by Janelle Peel
This could be trouble, Jackson thought.
Rowe poked his ribs and Mel barked a laugh, “Hey! Cut it out! We’re going.”
After they left, Jackson sat at the bar and made his own drink while he watched the girls play. It was a nice respite from the sorrows clouding his mind.
His thoughts drifted back to Mel’s words. Dark Magic, what did that even mean? Decayed and rotten...
A snap drew his attention.
Viv stood before him with an impatient expression on her face. “Hey, you coming or what?”
He looked around the room. Natalie was gone and only one light brightened the space. The pool table was empty and no music played.
“Yeah, sorry. I was thinking,” he replied.
Her face softened and she reached out a hand, “Come on, let’s go to bed.”
He took her fingers in his and allowed her to pull him up. Leaving the glass on the bar, he followed the sway of her hips to their room.
Viv
Undressing to my pink under tank and black boyshorts, I hopped into bed.
Jackson sat at the chair and slowly unlaced his shitkickers without a word. He paused every so often, lost in thought, before continuing again.
Figuring this would take a while, I got up and padded over to him. Sinking to my knees on the thick carpet, I lifted a hand to help. My fingers brushed his and he startled, not having noticed my approach.
Gently, I settled his hands onto his thighs and worked at the laces. Once I’d dropped them to the floor, I helped him up and popped the button of his fatigues. Hmm, boxer briefs today, I thought with a grin, and slid them down his hips.
Peeling his shirt over his massive torso, I threw it on the floor and hit the lights before returning to bed.
After a moment, he followed.
Leaning back against the pillows, I wondered at my timing. Maybe I should just leave him be? I quickly quashed the thought. Nope, I wanted him, he wanted me. Now it was up to me to make things happen.
Shifting onto my knees, I crawled over to him and straddled his hips. Leaning down, I kissed his forehead, then each closed eye before pressing my lips to the corner of his mouth.
No response.
Doubling my efforts, I moved to his chin and worked my way to his neck. Opening my mouth, my fangs snicked down and I scraped them across his jugular.
He shuddered a breath before grabbing my hips and pulling me against his quickly hardening length.
I moaned in equal proportions of relief and ecstasy. Lifting my hands, I held his face and kissed him. He responded with aggression; devouring my mouth like a starving beast. His fangs dropped, nicking my lower lip. Pure heat ripped through my veins as he took it between his teeth and sucked.
Suddenly, he released my bruised lip and flipped us. His large hand gripped my ribcage just shy of bruising force. Dipping his head to my neck, he teased a line of fire down to my breasts with his mouth. Using his fangs, he ripped my tank down the middle, baring my budded peaks. Slowly, he took one into his mouth and bit down. I arched my back, hungry for more as the pain and pleasure intermingled into one heady ball of need. My fingernails scored his back while he repeated the process on my other breast. Shifting onto his elbow, he grabbed my boyshorts and split the seams effortlessly before tossing them to the floor.
He leaned back and inspected my writhing body with a predatory gaze. Gripping my knees, he pulled my legs open wider. His breath whispered against the juncture of my quivering thighs as he inhaled my scent. He bent down and nuzzled my bundle of nerves.
I shivered a gasp in response.
Impatient, I sat up, grabbed his short hair and pushed him back. Growling in frustration, I tugged at the waistband of his boxers and roughly tugged them down his thick thighs.
He chuckled at my greed until I palmed his shaft and pulled him back down to me. I rubbed him along my heat; showing him exactly what I wanted before releasing him.
I purred my approval as he took to the motion; working my core into a deep ache that needed to be filled. Intuiting my readiness, he shifted back and impaled me to the hilt in one quick motion. I cried out as my channel stretched to accommodate his large girth. Tipping his head, he kissed me tenderly, dancing with my tongue to take my mind away from the pain. Slowly, he began to move, pulling back and filling me to bursting again.
Mine…
Gripping his hips, I met him thrust for thrust and increased our pace while my channel contracted around him. God, he felt so good.
I flirted with the brink of oblivion with each motion; teetering on the edge of the abyss. My fangs throbbed and I locked onto his neck. I moaned my nearness as the delicate notes of his blood met my palate.
He thrust deeply one final time and I came apart with a scream in the back of my throat. His fangs pierced my neck as he found his release.
I came again when he pulled on my vein, clenching around him tightly as my core greedily took his seed.
Inhaling, I took in our mingled scents and swallowed again; tasting myself in his spicy blood.
Jackson was mine.
Chapter 10
Sora
I chuckled to myself on my way to the kitchen. Everyone was sure to have heard that last night. Lifting my hand, I fanned the blush lighting my cheeks.
