Smoke and Mistletoe (Best Wishes Book 3)

by A. J. Macey

  “It’s Lucie. Here you go, dear,” Jonathon stated, a rustling sounding through the line.

  “Lucie, everything all right?” A sense of deja vu filled me at the question, but I shook it away.

  “Yeah, uh, I just wanted to call and update you about my practice session,” I muttered, suddenly nervous though I wasn’t sure why. Nothing Alex had ever done had flagged any of my ‘danger’ triggers, but ever since the conversation the other night, there was something about him that made me hesitant. Not in a bad way though, I thought silently, just that there was something more going on that I wasn’t privy to. “But why are you and Jonathon still at the school? Don’t either of you have family to be spending the holidays with? Or at least have some plans, I hope.”

  “No, not really, at least no one close. I live at the university, and Jon tends to stay close to me,” he explained with a teasing tone that was odd for him. I heard Jonathon calling out in the back something about how Alex would get into all sorts of trouble without him to watch him, making me smile. “Anyway, how did practice go? Well, I hope.” I heard him shuffling, the signature sound of his leather chair creaking under him as he settled into it.

  “Uh, well,” I started with a cringe. “At first, I couldn’t get any kind of reality warping to do what I wanted. I almost seemed to have gone backward in my progress.”

  “What about after that?” he questioned, his tone showing that he’d sensed I was about to tell him something important.

  “I was just playing around and stomped the ground in a fake tantrum, and the branch did exactly what I wanted without much effort on my part. So, the boys suggested trying that to see if it helped.”

  “Why do I feel like you’re about to tell me something I’m not going to want to hear?” he mused, his words muffled, and I could picture him rubbing his face on the other end of the phone.

  “I, uh, may have knockedoverseveraltrees,” I hurried through my explanation. Alex didn’t say anything, the only sound working its way over the call a soft sigh.

  “Say that again because I’m pretty sure you just said you knocked over several trees,” he enunciated slowly.

  “I somehow didn’t fully lock on to the target of the fence in my backyard and may have, from what Nik told me, unleashed a wave of power… bending several trees over in the process,” I rambled, my free hand circling the granola bar around in the air in my nervousness.

  “Did you use too much of your mana?” he immediately asked, his voice tight.

  “Yes, but I’m all right now. The guys helped me, and I didn’t lose consciousness or anything, just got wobbly and felt like I had drank too much,” I rushed to explain, cringing at the fact that I thought using the explanation of being drunk would be a good idea. Smooth, Lucie, very smooth.

  “All right, well, I’m glad it wasn’t too bad,” he emphasized. “That’s something we can work on after you’re back at the school. Safely. Until then, maybe keep it to your basic warm-ups. You’re still healing, Lucie, try not to overdo it.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled. “All right, I promise. Can we work on my smoke shifting too? I want to see if that was just a fluke because of the situation or if it’s something I can do on command.”

  “Yes, Lucie, we can work on that too.” Alex chuckled at my change of attitude—going from sulky to peppy.

  “Don’t forget your mental work, Lucie dear!” Jonathon hollered in the background, making us both laugh.

  “I won’t. I promise to be careful, Alex. I’ll let you two get back to whatever work you guys were doing.”

  “Take the rest of the day to relax and eat something nutritious to help replenish yourself. I’ll talk to you soon.” With that, we hung up.

  “How was it?” Nik asked, sinking next to me, Grigori continuing to rub his head against my shoulder now that I was off the phone.

  “Eh, talking to Alex about being reckless with my powers, how do you think?” I explained with thinned lips. “It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, but it wasn’t great either. Can we head inside? I need a shower and a nap.” Nik smirked, nodding as he helped me off the cold stone bench.

  I am so ready to practice studying the inside of my eyelids after that.

  9

  December 28th

  Friday Morning

  Nikolai

  “This is pretty cool,” Logan said as he looked around the festival as they completed their final set up. The official start of the fair was not until this evening, but according to Abigail, they had opened their ticket booths to help people avoid lines. “I think Lucie will love this.”

