Shards of Sass

by Robbie Cox

  He moved closer, one of his hands leaving her arm to slide inside of her robe. “This area is full of shifters. Everyone is used to seeing naked people after a shift. They’re also used to the sexual habits of shifters.”

  She swallowed the lump that filled her throat. Oh god, where was her anger now? “Dimitri, I…” She felt his thumb rub across her nipple, the tiny nub shriveling into a hard pearl of sensitivity. She moaned as she pushed her breast into his hand, her fury gone with his touch.

  “Adira, I can wait, but only so long,” he said. “You’re mine. I knew it from the moment I saw you first pull up in your car. My animal has already claimed you as his and is demanding to make his mark.” He tweaked her nipple, pinching it, as he stared into her eyes, knowing full well what he did to her.

  “Dimitri, I… I’m not sure I’m ready for another fling with a shifter.”

  “Fling?” he repeated, and it came out as a growl. She could see his animal in his eyes, the green-gold circles of passion penetrating her. “I don’t know what happened to you before, but I’m not talking about a fling, Adira. My animal wouldn’t be so eager and passionate for a casual encounter with you. This is how it feels when they’ve discovered their mate, my mate. This isn’t a fling; this is a lifetime. I cannot live without you in my life.”

  She stared at him, her eyes wide at such a passionate, deep declaration of love and commitment. She didn’t know what to say. Jensen played with her heart, allowed her to believe that what they had was real and forever, even though he never technically said those words. Yet, Dimitri not only said them, it was obvious he deeply felt them. He believed every word he uttered. These weren’t just statements; they were vows. “Oh, Dimitri…”

  He leaned down and kissed her, his warm lips pressed firm to hers, his tongue forcing its way inside of her, tasting her, claiming her. She fell into his arms, her robe coming completely open with the sudden embrace. She didn’t care, her passion overcoming her fear of being caught naked outside.

  When he broke the kiss, he stared into her eyes. “I don’t know who hurt you before, but I won’t allow anything to hurt you ever again. Adira, it would drive me crazy if Bane were to attempt to harm you because of me.”

  She held him close. “It wouldn’t be because of you. It would be because of my mouth at the bonfire. But, Dimitri, that’s why I’m here, remember? To help you fight him and protect this sanctuary. There are hurting people here who can’t protect themselves. Barbara sent me here to stand beside you in this fight and I’m not going to hide behind you. Or anyone, for that matter.”

  “But that was before I knew you were my mate. That changes things. Changes everything.”

  She shook her head, her hair swishing across her back. “No, no it doesn’t. It only makes the stakes that much more important. I told you yesterday; I’m not some weakling human. I’m a witch, very capable of defending myself. I’m in this fight now and refuse to hide from it.”

  He smiled at her, and it warmed her heart, stirring the feelings she hoped to escape when she left Blue Creek. “You’re such a feisty thing, Adira. Barbara knew what she was doing when she sent you my way.”

  Adira snorted in laughter. “When does Barbara Wolfe not know what she’s doing? The thing is figuring out the real purpose behind her actions.”

  He laughed as he nodded. “True story.” He then slid a hand up into her hair, strengthening his grip on her, as he pulled her tighter against him, his face growing serious. “I make no apologies for wanting to protect you. I’ll do my best to remember how strong of a woman you are, but, Adira, I will never allow harm to come to you if I can prevent it. I’m sorry, but you’re just too important to me.”

  “Dimitri, you’ve known me less than twenty-four hours. How is that even possible?”

  “It’s the call of a mate. That bond is stronger and runs deeper than any other.”

  She shook her head, still having a hard time comprehending it all. “It’s going to take me some time to come to grips with everything.” She slid her hand down his stomach until she gripped his hardness. “However, in the meantime, I bet I can think of something to keep my mind off the uncertainties I’m feeling right now.”

  He groaned, as she slid her hand back and forth on his throbbing cock. “Um, yeah, we can definitely do with some distraction right now.”

  She held a finger up. “But no biting. I’ve heard about the mate mark, and I’m not wanting to feel that just yet. Understood?”

  He nodded. “I’ll do my best. Promise.”

