by India Kells
His feet were moving before he even knew where he was going. It was like there wasn’t any other option. And there he was, in front of her bedroom door, still naked and unsure what to do. He almost considered returning to his room to dress but wanted to see her more. He needed to make sure she was safe, resting in her bed. Putting his hands flat on her door, he was still debating what to do when a gasp came from his left.
“Damn you, don’t you have any clothes? Sheesh, shifters!”
As he turned his head, he saw the mighty Violet blushing crimson as she was coming from around the corner. She was right, shifters rarely gave a second thought to their nakedness. It was the normal way of being for their animal.
“Sorry, Violet. I just returned from outside and I didn’t have time to put some clothes on.”
The fiery-haired witch quickly gathered her composure and crossed her arms. “That’s not your room, wolf.”
Something surged in him, an unexpected urge to fight. He pushed himself away from the door and stood tall in front of Sera’s friend, crossing his arms, mimicking her posture. “Do you think I’m dumb, witch?”
Violet’s unapologetic smile was back, as she skimmed her eyes over his body. It only made him even madder, as all of him was not hers. “I know you’re not dumb. So why are you standing outside my friend’s room?”
“That’s none of your business.”
The witch inched even closer. “Oh, I think it is. As you know the rules. So, I suggest you turn and go back to your own room before you do something you don’t have the balls to stand for.”
A low growl came from deep inside him. He uncrossed his arms and tried to remember that it was one of Sera’s dearest friends in front of him.
“What do you mean? That I would take advantage of Sera?”
“Sera is unique. A wonderful woman that should not be mistreated. If you seek her because you want to fuck her, that’s one thing. If you use her in any way, for any reason, I will hunt you down like a rabid dog. Sera needs friends, not assholes.”
Something snapped inside him, and before he could stop himself, he had Violet plastered against the wall, a hand tightening around her neck. “I would die for Sera. Don’t you ever doubt my words, witch. But the real question is, would you do the same for her?”
Her eyes glinted a murderous gleam before they flashed to utter amusement. The change was so sudden and unexpected that Ian released her. Violet now laughed and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, that’s all I needed to hear.”
Ian blinked. “Was this a joke?”
“Far from it, wolf. I love Sera and, as you, I would sell my soul to save her. Same for Valeria. But you are a tough man to read, Ian. I needed to see your resolve for myself. But my threat stands. You hurt her, you die.”
Ian shook his head, torn between fear and laughing. And before he could respond to her, she was back inside her own room. That’s when he looked down at his body and saw it fully clothed in jeans and a shirt. Wicked witch indeed.
Turning back to Sera’s door, he tried the knob and found it unlocked. Making as little noise as a mouse, Ian entered the room. His eyes immediately adjusted to the dim light as he closed the door behind him. The curtains were wide open, letting the moonlight shine inside the room with an eerie glow. Sera was sleeping, her back to him, her pale blond hair in a wild tangle, almost glowing blue in the night light.
He spotted a big chesterfield in the corner and decided to sit there. He would have preferred to lie down by Sera’s side, but she needed sleep.
His bottom hadn’t fully made contact with the cushion when her voice almost made him jump out of his skin.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Clasping a hand to his chest, his eyes went to the bed. “You’re not sleeping?”
Sera pushed herself up, her face turning in the direction of his voice. “You having a fight with Violet on the other side of my door is not conducive to deep sleep. Just so you know.”
Ian winced. “Sorry about that. Your friend decided to piss me off.”
Sera smirked. “Well, Violet is an Olympic champion in that field. But when she accepts you, she’s fiercely loyal. Don’t worry, if she really hated you, she would have turned you into ashes already.”
“As if she would have succeeded.” Ian loved to hear her laugh. It made him want to do it over and over again.
“Are you alright, Ian? You were gone most of the evening.”
“All is fine, Asher and I secured Sanctuary. We just returned. You should sleep, Sera.”
“With you sitting there as my guardian, I don’t think so.”
Ian’s stomach sank. She was right, he didn’t realize it before, but it was creepy to a human’s point of view. His wolf whined as he stood. He needed to be there for her, to make sure she was safe. And she was, he reminded himself.
“Sorry about that. I’ll let you rest.”
And as he passed the bed, Sera called his name.
“Where are you going?”
Ian stopped and hesitated. He intended to stay outside her door, but realized it wasn’t less creepy from her point of view. He was about to tell her when she extended her hand to him.
“Would you stay with me? Sleep with me?”
His entire body froze for an instant. He couldn’t resist her and took her offered hand. Slowly, she pulled him to lay behind her. Sera, dressed in loose cotton pajamas, wiggled her body so all of her back touched his front. She took his arm and circled her waist, linking his fingers with her smaller hand.
Stunned, Ian simply laid still, burying his nose in her hair. Her warmth seeped through his clothes and he tentatively rested his chin in the crook of her neck. Inhaling deeply, he sighed as Sera relaxed against him.
No more words were exchanged as he felt Sera’s breathing slowing down as she fell asleep in his arms. Peace filled him, and he fought slumber for a long time, simply content with this contact in the middle of the night.
