Falling For Them: A New Adult Reverse Harem Collection

by C. L. Stone

  Drew shifted in his seat to turn towards her, and the sudden movement cut through her thoughts. “So, to answer your question: Do I believe in magic? Yes, I do believe in magic.” He smiled softly at her. “But I have a feeling the real question here is, do you believe in magic, Lily?”

  “I didn’t,” she admitted, staring at the knot in his tie. “But maybe I was wrong.”

  “Ah! Being wrong,” he whispered. “Happens to the best of us. So, is that what you were arguing about?” he asked her quietly. “Or was this just academic?”

  With a start she realised just how odd her questions must have seemed to him. “Academic,” she said hastily. She caught his eyes, and he smiled at her. His eyes weren’t soulless, how strange that she had thought they were. They were dark, almost black, but they sparkled with humour, intelligence, and something else; something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  “Well, in that case, you came to the right person,” he said, switching off the engine. “I’m researching smuggling at the moment, but I love all British history. I have papers and books on the witch trials in Britain, especially the Pendle witches. You are more than welcome to read them.”

  “You’ve researched witches then?” she asked. He smiled at her, his head dropped slightly and for a fleeting second he looked evil. A ripple of unease made her breathing quicken, her hand released her belt, and she reached for the door handle.

  “It seems ironic, considering your question was out of the blue,” he said quietly, making her hesitate. “But, yes, I have. It’s fascinating reading. You are more than welcome to read anything I have. A lot of my books are back home in Wick, but you are more than welcome to come in and see the ones I brought with me.”

  He was smiling at her again, his face perfectly calm, open and friendly. She was beginning to think she really had lost her mind. There was nothing evil about him. He was just her neighbour, a history professor, a teacher for goodness sake, he was perfectly safe. He’d sparked an interest in her now. She debated going in with him to have a look. It wouldn’t hurt. A few minutes would be fine.

  A car horn startled her, and realisation slammed into her that she shouldn’t really go into his house without someone knowing where she was. She took her belt off and scrambled out of the car. She turned and looked back in at him. He was smiling at her as if she amused him. “Thank you for the lift back, but I really should get home.” She was a little breathless, and it made him chuckle.

  “A rain check?” he asked, and she found herself smiling back at him.

  “Yes, a rain check,” she said and shut the door. She ran around the back of his car and in through her gate. She didn’t look back; she didn’t acknowledge him again, wondering why on earth she’d agreed to a rain check with him. She heard his car drive around the corner of the last cottage where the car parking area was. She heard another car drive past, and she realised they’d been blocking the road. She reached her door and groaned aloud, she didn’t have her bag and her mother still wasn’t home.

  She let her forehead rest against the door in exhausted defeat. She had a lot to think about, but the frightening part was the thought that maybe they were telling her the truth.

  “Here.”

  She jumped, letting out a squeal and spinning on the spot to see Nate standing behind her. He held her bag in one hand and the wetsuit in the other. She bit her lip, unable to look into his eyes. It sank in that they must have left Jonas's place just after she had. They’d brought her things, knowing she had no way of getting in. They were looking after her again, even though she’d yelled and run out on them. She was completely turned about, overwhelmed and scared.

  “I can’t…” she faded out, taking them from him without looking up. She dug her key out of the side pocket, still unable to look at him.

  “I know,” he said quietly. “We’ll still be here when you’re ready, Lily May. We’ll always be here for you.” He turned and walked away.

  “Nate!” His name left her lips before she thought about it. He turned to look at her, but she didn’t know what else to say. She saw Matt and the twins coming up the road towards the gate, worry and concern filled their faces. She cracked, sagging slightly. She couldn’t leave it like this. She needed to know one way or the other.

  “Do you… do you want a coffee?” It was lame, and she knew it was, but she saw the raw relief on their faces and it settled her slightly. She unlocked the door and looked back over her shoulder at them, but her eyes fell on Drew. He was by his own door, his face cast in shadow from the porch. He raised his hand in a wave and went in, shutting the door behind him. She still had his handkerchief. She’d have to wash it and return it to him, she thought vaguely as she went inside. She heard the living room door shut, and she drew in a deep breath, turning to face them. There really was only one thing she could do now.

  “Show me again,” she whispered, bracing herself for an action that was going to change the rest of her life.

  Nate lifted his palm, a small blue ball of flames flickered about two inches above his skin.

  “Touch the flame, Lily May,” he murmured. “I promise, it will not hurt you. We will never hurt you. Not intentionally.”

  She lifted shaky fingers and took a leap of faith, or doubt, she wasn’t sure which. Her fingertips could feel the warmth from the fire, but it stayed a mild warmth as her fingers dipped through the blue flames. She wiggled her fingers, awe filling her. She blew onto the flames, but they didn’t even waver. He lowered his palm, but the blue flames stayed in place. He lifted his other hand and snapped his fingers, the blue ball disappeared immediately,

  “Oh, god,” she muttered, her legs giving out on her as the blood drained from her head. Josh caught her in his arms and lowered her to sit on the floor with him. The others crouched around her, but they made no move to touch her.