  “Lucie loves most things; she’s like an adorable puppy,” Landon agreed. I scoffed.

  “Do not let her hear you call her that, or she will throw a pillow at you,” I told him, Grigori’s agreement filtering through the bond as he sat on my shoulder.

  “I didn’t mean it like a bad thing, dude. It’s cute. I like seeing her excited about things,” Landon argued, glancing over at me.

  “So, we need seven full day passes. Did we want to pick up some game tickets now so Lucie can play some of the booths?” Hudson redirected our conversation, his eyes looking at the sign above the ticket booth with prices on it. Slowing down, we got behind the three people in front of us.

  “I definitely think so,” I answered quietly, not wanting to make my throat hurt any further.

  “We’ll be getting several too,” Landon started.

  “Going to win her a big stuffed animal,” Logan finished. “What? Don’t give us that look, Hudson. That’s what they do in all the movies.”

  “Since when are you two like boyfriends in the movies?” he challenged with a skeptical tone.

  “Since we found someone worth the effort.” The twins answered together, puffing their chests up and crossing their arms.

  “What can I get for you gentlemen?” the man working the booth asked. Hudson rattled off what we needed quickly, the worker turning and waving a finger.

  It was still an odd sight, to see the waves of magic as he directed the tickets through the air and to his outstretched palm. The magic didn’t have a color, just flowing white, sparkles littering the stream. Turning from him, I angled so Grigori would be focused on what was around us. Sure enough, the set up crews were using magic to do so, the same colorless waves flaring throughout the area. What I had noticed during Lucie’s practice, is the stronger the push of magic, the more sparks of light within the flare. The ticket booth man only had a couple, some of the set-ups almost double that as they moved heavy materials around.

  “Nik,” Hudson nudging my shoulder pulled me from stupor. “Come on, we’re heading out.”

  “Think we stayed out of the house long enough for Dante and Lucie to get it on?” Logan questioned as we neared the dirt parking lot.

  Chuckling, I smirked. Of course that would be the first thing he would think of as we were leaving.

  “Well, we went to breakfast for like an hour, so I would think so,” I answered.

  “Hey!” a male voice called out. “You dropped this.” Turning, the four of us faced a small group of guys about our age, one of the tickets in his outstretched hand.

  “Oh, thanks,” Hudson said, reaching to grab the ticket from him, but before he could take it, the guy yanked it back.

  “Wait, you’re one of them,” he bit out, looking between the twins’ and Hudson’s eyes.

  “A supe? Yes,” Hudson stated simply. A tiny hint of worry curled around my chest as I saw the three men shift slightly, their movements rigid. “Can I have the ticket, please?”

  “Why would I give it to you? This festival is for humans to enjoy,” he sneered. “Don’t you get enough of weirdness day to day?”

  “I do not see how that has anything to do with going to a fair,” I murmured under my breath in irritation. Stupid humans, I thought angrily.

  “Well, seeing as how you get to see that kind of shit every day, I’m just going to keep this. I want to see all the freaky shit y
ou guys can do for myself.” The man stepped away from us, moving to tuck the ticket into his pocket.

  “Like hell you are,” Landon snapped, jumping forward at the same time as his brother. Grigori squawked, soaring into the air briefly before diving at one of the men. The scuffle was quick; Hudson yanked the ticket back as the twin’s hellfire flared. I hung back as Grigori scratched at one of the men, my hand wrapping around a potion ball in my pocket, ready to throw at any moment.

  “Fucking supes,” the head one hissed under his breath, stumbling back with his friends before turning and nearly running from us.

  “Twin, your nose.” Logan’s words pulled my attention to the left, Grigori focusing on my three brothers as Landon hunched over with a hand covering his nose.

  “Ugh, fucking shit, this fucking hurts,” he muttered, the words nasally and odd sounding as blood proceeded to gush from either a cut or a broken nose.

  “Here,” Hudson said, pulling a stack of napkins from the glove compartment. “This is all I’ve got until we get back to the house.”

  “Let us get out of here,” I bit out, my body on high alert after the brief but tense fight.