Chapter Nineteen
A deep engine noise forced Sera to emerge from a peaceful slumber. How strange. The street she lived on was very quiet, and her apartment’s walls thick enough so few noises made it through. And that engine was loud, shaking the bed and her in it.
Pushing at layers of fogginess, Sera’s mind remembered that she wasn’t in her beloved apartment. And every single event came crashing back to her. She was in her room at Sanctuary, deep in the woodlands. So why the engine?
As her brain cleared, it sounded less like an engine, and more like a low purr or growling sound. Someone was using her stomach as a pillow. Ian. Tentatively, she moved her hand to touch his soft curly hair. He moved a little, his stubble scratching her belly. Did the man push her shirt up? The thought made her smile. And his snoring was an adorable mix between a kitten and a tractor. One of his arms was slung across her thighs and his other hand loosely circled her wrist. It was as if he was making sure she wasn’t going to move away as he slept. Didn’t he just lie down behind her? How did he manage to achieve such a position?
Still grinning, she continued running her fingers through his hair leisurely. Everything was so peaceful, quiet. Was it day already? It didn’t really matter, and, for once, Sera was glad not being able to see. If it was morning, it would mean the time for action, getting ready for finding answers. And she sincerely doubted ever being ready for that. And what if she was a seer. Truly one with powers. Could she truly deny the world of her gift? Helping avoid catastrophes, epidemics and wars? Know what the future might bring so it could help others? Save their lives? Was it petty to want a life of her own?
“Stop thinking so loud.” Ian barely moved, his voice gravelly with sleep. Her hand stilled, and he looked up. “Don’t stop. I love when you pet me.”
Lowering his head back down to her stomach, she giggled. “Can you really pet a wolf?”
“That’s what you’re doing right now, witch.” He yawned, and she resumed her caress.
“Is it morning yet?”
Ian gro
aned. “What if I say that it’s still the middle of the night, would you believe me?”
“Of course, I would.”
“Then it’s not night anymore. Sun is coming up, I can see the sky turning pale blue with a hint of pink. It’s pretty early still.” Ian yawned the last few syllables.
“Then, go back to sleep. I’m sure you can get a few more hours before we have to move.”
“You could use more sleep, too.”
“My brain had woken up, and once it’s up, I can’t shut it down.”
He chuckled, rubbing his scratchy cheek against her skin in acknowledgement. “Yeah, I felt it too. What’s on your mind?”
Sera shook her head, unable to voice everything swirling in her brain yet. At her silence, Ian moved to slide himself up beside her.
“You know you can tell me, Sera. I won’t judge you for anything you might say.”
And she knew he was sincere.
“The trouble is, I’m judging my own thoughts right now.”
“Why?”
She opened her mouth to speak before closing it again. Ian waited patiently, letting her gather her thoughts into coherent sentences. One thing she knew, the man was a good listener.
“I’ve always done what I thought was the right thing, Ian. Studying magic hard, practicing, always deepening my research and abiding by the laws of our world. When I suspected I was a seer, it was like someone had shattered a window inside me, bringing hail and wind. I patched the window the best I could, but now fear had entered. And what I researched about being a seer frightens me so much, I can’t convince myself to embrace that part of me, because...”
Ian didn’t move, and she almost suspected he was holding his breath too.
“Because deep down, I just wish I could have a life of my own. There are sacrifices being a witch, and if I’m also being a seer, it would mean... Sera would have to disappear.”
Ian moved again and this time, Sera sat up, feeling awfully exposed and vulnerable. Settling against the headboard, Ian remained close, both unsettling and reassuring her at the same time.
“Why would Sera need to disappear. Even as a seer, you would remain Sera.”
She shivered. “You don’t understand. Being a seer is rare. So rare that the women who have this ability dedicate the rest of their lives to that purpose. I haven’t lived yet, Ian. The world is so vast and fascinating. I don’t want to be locked away.”
The last few words turned into an uncontrollable sob that surprised her. It was like saying the words out loud burst an emotional bubble and now all her careful barriers were down. Her body shook, and Ian gathered her in his arms, running a soothing hand up and down her spine. She wanted to tell him not to worry, that she was okay, but it was impossible to catch her breath. Finally, she decided to stop fighting and let her tears flow, slightly embarrassed to soak Ian’s shirt.
It was like a swift summer storm. Tears flowed until there was none, and she felt strangely calm and empty after that.
“Sorry about that, Ian.”
Instead of even acknowledging, he shifted and handed her a tissue. Wiping her face and wiping her nose, Sera must have looked like a red-eyed blotchy mess, but there was nothing she could do about it.
“May I ask you a question?” His hands didn’t stop his reassuring caress.
Sera nodded.
“Are you sure, and I mean 100% sure that you are a seer?”
What a strange question. “I’m not lying, Ian.”
“That’s not what I meant. You told me yourself, seers are rare. And those guardians would have found out about you much sooner. They have some sort of seer-radar from what you said. Why wait until now? Nothing can be totally hidden or kept secret. Word would have to come out.”
“How could I believe anything else but my being a seer? They are said to have above-average intelligence, insight and if they fight visions, they start to lose sight.”
