by D. R. Rosier
Katie shushed her, and then said, “We’re leaving. Darren is fucking insane, and I just forced him to back down on a challenge. I fear he might return with his whole pack of wolf shifters and do something unspeakable.”
She whined again.
Katie sighed, “Shawn’s house. It’s a safe place, and your sister is there. I’m sorry Sharon, but Darren is the enemy right now, which means the warlock is our ally. He seemed like a good kid, a little young, but his heart is in the right place. But you know that already, don’t you? From your sister?”
Katie raised an eyebrow.
She chuffed and her alpha chuckled.
Katie gathered the cat shifter pack, the unattached ones anyway which were eight at the moment, and they piled into a couple of cars and drove toward Chicago. She wound up in the car with Katie driving, Barbara shared the front seat, and she was in the back with Erin.
She’d never felt so empty. Darren may not have been the greatest catch, but he was far from the worst, and she missed her mate bond a great deal. In love, or not, she felt like she’d had her heart torn out, and the magic was raw, as raw as her broken back. Unfortunately, she doubted the magic would heal nearly as quickly as her back would. She already had feeling back in her rear paws.
She also felt guilty, even though she did nothing wrong.
She could feel it over the bond before it snapped, the jealousy and sense of betrayal. The only conclusion she could come to was that Elissa somehow knew how she felt about Shawn.
It wasn’t that she really felt anything at all for him, it was that she’d had long talks with her sister, and had been jealous. Not of Shawn specifically, but of her sister having a lover that saw her as an equal partner, intelligent, worth listening to, and that she was valued for more than just three hot tight holes to get off in.
She never would have acted on it. She’d be lying though if she said she wasn’t attracted to the idea though. Shawn was very attractive, confident, and had even treated her very well the short time they’d spent together a few days ago. He hadn’t looked at her like a piece of meat. Yes, she’d scented his attraction, but he’d controlled it effortlessly.
The way her own mate could not.
Ex-mate she supposed. She hadn’t even known a mate bond could be severed like that. Her mind was still reeling from it. She felt sullied from it, raw, like her mind and magic had been raped.
But yes, she also felt guilty. Not because she would have betrayed him, but because she had wanted more than he could give. She hadn’t betrayed him, and wouldn’t have, but she had thought about it, maybe even dreamed about it. She’d wanted what her sister had found, was that too much to ask?
For a little simple respect and caring? Was she not worthy of it? Not a good enough mate, lover, and woman to be loved and cherished, listened to?
Well, she was no longer his mate, the Darren she’d known was dead, and had severed their bond. He’d almost killed her in a jealous rage. Which was ironic, because he’s the bastard that cheated on her, not the other way around. She may have found the warlock attractive, but it was the concept of a true partnership that had been the temptation.
Somehow, Elissa had found out, and used that to twist him. It was the only way to explain what he’d just done, and why he felt betrayed when he truly hadn’t been.
No… he had betrayed her.
And here she felt guilty for just wanting to be treated and respected as a woman. That seemed so wrong, but she still felt it. It was his failure, not hers.
Maybe if she kept telling herself that, she’d believe it…
Chapter 8
“I guess it went well?” Lilliana asked.
I grunted, “You could say that, better even than the previous two, which oddly makes it harder.”
She tilted her head, “I think I know what you mean. Neither you nor your ancestors have one-night stand mentalities. You are unique, but also the same when it comes to that part of things. You made a connection to the lovely young woman didn’t you?”
I shrugged, “It feels that way, but isn’t that kind of shallow? I basically told her fuck me and have my kid, or die. How do I claim a connection after that? No matter how sweet and loving she seemed to be, or how eager she was to give me her cherry.”
Ouch!
I rubbed the back of my head and glared toward her.