  At least it had started as a good day.

  Hopefully Lucie’s is going better than ours.

  Lucienne

  “Well, now what?” I asked Dante as I watched the guys and my mom get into their various cars, ready to run their errands. My mom was taking cookies to a client and had plans to have her weekly lunch with Gabrielle, Cam was going to the library to do some research where the twins weren’t distracting him every two seconds, and the rest of the guys were going to the winter festival to pick up tickets.

  Meaning Dante and I had the house to ourselves for a couple hours.

  “It’s abnormally quiet in here. I’m not used to it,” I spouted, walking down to the kitchen where I heard Dante moving around. “What are you doing?”

  “Making us lunch, Firecracker, so sit and relax,” he told me, flashing a smile over his shoulder. Watching him roll up his sleeves and tie my mom’s half apron around his waist made my mouth go dry and my stomach flip with anticipation.

  “So, what are you making?” I asked after clearing my throat in a poor attempt to sound normal when all I wanted to do was eat him for lunch. Dante glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow and questioning gaze.

  “You all right over there?” Stopping what he was doing, he put down the can of whatever he had grabbed from the cabinet and turned to me. I took a deep breath and strode forward. It was the first time since being found in the hospital that I had had uninterrupted time with any of my guys, and I was going to take it.

  Curling my arms around his shoulders, I popped up on my toes and pressed my lips to his. Dante didn’t hesitate to take me up on my advances, his calloused palms cupping my ass, his fingers teasing the skin on the back of my thighs where my shorts ended.

  I deepened the kiss, tangling my fingers into his hair and brushing my tongue over the seam of his lips. Opening, Dante met me with matching fervor, our tongues brushing against each other as I rubbed my body on his. It didn't take long for his cock to press into my hip, the sensation making me hornier as his hands slipped beneath my shorts to move under the edge of my panties.

  Walking me backwards a couple of steps, Dante bent down, picking me up until I was nestled in his strong arms, my legs wrapped around his waist. But he didn't hold me up for long, placing me on the edge of the counter and rocking against me. His jeans were rough against my thighs, but the feeling of him rolling over my clit had me moaning against his mouth.

  "I want more," I whispered, my body trembling with desire. Dante chuckled, his palms running up my thighs, his thumbs slipping back under my shorts to brush my soaked pussy in a teasing touch. "Please, Dante."

  "Firecracker, you're still healing. I don't know if it'd be good to work your body that hard." I gave a pitiful whine, my body pulled as tight as one of Nik's bowstrings, the thought of not getting to be with Dante right now making me go crazy.

  "We can be gentle; you're the best at that. Please," I pleaded quietly. "I feel like I'm about to combust right now, and all I want is you."

  "If it starts to hurt, tell me, okay?" My nod was all he needed, capturing my mouth in a toe curling kiss. Picking me up, Dante expertly walked around furniture and scattered bedding around the living room until he reached my bed.

  Kneeling onto the soft mattress, he lowered us onto the unmade bed, never breaking our kiss. Dante's barrel chest dwarfed me, the heat making my nipples pebble as his corded muscles barely brushed against me. Finally untangling my fingers from his thick hair, I pulled his shirt over his head wanting to feel his body against my fingertips.

  I couldn't get enough, I needed more. I needed Dante or I was sure I was going to explode. He must have picked up on my urgency, pulling back to undress me. My eyes fluttered closed as soon as I felt his lips against my chest, his kisses and licks strategically moving down my body until he reached the edge of my shorts. When he paused, I whimpered, shaking my hips slightly in impatience.

  “Someone is very horny today,” he murmured, his soft chuckling washing his breath over my skin as he shifted my shorts down my hips and off my legs.

  “You have no idea,” I muttered, my body right on the edge. I just needed a little more.

  With my words, Dante licked my slit, his hands cupping my ass to angle me up. The dips and swirls from his tongue had me shuddering, breathy moans escaping me as he picked up his pace. His hair was thick and coarse in my grip, his stubble rough against my legs, but all I felt was the burning that had wrapped around my lower back and filled my core.