  “We have a lot to talk about, Lily Flower,” Matt murmured.

  “My life will never be the same, will it?” she whispered, aware of Josh’s arms around her. She had to believe, even though she still didn’t understand any of it. She had to believe that magic was real, that they were fairies.

  “No,” Nate said gently. “Things are going to change for you, Lily May, but you’re not alone.”

  Tears slid down her face, and he reached out and caught one on his fingertip. He blinked and then held it out to her; a small blue crystal lay where her tear had been. Her heart missed a beat; that was no parlour trick.

  “Lily, we want to help you understand what we are, what you are,” Matt said quietly. She blew out her breath, taking the tiny crystal in her fingers. It was as tangible as she was. There was no denying this.

  “Let us help you,” Josh whispered.

  “We won’t hurt you, ever,” Jake finished, equally quiet.

  Some things seem impossible because we don’t understand it, but it doesn’t stop it from being true or real.

  Drew’s words echoed in her head, and she nodded. She couldn’t deny it any longer. She wanted to understand exactly what they were.

  “Okay,” she whispered. Their collective sigh of relief was almost covered by the shuffling noise as they surrounded her, pulling her into them, holding her tightly between them.

  “You’re one of us, Lily May. We’ll always be here for you.”

  The words echoed through her head. She didn’t know fully what they were, or what they could do. They were mistaken about her, though. She did know that much; there was nothing special about her. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or what would happen next. But their words wrapped around her, settling her deep inside; a sense of peace and belonging filled her. She was where she belonged; with them. She was finally home. No matter what they were.

  18

  DREW

  Drew snarled as he shut the door. They were a complication he hadn’t anticipated. He hadn’t expected four hormonal teenage boys to be sniffing around her like bloodhounds. She was his, and he wasn’t about to let nearly eighteen years
of patiently waiting go to waste because of a bunch of schoolboys.

  He’d seen them drive towards the car just as Lily got in. He’d driven off quickly, not wanting to give them the chance to talk her out of his car. He’d been tempted to drive away with her then. Tell her everything and take her away with him. But they’d tailed him, and in this day and age kidnapping was not as easy as it had once been. With mobile phones, satellite tracking, and the internet, the world was too small a place to use methods that once would have worked. No, he’d have to win her trust, and with them hovering around her like bees around a honey pot, it wasn’t going to be easy.

  He’d been watching her for years, waiting, making himself known enough times to frighten Lynda into moving on. He’d stopped Lily from putting down roots, from forming friendships that could interfere with his plans for her. He’d known about the visits to the doctors who had labelled it cryptogenic epilepsy because they couldn’t find a reason for the apparent seizures. He’d watched as Lynda tried different medications in a vain attempt to block Lily’s ability. Nothing the medical profession gave her worked, and in desperation she’d turned to the exact source she was trying to hide Lily from. Magic.

  The pills Lynda gave her were effective to a point, but they were like plugging a hole in a bucket with cotton wool and then trying to fill it with water. They could only contain so much. And just as the water would eventually drip through, Lily’s abilities had spilled out, all hidden under the lie of epilepsy. Lynda had denied her the right to her heritage. It made him furious to think about it, but at the same time it played into his hand. Lily would be much easier to control when she found out her whole life was built upon a lie. That the one person she thought she could trust had lied about everything to her. Every foundation that woman built for Lily was about to be demolished, and he would make damn sure he was there to pick up the pieces that would be left.

  It was ironic, really, how Lynda’s lies had aided his plans. Being epileptic was another reason why Lily was different from everyone around her, another reason why she found it difficult to fit in anywhere. And she never did fit in anywhere, never had close friends. Except for now. Now it seemed as if she’d caught the attentions of those boys. He would have to find another way to get close to her now that it wasn’t just her and Lynda as he had expected.

  He’d seen her in town twice, the first time he’d watched her go into the optician’s. He’d deliberately placed himself so she would have to talk to him. Having her run headlong into him had been a stroke of luck he’d immediately seized upon. But the two boys she’d been with reacted instantly; he’d seen the animosity rolling off them as they’d taken a position behind her, warning him away from her. It was a clearly possessive manoeuvre, and one that told him that, on their part at least, she was theirs. He’d completely ignored them, not even acknowledging their presence. He wasn’t going to get into it with two snotty nosed kids in front of her. The more harmless she thought he was, the better it would be for the both of them.

  It was pure chance that he saw her running down the road, clearly upset. He’d been on business in the town and was returning to his cottage when he’d spotted her. It was hell sent and he took the opportunity, using it to his advantage.

  Lily was oblivious that the boys had followed them all the way to Trenance, but he’d seen the anger on their faces when she’d got into his car. He’d debated letting them see him reach out and touch her shoulder when they stopped behind the tractor, but he wouldn’t put it past them to ram their car into his, and he did like this car.

