by Zelda Knight
“If it weren’t for your IUD. I’d fill you with another baby.”
“Oh, Dorian, we make beautiful babies. I love you much.” Our bodies move in tandem, taking the pleasuring sensation engulfing my body to new heights. My body trembles, my release having such a stronghold, he falls over the edge with me, biting into my shoulder because although his power to shapeshift is gone, his primal needs and ravenous appetite of a tiger remain.
“I love you too, my goddess. You are my forever. My mate.”
Thanks for Reading!
About J. P. Uvalle
JP is a beautifully twisted soul who has the divine ability to make the unbelievable, believable. A Colorado girl born and raised, she graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine and worked seven years as a full-time ER tech. Marriage and two beautiful kids later, she currently works part-time at a general practice assisting in surgeries and performing dentals. When JP is not saving lives or coming up with my next plot twist, she loves traveling and spending time with family and friends.
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Tricks, Treats & Trial by Fire
© 2021 Sapphire Winters
About Tricks, Treats & Trial by Fire
It's All Hallow's Eve, and Andrea Ralowski is ready to get over her ex and live it up and let it go down at her town's masquerade ball.
* * *
But the sleepy little town of Briarwood Hollow just outside Salem is hiding more behind its masks than Andrea knows. Turns out the werewolf she got her howls on with is literally a werewolf and now alpha Rex Rivers wants to make her one too as his fated mate. But it's her choice. After all, he says, someone like her could become too powerful once bitten...
* * *
As cryptic as that is, it prompts her to dive into her past, sure her life couldn't get weirder than a predestined wolf man mate... but it does. She learns that she doesn't just have a little magic in her past, but a lot. The kind that got her ancestors burned and could make things around Briarwood a little hot for her too.
* * *
But resisting all Rex offers might prove more trick than treat as Andrea must decide who she is and what she could be if she dares...
Chapter One
The last place I want to be is at a masquerade, but as executive assistant for the mayor – a fancy way of saying I’m his secretary – I don’t really have a choice.
Mayor Goodwin is hosting a gala on raising more for the Environmental Defense, a nonprofit organization in our small town of White Willow, who plans to use that money to help clean up the lakeshore. It’s post-tourist season, and as much as the economy flourishes because of the tourists, they leave such a huge mess on the shoreline that it’s almost not worth having them come at all. At least, in my opinion. The mayor doesn’t care. He just wants the money the tourists spend here and he’ll worry about the clean up later.
The gala is at the only luxury hotel in this place, built right on the lake so guests have access to a private part of the lake. It’s five floor and recently remodeled so it looks sleek and modern. I frown, taking it in, as I adjust the ridiculous mask on my face. I miss the red-orange color, the powder-blue trim. It opened in the seventies, after all.
“You okay, miss?”
I blink. One of the valets is addressing me. He’s attired in a black and white suit, his dark hair combed to the side. He can’t be more than twenty, twenty-two. He’s looking at me with such concern that it makes me uncomfortable.
I clear my throat. “I’m here for the gala,” I say.
I’m still unsure if I have to check in or not. My boss didn’t tell me anything except he expected me to be here, all dolled up.
“It’s in the Costa ballroom, just down the main hall,” he says. “You can’t miss it.”
I thank him and step inside. Thanks to the air conditioning, it’s drastically cooler in here than it is outside. White Willow is notoriously humid during the summer, even when fall starts to creep in. I can feel my underarms perspire, and I was in a sleeveless dress. The fact that I’m sweating for no reason isn’t something I’m terribly fond of.
I head to the Costa ballroom. It’s a large room, about three times the size of a regular conference room.
I check in at the table, forcing a smile as Betsy Harmon flickers her brown eyes over my dress, her lips curling into a frown. It’s clear she doesn’t think my dress is appropriate enough for a place like this. What Betsy needs to realize is she has big city dreams but still lives in a small town, and the judgmental look on her face is just asking for a fight.
“Cute dress,” she says as I pin my nametag to my left breast.
I flip her off without looking back.
I’m not in the mood to deal with – or anyone else’s, for that matter – shit. I don’t even want to be here. There’s something strange about everyone here.
I step into the room and I’m immediately offered a cocktail, which I take. I’m not much of a drinker but whatever. I’m at a party I don’t want to be at and though I recognize the people here, there’s something strange about the atmosphere but I can’t quite put my finger on what that is.
“Didn’t think you’d show up here,” a gruff voice says from behind me.
I nearly choke on good alcohol. I frown. Anyone who makes me want to spit is usually not a good guy in my book.
I peel my eyes away from the people, all donning masks. Some line up at the buffet while others are seated at the assigned tables, leaning over them and gossiping like they’re in the quad back in high school.
Sure enough, Rex Hammond is beside me, bottle of draft beer in his hand, his golden eyes taking in the room just like me.