  “Fuck!” I came apart in Dante’s grip, my thighs tightening around his head as he continued his pace, but before I could come down from the aftershocks, he crawled up to me, yanking a condom from his pocket. Smirking, I raised a brow at him. In response, he shrugged, giving me a bashful smile, his cheeks tinting pink as he shucked his pants and rolled the condom on his hardened length.

  “What? Can’t blame me for hoping I’d get to have you at some point this week. Why else do you think I suggested the guys all go get tickets, Firecracker?” he told me, nestling between my thighs as the head of his cock pressed into me. I didn’t respond, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and kissing him as he rocked.

  Dante was gentle, his pace slow but purposeful, hitting me in the perfect spot with each thrust. Never picking up his pace, Dante worked me leisurely back to the edge of climax as he moved harder. The only sounds filling the space were of when our bodies met and the little noises I couldn’t seem to stop. As soon as a calloused palm cupped my ass and curled me up slightly, I spasmed, clamping around Dante as he hit deeper and sent me into the blissful pool of release.

  Tensing up, Dante’s pace started to falter. The rumbling groan deep within his chest shot straight to my still quivering pussy when he found his own orgasm, his cock twitching as he slowed. Neither of us moved for a moment, content to stay wrapped within each other’s arms, but as soon we shifted, I groaned at the throbbing ache that spread over my body, the muscles unused to such physical activity as of late. Dante must have realized what was happening, and his hot palms lightly rubbed over my skin in leisurely strokes.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, looking over my shoulder at him. His half-lidded gaze trailed over my body, following the path his hands took. Dante was careful of my bandaging and bad bruises, only brushing those instead of pressing.

  “Massage, try and help those sore muscles,” he murmured, his deep voice radiating through me to my very core as I relaxed into the bed. We didn’t talk as he worked, his calloused fingers and palms kneading softly, each sweep easing the pain in my body.

  “Mm,” I hummed, the noise muffled by the pillow that I had pressed my face into. “Feels amazing, Dante. Thank you,” I told him as he finished.

  “Feel better?” he whispered, kissing my shoulder blade in a row of pecks up my neck until he reached my cheek
.

  “Much.” I had opened my mouth to say more, when my stomach growled loudly, making Dante laugh.

  “Come on, I’ll make us lunch now. Need to replenish that energy or the guys will be all over me for wearing you out,” Dante teased, shifting to get up from the bed. Following his lead, I got dressed, Dante helping with my panties and pants as he had the last time we slept together.

  When we were both fully clothed, we made our way through the living room and back into the kitchen. After washing his hands, Dante waved off my offer to help and took up his original place behind the counter as I snagged a seat at the table. Spacing out, I watched Dante cook, my lips permanently curled up at his sweet gesture.

  “Here you go, Firecracker, grilled cheese and tomato soup,” my boyfriend exclaimed, placing a plate and bowl in front of me. The scent of the food made my stomach growl, and as soon as Dante was seated, I dug in.

  “Thank you, this is wonderful,” I said around a bite, my hand coming up to block my full mouth.

  “Of course.” He smiled at me, dipping his grilled cheese triangle in the soup. “So, how has everything been going, Firecracker? It’s been a lot of the group lately, so I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to you about how everything is for you.”

  “It’s good, enjoying the break from stares and gossip on campus. Spending time with you guys and Char is fun.”

  “How’s everything going with Char on the Gabe and Elijah front?”

  “Stubborn. Char’s not sure what she wants, so she’s hesitating, but knowing her like I do, it won’t be long until she gives in.”

  “How does that work? That unit between three people,” he murmured, glancing at me. “Like sexually. Like you, Cam, and Nik.” The question was odd, but with Dante’s wide eyes and serious expression, I didn’t want to push him about it.

  “Sharing?” I asked. He nodded, before explaining a bit more of what he was wondering.

  “Does one of you get jealous because the attention is split between the three of you? Would you be up for something like that with the others, not just Cam and Nik, or is it only okay because they’ve been a thing for a while?”