Blaze tipped his head with a knowing smirk as Natalie rounded the corner in front of us.
I called out, “Hey, Nat!”
She stopped and turned with a shy smile. “Hey Sora, Blaze. I was just going to the kitchen. What are you guys up to?”
“That’s where we’re headed.” I hooked a thumb at Blaze and myself, “I was going to find you after, want to join us?”
She nodded, “Sure.”
Blaze snagged my shoulder, “I’m going to check on Sasha. Your compulsion is holding, but she’s still a mess.”
“Okay,” I sighed, “I’ll be by after I eat.”
He nodded and kissed my cheek. “Sounds good.”
Turning, he flashed down the stairs.
Natalie’s brow lowered as we began to walk. “Who’s Sasha?”
I sighed. “A female Vampire. She lost her Mate and isn’t doing very well.”
“That’s awful.” She shivered, “I’ve heard that losing your Mate can cause madness.”
“That’s true,” I bit my lip. “I don’t know how to help her.”
She fingered the hem of her blue tunic, “I might know of a way. I’ve never done it, but I heard the Vampires talk about it during my time in LA.”
I stopped in my steps and grabbed her slender shoulders. “How?!”
She cringed at my impulsive reaction.
Tempering my tone, I repeated, “How, Nat?”
She leaned in and whispered, “Blood Magic.”
My brow furrowed in thought. “We have some books on that in the library.” I released my hold on her and rubbed my face. “I’m going to go look. Go ahead and get some food.” I waved my hand down the hall.
“Can I come?” She asked, tentatively.
“Sure,” I smiled. “Two sets of eyes are better than one.”
I pulled the thick tome I’d seen on my last foray to the library off the shelf while Natalie ogled the tinted domed glass roof.
“That is amazing,” she whispered.
Settling into the leather chair, I placed the book on my lap and grinned. “I had the same reaction when I first came here.”
Running my fingers over the tooled leather, I sent a quick prayer to the All Mother that it was in English. Opening the cover, my shoulders slumped and I snapped it closed in frustration. It was in Latin.
A voice chimed in my ear, “Try again, Daughter.”
I looked up at Natalie. Her open mouth mirrored my own.
Focusing on the book, I opened the cover with a trembling hand. The words wiggled across the first page and slowly rearranged themselves into English. I peered up at Natalie as she cocked her head sideways.
Her nose wrinkled, “I still can’t read it.�
��
Huh, weird. I waved a hand to the rows of books. “There’s more, if you want to check out something else.”
With a nod, she turned away and began perusing the stacks while I began to read.
The Art of Blood Magic
Written in 1670
Blake Sheldon
-Blood Magic is not for the faint of heart. While some consider it a darker kind of magic, that is not always the case. It is the intention of the Mage that makes the magic light or dark.
Ugh, this was going to take a while.
I read on for another hour before finally finding something of interest.
-Alleviate Grief in a Loved One
-Ingredients:
Hmm… Well, I’d never needed ingredients before, so I decided to skip that part.
-Instructions: Mix the tincture with the blood of all who have volunteered to share in the afflicted person’s grief. Next, add in the blood of the afflicted. Mix well. Each person involved must sip the potion; ending with the afflicted.
-Warning: This tincture is incredibly dangerous and debilitating. It depends entirely on the afflicter’s level of Grief. Use with extreme caution.
I sighed in relief and thanked the Goddess. Noting the page number, I closed the tome and stood. Wobbling, I stomped the pins and needles out of my legs.
“Did you find it?” Natalie asked from her seated position on the floor.
“I think so,” I smiled excitedly. “Let’s go.”
We made a quick stop in the kitchen for a snack and grabbed a paring knife from the butcher block. Then we were rushing down the halls to the west wing.
Sasha’s door was open upon our approach. Blaze hovered by the frame, anxiously tapping a beat with one large shitkicker. He met my eyes and shook his head.
No, we couldn’t be too late. I flashed through the doorway and froze.
Broken furniture littered the floor; wallpaper was torn from its glued backing and hung down in discarded sheets. The oak headboard had been ripped from the frame and the mattress tilted at an awkward angle.
Sasha was in the fetal position on the crooked bed, twitching beneath the covers while Allie rubbed her hand soothingly up and down her back.
I backpedaled and pulled Blaze into the hall with me.
Once we were a short distance away, I handed him the knife. His brow dipped in confusion as I untucked the book from under my arm and pressed it against his chest. “I might have found a way to help.”
He grabbed the tome and whispered, “How?”