“Didn’t think this was your scene,” he says. There’s something about him that gives him away. I would have recognized him if he was wearing a ski mask. He’s big, powerful, filling out his tuxedo in a way that definitely should be illegal. My pelvis pulsates just looking at him. I’ve never seen him cleaned up like this before.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, my voice flat. I shift my weight, returning my gaze to the people. “I know it’s the full moon and everything, but doesn’t it seem strange to you how everyone is so… I don’t know… graceful?”
“So because people aren’t tripping over air like some people, they’re weird?” he asks, arching that damn eyebrow I should have shaven off.
“You’re an asshole,” I mutter.
An old lady arches her eyebrow at me at my use of language before sipping on a flute of champagne. I consider shaving her eyebrow off as well but don’t.
“And you have a mouth on you, I see.”
I shoot him a glare. “The last thing you are allowed to talk about, Rex, is my mouth, okay?”
He took a step closer to me, invading my personal space. Not that he cared.
“I remember telling you not to boss me around,” he says, reaching for my neck so his thumb can tilt my chin back and I’m forced to look up at him. Because he wants me to see just how tall he is compared to me.
“Then stop acting so juvenile,” I tell him. He doesn’t intimidate me, and I know that’s not what he’s going for, but still. I don’t want him to boss me around.
Before I can comprehend what he’s about to do, he ducks his head and captures my lips with his. What the hell he’s doing, I have no idea. He’s a cop, he shouldn’t be publicly kissing me at some fancy gala, but he doesn’t seem to care.
And, if I’m being honest, neither do I.
Chapter Two
When we break apart, my first instinct is to slap him, so I do.
At least, I try to.
He intervenes, but catching my wrist. I pull against him. He refuses to release me. I frown. He snarls.
Suddenly, his mouth is on mine again and I’m not pushing him off of me, even though every instinct inside of me tells me I should. His tongue slides between my lips, causing heat to spark in my pelvis. I don’t want to remember what it feels like kissing Rex again, what it does to my body.
As he deepens the kiss, his hands trace the curves of my body, outlining my breasts, my waist, until his hand rests on my hips. My stomach gets light, my heart skips a beat. I pull back, suddenly needing to breathe. My head spins. If Rex wasn’t holding me, I’d be in a pile on the floor.
“We should go somewhere more private,” Rex says. I have no idea how his breathing isn’t ragged like mine, but it’s not. “Finish the conversation.”
I blink, and suddenly, I’m reminded that Rex and I aren’t alone. We’re at some charity function the more put on. I had been making out to an audience.
Jesus.
My cheeks pinch. Hopefully, my mask is still doing its job and masking my identity. Then again, this is a small town and everyone knows everyone and it’s not like I went out of my way to hide myself.
“S-sure,” I manage to force out.
He nods once, takes my hand, and leads me out of the gala. We head to the elevators. It’s only when we’re tucked safely inside do I shoot him a look.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“I got a room.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Were you expecting this?” I ask. “To have sex with me?”
I give his shoulder a push.
He grins, baring his entire set of straight teeth. It looks predatory and makes my pelvis burn with desire.
“I wouldn’t say I was expecting it.” His gold eyes turn a shade darker. “You are, after all, a hard one to read. I’m never sure what I’m going to get with you.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.”
He shrugs. “Take it as you will.”
The elevator pings and the doors slide open. Rex latches onto me again, all but dragging me to his room. He takes out the key and dangles it in the slot. The light flutters to green and the door pops open.
The second we’re inside, Rex pulls me to him and crashes his mouth to mine. I should push him away but I don’t, I can’t. I want his hands on my body and these clothes are making it too hard for him to touch me the way I want him too.
“You… are… such… a dick,” I get out through the kisses as I unbutton his shirt. “You think… I’m just going… to fall… in bed with you.”
“Well, aren’t you?” he asks.
I break away from him, realizing he’s right. His shirt is undone and my eyes gone over that toned body, my mouth watering at the sight. I’ve missed him. Badly.
“Tell me to stop,” he commands in a low voice. “Tell me to stop and I will.”
I let out a breath. I want to, just to rub it in his face. I want nothing more than to be like, fuck it, I will tell you. But I can’t. Even as I open the mouth, nothing comes out and it’s absolutely infuriating that my body is so traitorous.
“That’s what I thought,” he says smugly.
“I fucking hate you,” I say as he steps closer to me.
His smirk only deepened. “You fucking love me.”
He drops his shirt to the floor just before his arms wrap around me once again. His hands find my zipper and before I know what’s happening he peels it off like it’s a second skin I’m shedding. It pools to the floor so I’m in nothing but my underwear which Rex then begins to rip off into pieces.
“Hey!” I exclaim in a low voice.