She stuck her tongue out at me and said, “That’s not what you did at all. You gave her a chance at life, and charged her for it. A doctor would have charged her over a hundred grand to swap her heart out. Does that mean he would say pay or die? Even better, she has a perfectly healthy body now, plus money to start a successful life and raise a kid, and a really nice place to live right in the city. Yes, I admit it’s a seller’s market, but that doesn’t mean she paid too much, or wasn’t thrilled to have such a gorgeous talented lover as her first time.”
I shook my head and said teasingly, “Gorgeous talented lover? Tell me more Lia.”
She giggled, “No, I think you get the point, but still probably feel guilty anyway. I know that won’t change, and I suppose it’s better than if you were arrogant about it. But yeah, back to the point. She was a sweet young woman who was eager in bed, and a pleasure to be around. Even I grew to like her upbeat personality on the short drive to her new digs. No matter how it happened, it doesn’t surprise me that you connected with her.
“People connect like that all the time, in a short period of time, even without sex.”
She was probably right, but it didn’t really help me. I still couldn’t see Amber again, connected or not. It always felt like I was leaving a small part of myself behind, and this time had been no different. In a way, the easy way we’d gotten along had made it worse, because at the end the connection had seemed stronger than the other two. I supposed in a way it was even literally true that I’d left a part of myself behind, since I’d knocked Amber up.
I also felt that closeness to Lilliana like I had last time. I knew it was a needy emotion, like if I could be close to her that would somehow make it better and fill up the temporary void. I didn’t examine it to closely though. Besides, I did need Lilliana, all the time. She was one of the solid pillars in my life, more so even than Malina and Karen, both of whom I loved as well.
I took Lilliana’s hand and squeezed it, “Want an ice cream cone?”
She giggled, “Ice cream?”
I nodded, “I want to spend a bit more time alone with you Lia, and ice cream seems like a good short date. Or we could do a coffee house. Coffee is always good.”
She asked in surprise, “A date?”
I frowned and squeezed her hand gently, “Can I not take the woman I love on a date?”
She smirked, “Sure, as long as I get lucky afterward.”
“I really don’t think that’s a problem, you can get lucky whenever you want.”
I was a guy after all, and Lilliana was beyond hot, and I loved her. She could seduce me with her mere presence. Actually, she could probably phone in a seducement.
She smiled, “You say the nicest things master. How about soft serve yoghurt? I don’t want to blow your diet.”
Diet?
I denied, “I’m not on a diet.”
She giggled, “Yes you are master, I put you on one as part of your training. You just haven’t noticed because I do all the cooking.”
I laughed, “Fine, and I know what you’re going to say.”
She raised an eyebrow, “What’s that?”
I sighed, “We should get it to go, we really don’t have time for a date. Not when Darren could be on his way any minute. I just wanted some quiet time you know, a break?”
Lilliana smiled, “You’re very wise master, yes, that would have been my advice if you asked. And, I love that you think time with me is a break.”
So we stopped for yoghurt, and ate it on the way home. I supposed I still felt a little off from Amber, how does a person go from such intimacy and sharing to never seeing someone again
? I wasn’t sure I had that answer, but the time with Lilliana helped me get my head on straight.
When we pulled into the garage, and the car was shut off I pulled her over for a soft loving kiss.
I said softly, “I’ve been wanting to do that for…”
She cut me off with another kiss, and rubbed between my legs softly with her hands. She gave a little needy moan into my mouth as I hardened against her hand, and she unzipped me and fished it out almost effortlessly while she kissed me more demandingly.
She started to stroke me softly and broke the kiss, and whispered in my ear, “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long while.”
I slid a hand into her shirt, and caressed the bottom of her breasts, and then tweaked her nipple through the lacey bra she had on, and she gasped into my ear and started to kiss my neck, her other hand worked her own pants open and pushed them down.
I smiled, “We have a bedroom right upstairs.”
She nodded slightly in agreement and dragged her lips along my neck, and my cock jumped in the light touch of her hand.
She said breathily, “Yes master, but until we go inside, we’re on a date, and you’re all mine.”
