It broke her heart he had stayed in Magic out of fear of what lay outside its protection spell. He was not so different from her. They both adjusted their lives to accommodate their fears. If anything, she loved him more for it. He made her feel less like a freak.
When they reached the port, she entered the code that would momentarily turn off the failsafe protocols. Together, they walked past the three ships stored in the nearly empty facility. The office was a temporary structure, barely suitable for their needs.
“There are galaxies out there for us to explore together,” Harmony said as they entered the office. She couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice. The universe opened itself to her and all the possibilities it provided. Since the attack, Harmony merely existed. Now it was time to live!
“We have a lot to discuss after we identify what threat is out there. The town would appreciate any help you can provide. I doubt whoever is out there has a clue three Space Rangers now reside in Magic.” Chase laughed out loud. “I almost feel sorry for the bastards. Either Frost or Dreyden can make any of our enemies into popsicles with the ice that shoots out of their wrists. Can you do that?”
Her inability to produce ice, like true Glacierians, had always been a disappointment to her father. She sometimes believed he thought less of her because of the deficiency. But she had inherited her mother’s race’s speed and agility. Those abilities made her an efficient Space Ranger. Although it would have been nice to freeze a criminal in place, rather than having to run after the fugitive.
“No,” Harmony replied. “My father’s genetics provided me with my size and black hair. I have his eye color, but not the shimmering essence. Everything else about me, I inherited from my mother. My muscle structure and flexibility is all Titian. I’m sure you prefer those qualities, rather than the ability to shoot ice from my arm.”
He laughed. “I certainly do.”
A thrill ran through her at the sound of his merriment. There had been little laughter in her life. Chase was more than she could have wished for.
Harmony quickly finished coding the revisions to the monitoring software. She wanted to further explore the physical aspects of her relationship with Chase. The full moon was a mere five days away. Would her Chosen One be different now that they were back on Earth? Her body heated at just the thought of their being together again.
After she saved the modifications, Harmony stood and moved to position herself on Chase’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck before he had a chance to react. There was no comfortable spot in the office for them to make love, but she didn’t care.
Chase grabbed the bottom of her shirt, pulling the material toward her head in an attempt to remove it. The breast cups stalled his progress. Harmony placed a finger underneath the cup to release the suction molding her breasts to her uniform’s top. Most Titian fashions were like second skins. She had her various Space Ranger outfits tailor made with that in mind.
Harmony was not used to removing her shirt in a man’s presence. It seemed natural and liberating with Chase doing the honors. For the first time since the attack, Harmony didn’t feel panic when her shirt was lifted over her head.
Almost immediately, Chase placed a hand on the small of her back and leaned her torso back to allow full access to her breasts. His lips adhered themselves to one of her hardened nipples. Sensation shook her body as he sucked harder. He took her to a level of pleasure with a mere touch no man had ever led her to.
When her head bumped against the computer’s console, Harmony tightened her hold on Chase and lifted her head and shoulders, rubbing against him. Chase muttered something incoherent and moved them both to the floor. The cold tile against her naked back cooled the inferno building inside her.
Harmony could barely think as the internal fire consumed her. Somewhere along the line, Chase had removed his clothing and her leggings. Her smooth, silky legs rubbed against the hairs growing along his long limbs. The friction caused a whole new set of shivers running up her spine. With every touch, it was as if Chase was playing her body like a musical instrument. Her ears took in the harmonies they produced as their moans and cries mingled.
Chase entered her with a single finger, while his lips released her breast. When his rough digit rubbed against her clit, Harmony cried out in triumph. As his finger continued to move within her, Harmony lost the sense to reason. It was as if each nerve ending played off the next, creating a domino effect of cascading pleasure.
“Tell me you want me.” Chase grunted out the barely audible words.
He had to have gone mad! Couldn’t he sense she was putty in his hands? She was almost afraid to verbalize what she was feeling and give up what little control she had.
“Say my name.” This time Chase growled his command.
Harmony knew she was on the edge of something incredible. “Chase, take me,” she cried out.
He rose above her in a triumphant stance. Their eyes met as he slowly entered her. Never breaking eye contact, he slid inside, inch by luscious inch. Her body welcomed his girth, only to have her muscles contract and embrace him the next moment. She felt a sense of victory when Chase took a deep breath through clenched teeth.
When he filled her to the hilt, Chase started to exit and reenter her body. With each additional thrust, his pace increased. He had initiated a mating dance as old as time. It didn’t matter they were different species; they were born to be together.
She’d had sex in the past, but this was something else. It was more than the sensations rippling through her system that made what they were more significant. Her lust-crazed mind just couldn’t figure out what. Were there words that adequately described what she was feeling?
A crescendo of sensations spasmed through her as her body climaxed. She was helpless to stifle the cry that escaped her lungs. Even at the height of her passionate release, she knew something was missing.
