by Robbie Cox
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.
Tamping down her power, she watched as the men walked around the bar, stopping here and there to flirt with a lady, whether she had a date or not. They thought they were the catch of the evening, and acted like it, their arrogance overbearing and nauseating. She took a deep breath. “I think it’s time to go,” she said.
The others nodded, downing their beers, and grabbing their purses. As they slid out of their chairs, the coyote pack noticed them, and their smiles turned to leers. They ignored the women they harassed, moving through the crowd toward the four from Bull Creek. Adira ignored them, keeping her gaze on the target—the exit. They almost made it.
The men howled as they reached out and grabbed the women by the arms, stopping them, and turning them back around. “Where are you ladies going? The party is just getting started, now that we’re here.” He was tall, his dark eyes spotted with gray flecks. He leaned in toward Adira, sniffing her as he did. “I thought I recognized your scent from last night. You’re that witch. You should definitely stick around. Let’s get in a few slow dances.”
She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Thanks, but, um, ew. I’m sure someone in here is slumming. You’re sure to find a last call booty mate.”
The men with Mister Leer laughed at her remarks, razzing their friend. “The girl has your number, Augur,” one said.
Augur glared at the one who spoke, as he shooed the rest to silence with a glance. He reached back out and jerked Adira against him. “Not very friendly, are you? I can fix that.”
Adira gripped his arm, raking her nails across his flesh. He cried out, jerking his arm away from her, lines of blood popping up on his arm. “You bitch,” he snarled as he raised his arm to backhand her. He never got the chance.
“Back off,” Deputy Everest shouted, as she reached between two other men to shove the man off Adira. “Now, before I haul your ass to jail.”
One of the other men sniffed into the air. “I thought I smelled pig.” He turned to his fellow coyotes. “This is one of that sheriff’s deputies.” He turned to Lainie and sneered. “A shifter mingling with humans. Doesn’t seem right, does it?”
Lainie stepped closer to the man, her narrowed eyes threatening him to say anything more. “It’s time for you to leave. Now.”
The man snatched out, ready to grip the deputy’s throat, but never made it. His arm froze in midair. He strained, sweat popping up on his brow, his coyote growling as his upper lip curled upward. Adira stood, her arm outstretched, as shards of blue light wrapped around the man’s arm, holding him in place. He jerked his gaze to her, his lips curling even more. She just smiled. “I think the deputy said it was time for you to leave.” She shoved with her arm, sending the man flying out the doors behind him and into the parking lot.
The other men stared at their partner, and then turned growling eyes to Adira. Alanna stepped in front of her friend. “I wouldn’t,” she said.
Eve puffed out her chest, as she drew her knife. “Yeah, I’d leave if I were you.”
“Now,” Deputy Everest repeated.
Augur, the one who sniffed at Adira, just sneered. “This isn’t over,” he threatened. “Bane has plans for you.” He then sneered at the rest of the women. “For all of you.”
“No doubt plans he drew up with crayons,” Alanna said.
“It’s over for tonight,” Adira said, and then she led the way out of Everglades. It was time to go home and prepare. The first shots in the upcoming battle were just fired.
Nine
“You did what?” Dimitri couldn’t believe what he heard. “Adira, Everglades is not a normal bar.” He turned to Alanna and Eve. “You two know about that place. Why the hell did you take her there?”
Eve looked at him like he was crazy. “Because it was ladies night. You know? Two for one? Duh.”
It took everything he had not to throttle the woman. “Damn it, Eve, this isn’t a game.” He could feel the panther pushing at him, wanting free to wreak havoc on whomever he could. Fur pushed through his skin a little, claws pushing out of his fingertips, the pain of the shift just beginning. He tamped it down quickly. He didn’t need to lose control now, not with so much at risk. He spun to Alanna. “Everglades is a paranormal bar. You should have known they would be there. Hell, Sheriff Einstein even told me they were there the other day, shooting off their mouths.” The three women returned to Alanna’s cabin and Lainie went to the sheriff’s department to file a report on the drunken men. The only reason Dimitri knew what happened tonight was because Wes Stapleton, who ran Everglades, called and gave Dimitri a heads up.