She somehow got her jeans off, don’t ask me how, my eyes were blocked by her beautiful hair and tits which she had in my face, and then she was straddling me.
She sighed in pleasure, “Master,” as she slowly sunk down on me, and impaled her tight sex on my invader. Hell, she felt so good, and then she ground against me lightly, swiveling her hips. She stopped kissing my neck and sat up straighter as I sunk down in the seat, and she pulled my head by my hair to one of her nipples.
I licked around it teasingly, and then sucked it into my mouth, as I ran my hands down the luscious curves of her body, in at her waist, and then around her sexy hips.
She moaned in pleasure and tightened around me for another slow and sensual grind as I squeezed her ass cheeks.
She gasped, “I love you… Shawn,” she whispered in a passionate and breathless voice as I felt her squeeze and flutter, and then tighten around me and gush her liquid pleasure around my hard length, as she reached the peak of her bliss.
Her saying she loved me, but more than that, using my name at the moment of her climax, given to me at the height of her vulnerability, instead of saying master, almost made me lose control. I somehow held back on my own explosion while I squeezed her ass, ground up into her from below, and assaulted her hard sensitive nipple with tongue and teeth to extend her pleasure.
When she came down she moved my head to her other breast, and just using her lower body she started to pump up and down on my cock really quickly.
She said softly, “Fill me Shawn, I want to feel you fill me,” and she sped up even more.
I said in a firm voice, or as firm as I could make it while being breathless and on the very edge of my control, “If you want it cum for me, now. Cum all over me and you can have it.”
She cried out and started to tremble and her legs tightened around my waist. I grabbed her ass tighter to keep her steady, and then started to fuck her hard from below to extend her orgasm. I didn’t last very long though, and before she had fallen back to earth, I felt my balls tighten, and my cock expand. My legs went numb and I whispered her name as I exploded in pleasure up into her tight warm heaven.
We came down together, and she kissed me so softly I could barely feel her lips touching mine.
She opened the door and got out, and I looked at her in confusion, she hadn’t grabbed her pants. She walked around the door, and then bent over the hood.
The look she gave me was scorching, and her voice was sultry, “Got one more in you master?”
As it turns out, I had two more…
Chapter 9
Lilliana and I finally made it inside the house, and I realized almost immediately the house had been invaded. By scantily clad sexy cat shifters.
My first thought was no fucking way, I already have five women to take care of, and there was another… eight in the house after quick count. There was no way I was taking care of another eight sex starved women, I could probably do it, if I did nothing else and never left the bed, but nope, that wasn’t going to happen.
Plus, I had a bad habit of falling for the women I fucked, I couldn’t mentally handle just being a temporary… scratching post? So just… no.
Then I felt a pout in the back of my head.
“Not you Krystal, I know you’re the sixth, but you don’t have a physical body, I just share my orgasms with you. You know I love you baby.”
It wasn’t until I said it that I realized it was true. I was intimate with her in a way I was with no one else, outside of the physical I mean. She could be a little freaky at times, but since she stopped being so bloodthirsty she hadn’t creeped me out at all in over a week now.
She was still pouting, and I was at a loss.
Krystal said in a pouty sexy mind voice that should be illegal, “What if I had a body, would you turn me down too?”
I frowned, “No, I suppose I wouldn’t.”
Luckily, I’d also meant it, because there was no way in hell I could lie to her, at all. She lived in my head after all. That seemed to mollify her, more than that she seemed excited. She could be a little weird at times. Of course, that thought earned me a mental sticking out of her tongue.
“So, what’s going on here?” I asked tentatively.
Katie smiled tentatively and walked over, “I’m sorry to just drop in on you like this, but Darren came by the house and kind of lost it. He… hurt Sharon, and dissolved their mating. Then knocked her out. After that he demanded that I keep my sluts in line, and get them ready for battle. I kicked him out at that point, and I was afraid he’d come back with all his shifters. Wolf shifters are very plentiful, much more so than the other shifter races.