Chase reared back his head and cried out his own release. When he lowered his head and she saw his beautiful white teeth, she knew what she had been denied. She did not bear his mark. A piece that would make her complete was missing. What had she done in voicing her fears and preventing Chase from truly taking her in the way of his people?
***
Chase rolled off Harmony, exhausted. Even though he only transformed during the full moon, his wolf was always with him. Now, the beast within him had been quieted. His usual strength had been denied him with the removal of his animal.
He grabbed Harmony’s hand, needing physical contact with her. The sex had been incredible, but he knew that a piece of him that could have made it so much more had been missing. It was too late to second guess the decision he made related to Topper’s spell. He did it for his mate.
His sweat-clad body grew cold. Chase needed Harmony’s heat. He rolled onto his side and reached for her, cradling her into his needy body. His cock was once again erect, demanding to be buried within her warmth.
“When I said we needed to spend time together, I didn’t mean on the floor. I’m sorry for my loss of control. You deserve so much more.” Chase pushed wet wisps of hair from her face.
Harmony’s body shook with laughter. “If you can’t remember, I should point out, I was the one who climbed on top of you. I would have been happy riding you in the chair, against a wall, or wherever our passion took us.”
His fingers ran up and down her back. The more he touched her, the more his craving for her increased. Her body was incredibly toned. Chase’s hands moved to her powerful arms.
“Are all Glacierian women as fit as you are?” Chase asked. Earth men would have something to look forward to once the planet was brought into the Coalition.
“Glacierian woman are bulkier, but most are in excellent shape. Titian females are generally petite, but their muscle and tendons are contracted and efficient in motion. They are more agile than Glacierian women.”
The possibilities related to Harmony’s potential flexibility during sex assaulted his mind.
His mouth watered in response. He needed to focus. There was too much at stake to dally much longer.
“We should check back with Theo to find out if they discovered anything new,” Chase said.
Harmony stretched, opening her body to him. If he didn’t focus, they would make love again and take up valuable time when Magic was threatened. Regardless, his mind toiled over what to do.
The communication device on Harmony’s wrist buzzed. It was the only article that remained on her body after they stripped each other of their clothing. He doubted they had any choice in how they were going to spend the remainder of their day.
His Chosen One let out a loud moan in response to the interruption. It was clear she would have been easily convinced to make love again. She rolled onto her side, with her back facing him. He listened to the conversation conducted in a language he didn’t understand. Harmony’s tone and inflection was different when she spoke Glacierian, as opposed to speaking English.
Harmony rolled onto her back after she finished her conversation. She draped her arm over her eyes. It was a similar pose he made when he wanted to savor his last minutes in bed. He couldn’t help the small grin that crept across his face.
“You’ve been ordered to join the jaguars and I’m supposed to head over to the sheriff’s office,” Harmony finally said. There was a touch of annoyance in her voice. “They shouldn’t separate us. I need to advise Dreyden of the true nature of our relationship. Theo also has to be made aware of the spell Topper cast.”
Theo would not be pleased. Since discovering he was a dragon shifter, the sheriff depended solely on magic and the supernatural beings who lived in Magic to protect the town. Humans fighting humans or outsmarting the enemy was no longer considered. Chase basically neutered himself in respect to the town’s defenses.
They quickly dressed. He finished first and enjoyed watching Harmony. Her fluidity in motion was like watching a ballerina dance. Yet again, he was as hard as a rock. This time, his mind didn’t chastise himself for basking in all that was Harmony.
The desert heat hit him as soon as they exited the port. He loved Magic in the spring when the desert came to life. This time of year it got hot during the day, but not as stifling as during the summer.
Chase realized his wallet must have fallen out of his pants. “I need to return to the port for my wallet.”
“I’ll get it,” Harmony volunteered. “The security system will not recognize you and won’t allow you access. There is even the possibility the failsafe will be triggered and the facility will be destroyed. Besides, if I have your wallet, it will give us an excuse to get together that much sooner.”
Chase liked how she thought. He needed to discuss his situation with Danyal and then join Harmony in the sheriff’s office. The sooner he talked to the alpha jaguar, the sooner he’d be reunited with Harmony.
He was just short of town, when Chase turned to catch one last glimpse of Harmony. She was walking leisurely, enjoying the beauty of the desert. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of a black SUV heading toward her. The car stopped and she had a short conversation with the driver.
Something wasn’t right. His wolf was gone, but Chase still sensed danger. He started running toward her when she crumbled to the ground. The driver exited the car, picked up Harmony, and then shoved her into the backseat.
Chase ran after the departing vehicle, but didn’t have his preternatural speed. Had his wish to be human already backfired on him? He was helpless to save his mate on his own. The threat Magic’s population was concerned about was real and they had his mate.
Chapter 12
Sweat ran down Chase’s back as he sprinted to the sheriff’s office. It was more than the heat that caused his perspiration. He was worried sick about Harmony. They had not validated the Department for Paranormal and Extraterrestrial Affairs was involved. But whoever the enemy was, they had her. She was unconscious and helpless.