“I handled it,” Adira said, as she moved into Alanna’s kitchen to get a glass of water. “No big deal.”
Dimitri looked at her, unable to hide the disbelief he knew masked his face. “No big deal? Six of Bane’s men accosted you in a bar, a bar overrun with coyotes more than likely. You’re lucky you got out of there alive.”
Adira slammed the glass of water on the counter, luckily not breaking it. “Lucky? I wasn’t lucky, Catnip. I’m a witch. I’m prepared for asinine people like them. There is a reason Barbara Wolfe sent me here, remember?”
“I don’t care why Barbara sent you here,” he said, his tone seething. “That was before I found out you were my fated mate. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re too important.”
“I’m not more important than anyone else in Bull Creek.” She lifted the glass to her lips and drained half of it. She then licked her lips, as she pulled the glass away from her mouth, and the sight of her tongue gliding across her lips sent him into an instant erection.
His panther growled within him, straining to be released. He wanted his mate, and Dimitri couldn’t blame him. He wanted her, too “You’re the most important person to me,” he said, taking a step toward her, taking her arms in his hands. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. You can’t take chances like that anymore, Adira. I couldn’t take it.” He tried to give her his most pathetic look, so she’d believe him.
Alanna just rolled her eyes, as Eve said, “Gee, thanks. So, we’re not important. Did you hear that, Alanna? It’s okay if we get hurt.”
Alanna shook her head at the other woman, warning her to be quiet. Now was not the time. Alanna was smart enough to recognize that. As a shifter, she knew the importance of mates, those fated to spend the rest of their lives together, and the bond that drives them crazy with passion. Dimitri couldn’t help the way he felt. It was beyond his control. It was beyond all of their control.
Eve just shrugged. “I’m going home,” she said. “This night’s a bust.”
Alanna and Adira said goodbye, but Dimitri would not let go of his mate’s arms. Nor did he say goodbye to Eve. She knew better than to go to Everglades. Thirty more minutes west and the ladies could have been in St. Cloud at a decent, safe bar where shifters didn’t venture. Adira wouldn’t have been put in harm’s way. He took a deep breath. He needed to get rid of Bane and his goons. Soon. Sooner than soon. He needed to end Bane now.
“Come on, I’m taking you home,” he said, pulling Adira toward the front door.
Alanna arched an eyebrow at him, but kept quiet.
Adira, however, did not remain quiet. “Excuse me? Take me home?” She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Did you reall
y just say that? Take me home? You are not my babysitter or my guard dog or guard cat or body guard or whatever the hell you think you are. I’m not yours to protect. I protect myself.” She gestured with her hand waving back and forth between them. “That’s the only way this—us—works.”
He just stared at her, wanting desperately to argue with her, but knowing she was right. Her fire burned hot, and it drove him crazy, making him want to rip her clothes off and take her right then. If Alanna wasn’t there, he would have done just that. He needed to get Adira home, and not just for her safety.
He gave her a cocky grin, as he reached out and pulled her against him, squeezing her body to him so that she could feel how hard she made him. “You are so sexy when you’re sassy,” he said before leaning down and biting her softly on the neck. He wanted to do more, wanted to mark her now, take her and drive his cock into her, but he would wait until he got her alone. He only hoped it would be soon. Very soon.
“Then perhaps, you’ll at least allow me the honor of escorting you home?” he asked, his grin pushing up his cheeks. She started to say something, probably to argue with him again, but he released her long enough to hold up a hand and halt her objections. “Not to protect you, just to keep you company.”
Alanna laughed. “Adira, he just wants to get you home so he can satisfy that bulge in his pants. You might as well let him. I have earplugs.”