“So, I figured we would have a better chance if we stood with you, and we can get out of your hair as soon as the dust settles? I’m aware you need a pact from us? How about we swear not to bring harm to anyone in your household as long as we stay under your roof, and up to a day after we leave. Does that sound okay?”
I sighed, she was an old manipulative bitch. She couldn’t have played me better if she tried. Turn away cat shifters that were women under threat? And Susan’s sister who’d been beaten? She was totally playing me for a sucker, and knew what would bring out my protective instincts.
I held out my hand, and shook Katie’s hand using what she said as our pact. Then seven more came, I only recognized four of them. Katie, Sharon, Barbara, and Erin. I was introduced to the other four when we did the pact, and they were all just as gorgeous as the rest, Andrea, Nicci, Joy, and Kristen.
They were all alluring and sexy, but they did their best not to point it at me so to speak. It wasn’t until I saw Sharon limping instead of walking with her usual beauty and grace, that I clenched my jaw in anger. There was nothing worse than in my eyes than abusing a woman, even just using them had been bad in my eyes, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Now I suppose there was, in one case anyway.
I was such a sucker.
I cleared my throat, “I assume you can make arrangements for… I don’t mean to be rude, but my bed is kind of full. I already have six women sharing it with me, you know?”
Katie laughed, “Don’t worry, there’s a bar down the street, and we can visit the mages. I truly don’t think we’ll be here that long though, not more than a couple of days, so it won’t be that big an issue. We can… help each other out that long.”
She gave me a confused look and then added, “Six? I thought it was Karen, Susan, Lia, Lina, and Korrina.”
I laughed, “You certainly are well informed. I included Krystal, she gets pouty if I don’t.”
She raised an eyebrow, and tapped her nose, “No one had to tell me Shawn, I can smell them all on you. But… your sword pouts?”
I shrugged and smiled smugly, “She’s a woman.”
Katie laughed, “Well
said, you got me,” she kissed my cheek, “Your adorable, if I was a hundred and fifty years younger…”
She shook her head and walked away. Well, at least I’d gotten one point, but she’d already won the game, her pack was safely behind my walls. The truth was I didn’t mind it all that much, as long as they didn’t try to jump me I was good.
I knew there was a lot going on, but I slipped downstairs. I’d done my physical training today, but I wanted to get the magical in as well. First though I looked at some of the more advanced examples of using wards. I could do a hell of a lot more now that I could hold twenty-five threads of magic. Instead of that first day where I struggled with four.
I could feed the containment wards a constant torrent of magic, while also controlling multiple attack or trap wards at the same time. I figured ten threads for my normal defense, one for the containment ward recharging, nine for various attack wards, and that left me with another five.
I didn’t think I’d be facing spells from the fae, but it was a possibility. Either way, I worked out a way to drain any shields they might put on the shifters quickly. I noticed that there were a lot more attack wards than nine, or even fifteen, so I went into the summoning room.
And summoned five demons, specifically with wings, hopefully Darren wouldn’t bring many bird shifters with him. Then I gave them their orders per Sal’s advice to ensure they didn’t harm anyone in the house. They all disappeared into smoke, and hovered around outside as sentries.
Now that I had a battle plan, I went back into the study and started to learn more spells. I had a long way to go, and my goal of teleporting one day was on the line.
Krystal said softly, “I can take you anywhere master.”
I froze, “What do you mean?”
Krystal giggled, swords really shouldn’t giggle, just like certain demonesses. That didn’t stop them though.
“Well, angels can do it, and I absorbed the power and essence of an angel. It should work.”
I frowned in thought, that was good to know, but I still wanted to learn it on my own. I got back to studying Sal, not just memorizing the words, but also the theory and structure behind how each spell worked. Without that second part I’d never be able to create new spells at all.