  She eyed him, as if she didn’t believe him, but then she gripped his hand and led him into her cabin, slamming the door behind them. She turned once they were out of sight of any peeping toms, and dragged him over to the couch, twirling him until he faced her. With a smirk, she shoved him down on it. He was already naked, so there was nothing between her and his hard cock. She slid her robe down her body, allowing him his first glimpse of her completely nude form. At first, she worried he would balk at her curves, but he just stared, mesmerized, his eyes filled with passion.

  He reached out to her and she stepped forward, straddling him, her arms around his neck. She slid her slit back and forth on his cock, feeling her pussy lips wrap around him, her wetness coating his thick shaft. Then she raised her body just enough to allow the head of his cock to find her entrance, and, as she stared straight into his green-gold eyes, she dropped down onto him, allowing him to fill her. She cried out as he groaned, his hands going to her waist, guiding her as she rode him, his cock slipping in and out of her pussy, stretching her, filling her. She gripped his neck, her arms pressing down on his shoulders, as her hips rocked back and forth on his. She felt his mouth on her flesh, his lips planting wet kisses all over her chest and neck, as she leaned down, giving herself to him.

  He held her and she used his grip to let herself go, her body tensing into a tight ball of sensations as she continued to ride him. Nothing else mattered. It was all gone from her mind. Jensen. Blue Creek. Bane. All she could think about was Dimitri and the way his cock felt inside of her. Her body twisted itself into a tight wad of tension, building, her orgasm ready to rip from her, as her clit rubbed against his pelvic bone, grinding against him, building, climbing, until she felt him grip her waist and yank her down onto his manhood. She opened her eyes and stared at him, his eyes wide, as she felt his cock twitch inside of her, filling her with his cum. The first explosion hitting her walls sent her over the edge. Her body exploded with her orgasm, shuddering, as it tightened into electric jolts that ripped down her nerves, up her spine, and into her mind. Her eyes widened and her mouth made a perfect O as she cried out.

  It was the most amazing orgasm she could remember ever having, her mind lost in the typhoon of emotions and sensations that rippled through her. She couldn’t stop and felt tears well up in her eyes, as she surrendered to the ride she enjoyed. It was like a giant wave pool and she kept going up to the crest of the wave and then slammed back down only to rise again. An eternity must have passed before she caught her breath again, her vision an explosion of white dots that popped in and out. She fell onto his chest and he held her tight against him, keeping her from falling over.

  “That…that was amazing,” she said, her voice a raspy whisper. “I just…wow…I need some time to rest. And some water.”

  She felt his lips on her neck, and he kept kissing her. “You rest,” he whispered in her ear. “And I’ll get you some water. And then breakfast. I built up an appetite, and all I did was sit there.” He grinned at her, as he nuzzled into her neck. “Maybe I should get you mad at me more often.”

  She nibbled into his neck. “I wouldn’t if I were you.” She sent a surge of power into him through her teeth as she bit down.

  He yelped a little, and then moaned. “I don’t know. That could be fun, as well.”

  She could only laugh. “Go get me some water.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a chuckle. He slid her off his lap and onto the couch, kissi
ng her shoulder as he did, before pushing himself off the couch to carry out her wishes.

  “And then breakfast,” she called after him.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, still laughing.

  Wow. What was I missing before? Screw breakfast. I could make a few meals out of him. She made a mental note to call Barbara Wolfe and thank the woman for sending her to Bull Creek.

  Eight

  “Shots! We need shots,” Alanna called out once they found a table. Adira slid into the empty chair, as did Deputy Lainie Everest and Eve Hartlow. It was ladies night at Everglades, a shifter bar in Holopaw, and Alanna was determined that Adira would have a good time, to unwind and forget men and shifters, especially coyotes. It was a dive bar, really, nothing like the Horny Wolf back in Blue Creek, but it held its own rustic charm. It was a wooden structure, appearing to be constructed of discarded planks, rather than finished wood, with scratched up wooden chairs and tables, weak mirrors and flashing beer logos on the walls. Serving girls wandered from table to table, taking orders and flirting with the men patrons, whether the men had dates or not. Country music blared from a broken down jukebox, bouncing off the walls, as couples line danced and chugged their beers. It was the perfect place to get drunk and forget.

