so long to identify me. I could practically smell your power from the other side of the town.”
Bree wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that, so she focused on the question that was bothering her. “Is there something going on with shifters?”
The man raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Bree pressed him, “You are the third one I have encountered in three days. I travel a lot, and I don’t think I’ve ever encountered two shifters within a month out in the human places.”
The man sighed, “It’s not something you need to worry about.”
I think he is probably trying to atone because he was exiled after something humans did to a woman in his charge. Calixto’s words came back to her. Her cheeks flushed as her heart sped up.
“Is something the matter?” The man was looking at her with sincere concern.
“No, just strange, that’s all. I wonder if you are all three the same species of shifter, or if you are different.”
The man gave her an appraising look for a moment before shrugging noncommittally.
“So, you are all the same.” Bree could read it in the man’s very obvious body language.
His laugh was rich and comforting, “I haven’t met them so I don’t know. If you were able to tell me their names, I might be able to help.”
“Evading the subject. That’s ok, I’m fairly certain you are all the same and that there is something going on with your clans.” She grinned at the momentary faltering of his smile.
“You were told about our clans?”
Bree smiled in triumph, “I have to admit I’ve never heard shifters use that term, so you guys must be a kind I am not familiar with.” The young woman was eager to steer the conversation away from Phelan and Calixto now. Given Phelan’s current situation, it was best that he come to terms with his future. Cast out for something humans did, the man was still trying to work for his clan. It was not her place to interfere. As for Calixto, the thought of him pained her too much to talk about him. Besides he had mentioned that he was head of a different clan. Most shifters were fairly territorial any way. It might cause more trouble than it would solve by talking about him. “I'm Bree,” she offered the man her hand.
He looked down at it and reached out his own, “Leonides. It is a pleasure to meet you Bree.” There was something in his clear gray eyes that reflected amusement as he looked at her. His eyes stood out all the more because of the lovely black hair that played around the edges of his face.
Bree realized that the man’s smile was probably a result of the fact that they were using human customs, something she had never really thought about until Calixto pointed it out. Fighting back the thought, Bree forced a brighter smile, “I think the pleasure is all mine, Leonides.”
He immediately shook his head, “Not at all. Perhaps we can split the pleasure 50/50 as well.” His smile was sweet, but Bree’s mind immediately went back to her night with Calixto, causing her face to flush bright red. Leonides burst into his beautiful laugh, “That was not what I had in mind. And you can call me Leo.”
Bree was embarrassed, a feeling that she was not at all accustomed to. She looked down, “Ok, Leo.” She found it difficult to look at him, but the young woman forced herself to look up as soon as she realized she was looking down. “So what brings you to Imalone? Or is it something you shouldn’t be talking about?” She gave him an out just in case the business was too personal or difficult to discuss.
Leo smiled at her, “Unfortunately, it is a little too sensitive to talk about openly.�
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With a quick nod of understanding, Bree let it go, “Well, if there is anything I can do to help. I’ve got a decent talent for finding things that are lost.”
“Does that include people?”
The look on his face made Bree think of Phelan, “It might.”
Leo laughed, “That’s alright. We are generally too proud to ask for help. Doing so would be considered an admittance of weakness on my part, and I have not been looking for long enough to admit that yet.”
The young woman understood that all too well. All she could do was offer him a small grin. “Thank you very much for your help.”
“Would you like to go for a drink?”
Bree blinked at the man. If she had been fully herself, she would have made the same suggestion some time ago instead of talking so openly in the middle of the road. Trying to recover a bit, the young woman accepted the welcome invitation, “I would love that.”
“Good.” Leo placed his hand on the small of her back and lead the woman toward the Butler’s Respite.
Bree beamed at the shocked expression followed by a hearty laugh as Brandon noticed her. Leo saw her face and heard the laugh as he steered the young woman to a seat. “I take it you know him well.”
Bree looked back at the man, “Yes. He’s a good friend. Yesterday he even gave me some advice that has ended up being spot on, and I’m not sure whether I should be grateful or upset.”
Leo held her chair out for her before moving around the table to take his own seat. “Good advice, no matter how ill-timed or inconvenient is always better to hear. It’s just a matter of learning how to accept it and change.”
Bree watched her handsome companion sit down across from her. She let out a little sigh of regret. If Leo had just entered her life one day earlier, how different would this have been. As interested as she wanted to be in him, every time she tried to imagine touching him, Calixto kept appearing.