  Although he wasn’t completely certain that they were just schoolkids. Her question had thrown him for a second. It was a question that was a hundred miles from what he expected her to say. He guessed it was somehow linked to arguing with the boys, which led him to suspect that they’d said something to her, or she’d seen something around them that she’d found hard to believe. And judging by her headlong flight down the road, with tears pouring down her face, he figured it frightened her as well. It meant he would have to do some digging around to find out more about them. But until he knew what he was dealing with, his best defence was ignoring them.

  He wasn’t here for them, he was here for Lily. It was Lily he had to win over. Except he wasn’t certain that he was winning her over. At one point she relaxed completely with him, but when those idiot boys honked the Land Rover horn, he’d seen fear in her eyes; and he’d realised that he was the one that had frightened her. He’d moved too quickly, asking her to go in with him. And he could kick himself for telling her he lived in Wick. But either she didn’t know exactly where in Glastonbury she was born, or she didn’t know Wick was in Glastonbury. Whatever the reason, she hadn’t made the connection, and he’d sighed in relief. He would have to build her trust slowly and carefully, without revealing anything about who he was. He wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone, ruin this for him. He’d waited too long and sacrificed too much for her.

  He’d messed up with her mother, he wouldn’t mess up with her.

  To be continued...

  Look out for the continuation of Lily and her boys in “Denial” Spring 2017.

  Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.You can find me at www.facebook.com/rmwalkerauthor

  or here at https://twitter.com/AuthorRMWalker

  or even here https://www.instagram.com/boshomengro/

  About the Author

  I live in the wilds of England with my hubby, two kids and a cat who thinks he's a panther. I love to create worlds filled with romance, magic, fairies and spells. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I love writing them.

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  @RMWalker

  RMWalkerAuthor

  Precursor

  The Suoja Guild Prequel

  AJ ANDERS

  1

  Fledgling Day

  The hit came hard and fast. A leather covered hand flashed from the corner of her eye providing the only warning she received before pain blossomed along her lower right side. Her feet faltered slightly but sheer will helped her maintain her stance. Evie was determined to stay on her feet. She would not be forced down to the ground like a newbie fledgling.

  The next punch came from behind her, striking her in the shoulder. The force behind it propelled her forward a few steps. Grimacing, she locked her knees in place. If she faltered now, these assholes would never leave her alone. They wanted to break her, wanted to make her fall in line using any means necessary.

  The men surrounding her blended into each other, resembling all the others she’d ever known. Like obedient dogs, they followed orders blindly. Never thinking for themselves, never questioning, they swarmed around her with an almost fanatical glee. Their glossy stares, cold and unfeeling, watched her closely as they were anticipated the moment when her legs could no longer support her, and she crumbled to the ground. If that happened, they won.

  But, Evie was resolute, deciding to stay on her feet. People underestimated her because of her size. The team surrounding her equated being small with being weak. She was going to show them just how wrong they were. If they wanted to take her down, they would have to work for it.

  Taking deep, even breaths, Evie exhaled through her nose, trying to diminish the pain. Thanks to Maximillian, she knew how to handle pain. She learned at thirteen how to endure the beatings, but Max taught her to compartmentalize it, locking it away so that its influence would not cripple her in a fight. Clenching her fists tightly at her side, she tucked her chin against her chest and waited.

  Five men circled Evie. Their teeth bared like a pack of wild dogs closing in on their next kill. They looked for any signs of weakness they could exploit. Evie refused to give them one. Instead, she watched them warily. Seeing anger reflected in the gaze of the men surrounding her occurred regularly, but today, that anger was nowhere to be found. Instead, hatred replaced it. The men stared at her like she was their next meal they intend
ed to rend apart.

  Trepidation filled her, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something was wrong. Something or someone stirred them into a frenzy. This did not bode well for her.

  The air swirled around her, its light kiss against her skin signaling the next attack. She braced for it. A fist slammed into her stomach, quickly followed by a kick to her right hip. This new attack was quick and precise. A coordinated effort to inflict the maximum amount of pain, but it lacked the necessary force to knock her down. They were toying with her.

  Their disciplined training consisted of conditioning the mind, but they were not usually so brutal. The frenzied anticipation of the soldiers that surrounded her suffocated her with its palpable intensity. Laughter echoed. The soldiers pushed her, hoping to goad her into making a mistake. If that happened, it gave them unspoken permission to continue on with their torture. She didn't take the bait.

  Evie struggled through the haze of pain and readjusted her stance. Squaring her shoulders, she stood there defiantly. She would outlast them all.

  When the next hit came, it sent her reeling forward, almost forcing her to her knees. At the last second, she caught herself, regaining her balance. Blood pooled in her mouth. She must've bitten her lip in an effort to not cry out. Another hit, this time on her lower back, signaled one minute in, two minutes to go.

  Time seemed to slow down, each minute lasting an eternity as her attackers launched hit after hit, swiftly and repeatedly colliding with different parts of her body. Legs, back, chest, no area below her neck was left unscathed. Her body continued its aching throb, but she remained on her feet.