He fought to control the bile that rose from his stomach at the thought of what they could do to his mate. Topper’s spell had eliminated his ability to properly protect her, even though Harmony would argue she didn’t need to be protected. He needed a posse to go after his love.
The thought he could lose her was too alarming to consider. He needed to focus on the positive. Negative thoughts would paralyze him, making him a worthless asset in Harmony’s rescue.
Chase nearly ran over the sheriff and Dreyden as they left the office. He steadied himself and took a deep breath. “Harmony was abducted by someone driving a black SUV not far from the cloaked spaceport.”
Theo’s eyebrows rose as he took in what Chase communicated. “You didn’t chase after them?” the sheriff asked, surprise evident in his voice.
The town would eventually find out about the spell Topper cast, but he hadn’t wanted it to be under these circumstances. He had not looked forward to explaining the motivation behind his decision. Now, he dreaded having to share with Theo what he had done.
“I am Harmony’s Chosen One.” Chase knew Dreyden would understand the significance of what that meant. “She was attacked by an animal when she was young and is terrified of wildlife. It was my decision to remove any obstacles my being a werewolf would present in our relationship. Topper used her magic and I am now human. I was helpless to do anything when the vehicle sped away.”
“You did what?” Theo asked in disbelief. The sheriff reveled in his newly discovered abilities. He would be the last person in this town to understand what Chase did.
Dreyden stood beside the sheriff, not joining into the conversation. He looked at Chase as if he was under a microscope. The alien had gone to the extreme of kidnapping Prue in what he felt was the only way he could protect her. Chase expected he would immediately jump to his defense. Dreyden’s silence just further frustrated Chase.
“Where is Prue?” Chase asked. It was odd not seeing Prue beside her alien lover. He figured she would have voiced her support related to his decision. Women tended to consider the romantic, not the practical side of things.
“She is with the other witches at Topper’s house trying a locator spell to search for other military compounds in the area,” Dreyden responded.
Normally an object belonging to whomever they were trying to locate would be required. The witches were trying to produce something out of nothing. But now they had someone they could track magically. Ironically, Harmony’s abduction was exactly what the witches needed to find the secret military base.
“We need something belonging to Harmony,” Chase and Theo said at the same time. A new glimmer of hope began to lighten his darkened mood.
“I’ll run to the house and get an article of her clothing,” Dreyden said. “Head to Topper’s and give them an update. See if Topper can reverse the spell she cast on Chase. We need all the able bodies we can gather. Theo, if you can lockdown the tourists as much as possible, that will be helpful.”
Dreyden was gone before Chase or Theo had an opportunity to respond. The alien’s reasoning was sound. No wonder he had been a successful Space Ranger. Would Harmony be as efficient in a crisis? His thoughts wandered back to the missing woman. She had volunteered to help rescue the teenagers when she first arrived and now the town was going to return the favor.
Theo kept giving him probing looks as they made their way to Topper’s. “How could you have done it?” he finally asked.
Chase wondered if Theo had ever been in love. Based on his question, he doubted it. Without so much as a thought, Chase would sacrifice everything for Harmony, even his life.
“I hope one day you will feel for a woman how I feel about Harmony. Then you’d truly understand why I did it,” Chase replied.
The sheriff shook his head in response. Chase knew so little about the lawman. When this was over, he wanted to spend time with Theo and get to know the man better. But for now, all his concentration needed to be on rescuing his mate before she was harmed.
Once they arrived at Topper’s
, the door flew open. Dreyden had managed to stop by his house, pick up an article of Harmony’s clothing, and slipped in the house behind them. Before the spell, Chase would have been able to detect Harmony’s scent on the clothing, now he smelled nothing. His soul cried out for his wolf. The beast within him would have scoured the desert until he found his mate and freed her. Now, he was a helpless human.
Topper grabbed Harmony’s top without greeting them. She took it to the table the other witches congregated around. Prue had a crystal dangling from a chain and the six witches started to chant. The pendant continued to swing back and forth, not revealing where Harmony was being held. The witches raised their voices and the crystal began to glow. As the light from the stone grew brighter, it deviated from its earlier course.
A map of Magic and its surrounding area covered the table. Prue moved as the crystal indicated until it stopped over the location of the abandoned secret government base.
“We destroyed that base,” Topper said. She stared at the crystal still in Prue’s fist as if it would provide some kind of answer.
Theo stepped forward and placed his palms on the table, looking down at the map. “There could be another level we knew nothing about. We need to check out the base one more time and leave no stone unturned. The wolves and cats need to scour every inch of the facility until we find the entrance into the other section.”
Chase’s stomach churned, knowing he had no preternatural powers left to aid in discovering the entrance to the covert section of the base. All he would be able to do was stand back and allow others to rescue Harmony. He felt less a man now that he was human.
“Topper, can you reverse the spell you cast on Chase?” Dreyden asked.
Magic, New Mexico: A Touch of Harmony (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 8