“You had premonitions?”
Sera hesitated. “I’ve always told people that it was fleeting images or weird dreams that convinced me that I was a seer, but there was more.”
“What do you mean, more?”
“When I was in my teens, I hung out a lot with Valeria and Violet. We were like the three musketeers. My adoptive parents had just disappeared, and I had moved in with Layla above the shop. Valeria was often sneaking out from her father’s grip and, as Violet’s parents didn’t mind her wandering around, we all came to the shop. One late afternoon, we were about to order pizza when I had this sort of flash. It was quick, like a video of a second or two only. I saw the delivery man stopping his car in front of the shop, getting out, and then tripping on something. The pizza flew out of his hand, the box opened, and the pie flipped onto the pavement. I saw the man looking around, and rearranging the pizza in the box before ringing at the door.”
“What did you do?”
Sera smiled at the memory. “I ran to the window, and the girls followed me, asking what was going on. I only said I wanted to see if the guy was cute. And there, as I had seen seconds ago, the guy tripped, the pizza flew... exactly like I’d seen.”
“Your friends didn’t ask you any questions?”
Sera shook her head. “Nope. Violet rushed downstairs and kicked the guy's ass. Layla summoned us another pizza and that had been the end of it.”
“And it happened to you again?”
“A few times. Small things, like premonitions. I started analyzing myself and discovered some sort of energy route inside me while I was meditating. Something I hadn’t noticed before.”
“Energy route?”
How could she explain this to him? “Imagine that your body is fueled by an energy source that makes your heart beat, your lungs draw air and your feet walk. As a witch, and probably you as a werewolf, you have that second source of energy. That’s the one that allows me to do magic. But I have a third one, and I found out that it’s what allowed me to have those premonitions.”
“Okay, that makes sense. So, what did you do next?”
“Closed it off. Using any type of magic, it’s like a beacon, a signal sent into the universe. And I didn’t want anybody to know. And soon after, that’s when my vision started to dim. Slowly, but surely.”
Sera felt weird, having told Ian everything. Part of her was relieved, another nervous, restless. For a long moment, the werewolf remained silent, until she started to feel worried.
“Ian?”
Gently, he covered her hand. “I’ve heard everything you told me...”
“I sense a ‘but’ in your voice.”
“I don’t know much about witches and magic, and even less about seers...”
“Spit it out, please, you’re making me nervous.”
“Well, unless I’m mistaken, you don’t know the exact reason or source of that energy in you, the one you shut off.”
Sera blinked but couldn’t find what to respond.
“You say that this energy is what gave you those visions, or premonitions. And that it’s unique to you, but where does it come from? Your parents? A divine gift? And what if you could have visions without being a seer? Just one with quick glimpses into the future?”
Chest constricting, Sera removed her hand from him and started running her fingers through her hair in a nervous gesture. “I’m not lying to you, Ian. I swear.”
“And I know you’re not lying. And I can’t imagine how frightening it is to discover that you have this ability, and the implications. But the Sera I know, and the one I see with her friends, is a woman who digs into the heart of the matter, digs until she reaches the bottom and is never satisfied with half answers. I just feel that, when you found that possibility, being a seer, you just hung onto it and didn’t look around to see if there wasn’t another plausible answer.”
Rubbing her chest over her wildly thumping heart, she closed her unseeing eyes. “I’m... I’m scared to death. I only wanted to be who I am, nothing more. I only wanted to be a witch, do good, work with
my beloved books. I don’t want more powers. And I don’t want to be taken away. Oh, Ian. Logically, I see your point of view, but I’m not courageous or fearless as Valeria and Violet. And I realized I’m not selfless either. I’m selfish. I want my old life back. I want my books. I want to be happy. And... I want you.”
The words tumbled out of her before she could even think. And there it was, all laid out in the open. The crazy and the hopeless. On the verge of tears again, Sera lowered her head in defeat when Ian cupped her cheek. “You are the most courageous woman I know, Sera. You have hidden your powers and your fears from everybody and still moved forward, helping, taking care of your friends. And it's not selfish to want happiness and a life.”
It surprised her when his lips skimmed hers in a gentle caress. Just as she leaned forward, he retreated, sliding his nose against her cheek until he reached her earlobe. Running his tongue around the shell of her ear, she shivered. His low voice in her ear was like an addiction. “And I want you too, my Sera.”
His admission filled her with newfound hope, as if she was feeding from his courage and his certainty. It was impossible to completely ignore the fear, but the immense strength of him and the fire burning between them seemed to dim the unwanted emotion.
When she ran her hand through his hair and down his cheek and neck, she tried to bring the memory of his caramel eyes to her mind. How he looked at her. His hands remained chastely on her shoulders, but his body shivered when she ventured lower, making an impatient trail to his abdomen.
They were in the real world. Not in Ian’s mind, in some sort of limbo. And at the thought of it, Sera was surprised to be even more impatient, even hungrier for the man.
Her hands sneaked under his shirt. Discovering the muscled expanse of skin trembling under her palms, she moaned.
It happened so quickly, she didn’t have the time to yelp in surprise when he reached for her waist and flipped her under him.