“I’ll buy you new ones.”
When I’m standing completely naked in front of him, he takes a step back and stares at me. His eyes travel up and down, all over my body. I shift my weight, suddenly uncomfortable with his gaze. It’s like I don’t want him to see me.
“It’s crazy,” he says, his voice actually normal instead of growly, “I forgot how beautiful you are.”
My stomach heats. My cheeks flush. I’m not sure how to respond to that so I don’t. Instead, I clear my throat.
“You’re mine.” The two words come out without hesitation, and judging by his eyes, I can tell just how serious he is.
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I remind him, though I know my words fall on deaf ears. Rex always heard what he wanted and ignored what he didn’t want. It’s one of the reasons why we broke up.
I definitely shouldn’t be here with him. At all.
But I can’t help it.
He lunges for me before I have time to get a hold on myself and we crash to the bed, limbs tangled, body heat mixing, tongues clashing like we’re fighting some kind of a duel. I can’t stop touching him, I can’t stop the noises of pleasure from leaving me as he touches me in all the right places. It’s been a while since we’ve been together but it’s like he hasn’t forgotten.
In my haze, I don’t remember how Rex gets naked. It could have been me. It could have been him. Frankly, I don’t care.
When he thrusts inside of me, I see stars. I scratch his back, running my nails along his skin.
He roars.
He takes me, claims me, and when I climax, it’s his name on my lips even though he’s who I’ve been trying to forget ever since I walked away from him.
Chapter Three
I wake up to stillness and contentment. My pelvis is sore but I barely notice. Every nerve of my body hums with satisfaction. This isn’t the first time Rex has made me feel this way and a small part of me hopes it’s not the last.
Which is crazy.
There’s a reason we broke up. We couldn’t get along. Great sex is not a bandaid for other problems, although maybe it could be. Maybe we could figure something out…
But no.
My heart squeezes painfully and I turn to curl up on my side so my back faces Rex. As much as I don’t regret the sex, I do regret getting tangled up in him again. I do have feelings for the guy, even if he does drive me crazy. He’s rough around the edges, sure, but he was always gentle with me.
I close my eyes. He breathes steady, like he’s truly relaxed. The sound soothes me and I nearly drift off to sleep… up until he shifts in his sleep and he curls an arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him.
I freeze.
I’m not sure why my body tenses up. Maybe it’s because I don’t expect such intimacy from him, but regardless, I wish it doesn’t. I want to be comforted by him. I want to drift off with him, especially because I know this isn’t going to last.
“Why are you tense?” His voice comes out low and tired. His lips press against my bare back, causing a shiver to slide down my spine. My pelvis pulses with anticipation even though I’m too exhausted to think about doing anything other than turn around to face him.
“I-I don’t know,” I admit. I shift, curling the blankets around my body, suddenly shy.
“Look at me.” His voice is soft and gentle, a whisper. Rarely did I ever hear him use such a soft voice, but I realize I liked it. I realize I want him to talk to me more like this because it makes me feel special to him.
I turn over, though it takes a decent amount of effort on my part, and look at him. For a moment, he does nothing but stare back. His eyes search my face though I’m not sure why. There’s a slight wrinkle between his brows that tells me there’s something he wants to tell me. I’m just not sure what that is.
“What is it?” I finally ask. There used to be a time when I could read his face like the back of my hand. I think that’s still there, but I haven’t gone out of my way to try looking into it. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s something I need to tell you,” he says.
I want to roll my eyes. Of course, there is. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked. Otherwise, he wouldn�
�t have told me to look at him in the first place.
“Okay,” I say. I clear my throat and shift again. “What is it? Are you okay?”
He looks down. “Look,” he says, running his fingers through his thick locks of hair. “I don’t know how to tell you this so I’m just going to come out and say it, okay? You can choose to do what you want with the information, but I think it’s important that I tell you.”
My stomach twists. What does he want to tell me? It bothers me is that something, clearly, is wrong with him in terms of keeping something from me, but it’s hard for me to see what he actually wants to say. Is he doing this on purpose by dragging it out? Or is there more going on? And if it’s the latter, should I be worried?
“Rex, stop messing around and just tell me,” I say. “I don’t want to play guessing games.”
He nods once, like he can appreciate my concern. “I’m not who you think I am, Andrea,” he says. “There’s something about me I haven’t told you, and I feel it’s only fair to remedy that.”
“Okay,” I say. I take my hands and rest them on my stomach, lacing them together. I try to keep my patience in line, but the fact that he’s dragging this out and making it more than it needs to be is difficult to deal with.
“I’m a supe.”
I pause, letting his words sink in. “A… what?”
“A supe,” he repeats, like that’s supposed to help my confusion. “A supernatural creature. Someone with superhuman abilities. Do I need to continue?”