  While they were there to put coyotes out of their minds, there was one shifter Adira didn’t want to forget. She couldn’t, even if she tried. Dimitri consumed her thoughts and, if she was honest with herself, her fantasies. She could still feel him between her legs from that morning. If they had only tumbled in her bed once, the sensations probably would have faded by now, but after three rounds on the mattress, she almost couldn’t walk.

  “Of tequila,” Lainie Everest shouted, echoing the call for shots, as she tapped the table several times. Her long, dark hair swished around her shoulders with the movement. “I’m not on duty tonight, so I definitely need tequila.” Lainie was the only shifter on Sheriff Einstein’s unit, a panther he hired to help him navigate the shifter realm. As such, her hours varied depending on what was happening in Bull Creek at the time. One of the reasons she attended girl’s night out was because Chet didn’t trust Bane to leave Adira alone. Nor did Dimitri, for that matter. Adira knew the women were babysitting her, even if Lainie denied it. As long as alcohol was involved and no men, Adira allowed it.

  “Yeah, are you allowed to be drinking or did you manage the night off?” Eve asked, her blue eyes wide with faked shock. She was one of the humans who took up residence in Bull Creek over a year ago, running from a past she still refused to discuss. When Alanna told Adira about the other woman, all she said was that when Eve arrived in their community, her body was covered by more bruises than healthy flesh. “Saturday night should be all hands on deck, shouldn’t it?”

  Lainie just laughed, shaking her head. “First, shifters can’t get drunk. At least, not with this stuff. We’re lucky that way. And seriously? All hands? In this area? The most action we ever see around here are hunters shooting off their sticks out of season.” She rolled her eyes, as if Eve’s question was ridiculous. Adira knew the real reason Lainie had the night off, however. “They see way more action in St. Cloud and Kissimmee. If it wasn’t for old man Tucker losing his keys once in a while, I would never get a call.”

  “You should have been out at Bull Creek last night, then,” Eve said, ignoring the look Alanna shot her way. Instead, she tucked a strand of her sandy hair behind her ear and pressed on with her tale. “Bane Kastner stopped by and brought some of his coyote buddies. I thought they would trash the place until Adira got all sparky on them.” She grinned, as she glanced over at Adira, wiggling her fingers in the air. “It was… shocking to watch.”

  Adira rolled her eyes, ignoring Eve’s poor attempts at word play. Eve was fascinated with all things paranormal, and it seemed after last night, Adira was young Eve’s new fixation.

  “Yeah, we definitely need shots,” Alanna said, as she waved down one of the serving girls making the rounds. “Beers and tequila shots,” she ordered, once the woman came close enough to hear her. Alanna then turned back to the others. “Now, enough about last night. Let’s talk about Adira and how she woke up this morning.” She grinned, as she leaned over, waggling her eyebrows at the witch on the other side of the table.

  Adira felt her face flush with heat at the thought that they all knew she slept with Dimitri that morning. Slept with. It sounds so lame compared to what we did, which was… Incredible. “How on earth do you know what went on between Dimitri and me this morning?” she asked. “Were you sleeping on my porch as well?”

  Alanna shook her head. “Not hardly. The ground is too hard. My wolf isn’t even happy sleeping on the ground. No, my cabin is close to yours. Too close from the sounds that woke me up this morning.” She grinned at her friend. “Shifters have great hearing, remember?”

  Adira’s blush deepened, as she closed her eyes. She forgot about how open the shifters were about all things sexual. She’d rather talk about coyotes. She had no idea what was really happening with Dimitri, and she didn’t want to figure it all out in front of her new friends. “Definitely need tequila.”

  “Wait a minute,” Lainie said, straightening in her chair. “You got it on with my brother?” Then she pointed at Alanna. “And you want to talk about it with me here? I don’t want the low down on how my brother goes down.”

  Eve grinned, her eyes going wide, as her brows popped up. “I wouldn’t mind talking about it,” she said. “How was he? He looks like he could be wild in bed.”

  “Don’t!” Lainie shouted, as she held her hands out. “Not one word.”

  “I thought shifters were pretty open when it came to being naked and sex,” Eve said.