Adira spun her head, her eyes wide, as she stared at her friend. Dimitri didn’t know what the earplug comment meant, but he didn’t care. He needed to get Adira alone, so he could ravish her body. He needed to feel her against him, flesh on flesh, his mouth on her nipples, his cock buried deep in her sweet honey.
Adira turned back, so she faced him, her temper somewhat abated as she smiled at him. “Fine. But only as a companion and not as a body guard.”
He crooked his arm, waiting for her to take it, and then they both said goodnight to Alanna. He couldn’t get Adira alone fast enough. She must have felt the same way as well, because she didn’t drag her feet on the way back to her cabin.
As soon as they were through the door and she locked it behind them, he grabbed her, spinning her until he could press her back against the door, his body against hers. His mouth found hers, their lips pressed tight to each other, as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth to dance with hers. He groped her sides, searching for the hem of her shirt, and yanking it over her head as soon as he could. She pushed herself away from the doorway long enough to unhook her bra, and then stripped it off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. He pulled his shirt off at the same time, and then they both yanked themselves out of their pants. He could hear his panther growling in his ears, the lust of the mate bond pulling at him.
Naked, their hands were back on each other, and he pressed her against the wood door again, their lips mashed together, their hands roaming all over each other’s body. His breathing grew ragged, his heart thudding in his ears, as he felt her hand go to his hard cock, stroking it, flicking the head with her thumb. He growled, as he took a deep breath, doing his best to slow down just a little.
Adira wouldn’t have it, though. She shoved him back, pushing him toward the couch in the middle of the living room until he fell backward on it, bouncing slightly. She straddled him as he gripped her waist, trying to hold her back from going too fast. She didn’t seem to care, as she reached between her legs, gripping his swollen cock and guiding it to her pussy. “I need you,” she said, her voice throaty, breathy. “I want you now.”
He groaned at her words, lifting her slightly so she could guide him into her sex. With one hard drop, she swallowed his cock, allowing it to stretch her, as she cried out. He opened his mouth, the growl erupting from deep within his gut. She wrapped her hands around his neck as she started rocking back and forth on his cock, her clit pressed against his pelvic bone. Her breathing filled his ears, mixed with her moans. He felt her nails digging into his neck, as she tightened her grip.
It wasn’t long before he felt her body tense on top of him, her legs tightening around his hips and thighs as she rocked faster, her head falling forward slightly. He dug his fingers into her, his claws coming out slightly, pinning her to him. She yelped, but didn’t stop. Instead, she sent little shards of power into him, allowing it to course through his body. He felt his eyes go wide, as the magic mingled with his passion, sending tendrils of sensations through his body until he felt his cock twitch inside of her, his orgasm ripping out of him and exploding into her tight pussy.
He knew she felt his release, her eyes popping open, as she squeezed tighter onto his neck, her elbows pressing against his chest. Then her body tightened into a tense ball, as her orgasm exploded, her cries filling the cabin. She kept rocking on his cock, but it was obvious she no longer controlled the situation. Her body did everything, the motions sporadic and sensation driven. She kept rocking until her orgasm subsided, leaning down to kiss him, this time her tongue delving into his mouth, her heart beating so hard he could feel it against his chest.
When she finally broke the kiss, she leaned back, taking a deep breath. “Wow. I needed that,” she said.
He grinned. “Yeah, I agree.” He pulled her back down to him, her head on his chest, as he stroked her back. “Which is why I need you to be careful, Adira. I can’t lose you. Not when I just found you. Promise me.”
She nuzzled down into his chest, rubbing her head against him. He relished the feel of her on him. “I promise,” she said. “But I need you to trust me as well. We’re partners in this. In everything.”
He squeezed her to him, his hands leaving her hips and roaming to her ass. “Partners, huh? I think I like the sound of that.” His panther purred his agreement. This was one partnership that held extra benefits.
Ten
“Here are the stones you asked for.” Josh said, as Ezra and he entered Adira’s cabin, both carrying an armload of small ordinary stones. “Planning on hurling them at Bane to drive him away?”