  “Not when it comes to my brother,” Lainie said. “Now, let’s pick a new topic.”

  “Agreed,” Adira said.

  Alanna just grinned, and Adira knew the topic was bound to come back up sooner or later.

  Eve shrugged, surrendering her curiosity for which Adira was grateful. Of course, that only left one other topic. “What is Chet going to do with the influx of coyotes in Bull Creek?” Eve asked the deputy. “Bane means harm. You can see it in his eyes.”

  Lainie shrugged. “There’s nothing he can do right now. Technically, Bane hasn’t done anything but overflow at the mouth and trespass at your party, a community party, so it wasn’t really private or trespassing. Nothing’s happened that’s worth the paperwork to hold him for a few hours.”

  The waitress brought their drinks, setting the beers and shot glasses in front of the women. They ceased talking until the lady disappeared again. There were no men at the table, so no real reason for her to linger, flirting her way into a bigger tip. Once she was out of earshot, Alanna asked Lainie what the sheriff told her about the bonfire.

  Lainie shrugged. “Just that Bane appeared and Dimitri said he’d handle it. We’re not supposed to interfere in any official capacity until called. To me, that means it’s going to be a shifter thing, which means I may be in it after all.”

  “What do you mean, a shifter thing?” Adira sat up straighter, reaching out and wrapping her hands around her beer bottle. The whole it’s a shifter thing sounded ominous at best.

  Alanna shook her head, probably to warn Lainie from saying anything else, but the deputy didn’t notice it the way Adira did. “It means that Dimitri and his boys are going to handle it, more than likely,” Lainie replied. “It’s not going to be pretty. Bane has some strong men in his pack. I’m not saying Dimitri’s enforcers aren’t capable. I just worry that they’ll be outnumbered.”

  Adira turned to Alanna, her brows dipped in confusion. “Dimitri is going to fight Bane? Why?”

  Eve was staring at her beer. “To protect us humans,” she said, her voice low.

  “To protect us all,” Alanna said. She ran her hand through her hair as she reached out and lifted her shot glass. The other women followed suit.

  Adira stared at the amber liquid. Dimitri couldn’t go up agains
t Bane. Bane was not the type to fight fair. She just found Dimitri. She couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not ever. There was still too much sex to be had, too many emotions and sensations to experience. She would stand beside him, of that, there was no doubt. That’s why Barbara sent her to Bull Creek after all. To help Dimitri in his quest to protect the community and its residents. Adira would not allow him to face Bane alone. She would be by his side when it happened. Nothing would stop her.

  “To Bull Creek,” Alanna said, as she lifted her shot glass into the air.

  The others followed suit, echoing the toast. Then they all downed the liquid, allowing it to burn its way down their throats to start a fire in their bellies. Adira knew a war was on the horizon. I need to get my full powers back. Dimitri is going to need me at my best. She stared across the table at Alanna, who stared right back, her expression revealing that the other woman thought the same thing as Adira. They both needed to stand by their men, even though those men would do everything they could to keep the women away from the battle. Male chauvinist… She sighed as she reached for her beer. Now she had to figure out how to make Dimitri see her point of view.

  The conversation turned from Bane and his obsession with Bull Creek to more important matters, like the way Brad Pitt’s ass looked in jeans. The drinks kept flowing, shots kept coming, and the laughter grew louder. Adira didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but tonight, she was all about the other three ladies around her table. She really hadn’t taken any time to relax since the breakup with Jensen, and since Barbara Wolfe sent her to Bull Creek. From one chaos to another, this seemed to be her journey.

  She became so lost in the merriment, she almost missed the shift in Alanna’s posture. The other woman stiffened, her back going straight, as her head turned toward the door, her eyes narrowing into thin slits of agitation. Adira turned her attention, following Alanna’s gaze, until she noticed the two men walking into Everglades. She recognized them as the men at Bane’s side last night. Four others accompanied them, each with thick muscles and dark hair, their black eyes menacing, even as they smiled at the ladies they passed. She strained to see if Bane was with them, but they seemed to be alone. Blue sparks tingled at her fingertips, and she took a deep breath, reining in the power that wanted to shoot from her hands, her agitation sparking her magic.