A new day dawned and, so far, Bane’s threat was unfulfilled. That didn’t mean it wasn’t imminent, however.
Ezra chuckled as he walked over to her kitchen table, piling the stones on top. “Might not be real effective, but I’m sure it would be fun.”
A trio of tall white candles covered the table, flickering shadows onto the cabin walls, while a cloth was spread out underneath the candles with various oils and gemstones lined along the edges. A mortar sat in the center of the cloth, the pestle ready for action. At the far edge of the table, sage burned in an incense holder. Soft Native American music played in the background, not because she needed it for the spell, but because it helped soothe her nerves, calming her for what she needed to do. If I can focus long enough to pull the shards of my magic back into a steady pulse of power, that is.
She smiled at the men helping her. “I admit, after meeting Bane, that would be the fun idea, but no, these are not for throwing. I’m going to convert them into wards that we can set around the community to warn us if evil crosses over, Bane in particular.”
Josh nodded, adding his stones to the pile. “How do you attune it to the coyotes?”
She grinned, as she walked over to her kitchen counter and grabbed the tissue she used to wipe the coyotes blood from her fingertips after she gauged his arms at Everglades. It was the first thing she did when she reached Alanna’s place. “Luckily, that brute the other night helped us out with that. His shifter blood will provide me with what I need to set the spell to warn against his pack.”
Ezra stood, his thick body a sure sign of the bear who lived within him, shaking his head, as he placed his hands on his hips. “I wish I was there when they tried their shit,” he said. “I would have been able to give you more blood to use.”
“Agreed,” Josh said. He then looked around the cabin, searching for something. “By the way, where’s Dimitri? I assumed he would be here.”
“He went to see his sister and Sheriff Einstein about last night,” Adira rep
lied. She shrugged. “Lainie already told us there wasn’t anything that could be done, but he’s determined to at least file a complaint on them. Something about making a paper trail for when there’s something to throw at them.”
“Probably a smart idea,” Josh said. “Anything else you need us to get you?”
She shook her head. “No, this should just about do it. I’ll get these done, and then Dimitri said he’d go with me to place them around Bull Creek.”
“Okay, then.” Josh slapped Ezra on the back. “Come on, Baloo, let’s go prowl the woods and sniff around some. I don’t like how daring these coyotes are getting.”
“Baloo. Hmpf,” Ezra shook his head, as he turned toward the front door. “Don’t even think I’m going to call you Bagheera. Now, that was a noble panther. Not some flea-bitten pussy cat like you.”
“You wound me,” Josh said with mock seriousness. “To the core, Ezra, you wound me. Not one flea has ever dared bite me.”
“Probably afraid of catching something.” Ezra opened the door and the two men stepped out into the Florida heat, their bantering shifting into song as they started to sing The Bare Necessities.
Adira chuckled as she shook her head. Never before had she thought it possible that so many different shifters could get along so well without the snobbery and prejudice that sometimes fills self-righteous minds. It was refreshing to her view of things.
Turning back to the table, she stared at the stones the men brought her. It was time to do her part in helping Dimitri protect his family. With a deep breath, she set about the task of creating wards for Bull Creek. Magic, don’t fail me now.
If she was honest with herself, she would admit how nervous she was that she wouldn’t be able to pull off the power needed to create the wards. Ever since Jensen sent her packing, her magic splintered into shards, just like her heart, sparking here and there, sometimes holding it together, other times, she wasn’t even able to draw forth a firecracker burst. It disheartened her to say the least, and when Barbara Wolfe asked her to come to Bull Creek, Adira almost said no, afraid she would only fail the matriarch of the Wolfe pack and let everyone in Bull Creek down. Now she feared letting Dimitri down, something that would surely crush her beyond repair. Yet, she must try, of that she had no doubt. Dimitri needed her, and she would do everything within her power, even if it was slim, to assist him in his endeavor to protect this community. If Barbara held faith in her, then Adira needed to hold that same faith.