“Natalie, actually,” I smiled. “She said she’d heard of Blood Magic that might be able to help. We hit the library and I found something that’s used to split someone’s grief.” Reaching up, I tapped the book with my finger, “It’s in there.”
He opened the book. “I didn’t know you could read Latin.”
Shrugging, I whispered back, “I can’t. The Goddess spoke to me in the library and then I could.”
He frowned. “How is that even possible?”
“No clue, but we need volunteers to do the ritual.” I paused, “It may be the only way to get her through this with her sanity intact.”
Blaze rocked back on his heels and thought for a moment. “I’ll do it.”
I sliced my hand through the air, “No. It’s too dangerous. The more people we have, the better. We need a meeting. I want to do it with the Pack and volunteers from our Clutch.” My nostrils flared, “The Pack helped make this mess, they will help clean it up.”
With a sigh, he nodded. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but you are. I’ll call and make the arrangements. Where do you want to do this?”
Cocking my head, I smirked, “Under the full Moon of course.”
Natalie
After Sora and Blaze had left, I fidgeted in the hall outside Sasha’s room. I didn’t know either of them and wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome.
“I can hear you breathing out there. Just come in,” said a feminine voice.
Sucking in a large breath, I entered the room. Complete disarray met my eyes. Goddess, it looked like a war zone.
“Who are you?” The gorgeous redhead asked from the bed.
“Natalie,” I replied.
She lifted a single brow and flared her nostrils, “Hello, Mage Natalie. I’m Allie, and this poor girl,” she patted the huddled form, “is Sasha.”
I lifted my arm into a wave, “Hi.”
She tipped her head in question, “Where did you come from?”
“The LA Clutch, Sora saved me.”
Her nose wrinkled, “Those idiots let you go?”
“They didn’t have a choice,” I shrugged. “Sora tricked Master Zane into thinking I was dead.” My brows lowered, “Weren’t you at the ceremony?”
“No,” she jerked her head, “I’ve been here ever since her Mate was killed.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I whispered. “We may have found a solution, though.”
Allie’s lagoon colored eyes widened in surprise and she gestured to the floor. “Find a clean spot and tell me all about it.”
Jackson
His phone pinged for the second time in a row before he made a timeout motion with his hands to Viv.
Padding across the dojo mat, he grabbed the phone and thumbed it to life.
Blaze had sent him a text.
‘Northern lawn, 30 minutes.’
‘The Pack will be there. Bring your Mate.’
He smirked, word had sure traveled fast.
‘On it.’ He typed back.
“What is it?” Viv asked curiously as she strolled over. Her hips swayed and he was struck stupid for a moment; reliving the way they had met each of his thrusts the night before.
Smack!
She slapped his arm and giggled, “Get your head out of the gutter.” Nodding to the phone, she continued, “What was that about?”
“Something’s happening on the north lawn in 30 minutes. Blaze told me to bring my…” he leaned in close and licked her ear before whispering, “Mate.”
She shivered in response for a beat then sobered. “What do you think it is?”
He rolled his shoulders, “I’m not sure. The Pack will be there, though.”
Her expression didn’t change as she replied, “Okay,” and picked up her gym bag.
“Hey,” he snagged her elbow. “Are you okay with that?” His upper lip lifted. He wasn’t okay with the Pack.
She slapped him again, “Yeah dumbass. Without them, I wouldn’t be here, and you would slowly go mad.”
His brows lowered. She was right. Without them he wouldn’t have his Mate, and without Sora he wouldn’t have known what had happened to Sara.
Seeing his epiphany, she smirked. “How did this happen anyway?” Lifting her hand, she gestured to him and back to herself. “Aren’t you like, a millennium or something?” Stepping away, she threw over her shoulder, “You should totally be smarter than me.”
He smiled and pinched her rear; eliciting a squeak of surprise. “I never claimed to be the smartest, but I will happily cede that title to you now that we are Mated.”
She laughed as they flashed back to their room to change.
Sora
I paced a line into the damp grass while I waited for Blaze to return with Sasha and Allie.
The Moon had just reached its zenith. I paused and lifted my face to her glowing surface. Please, All Mother, let this work.
A soft breeze tugged my hair in answer, slipping the tresses from their tight braid. They floated in a silver halo around my face for a moment before they lowered and softly brushed against my back.
Mel stepped forward, “Sora?”
I cocked my head to the side, “Yes?”
He asked in an awed tone, “She is here, isn’t She?”
“Yes, She is.” I whispered as another breeze rippled through the grass and ruffled his Hawaiian shirt
The Pack had gathered in their human forms. I’d met them all and shook their hands; but cou
ldn’t remember a single name. I really wasn’t a fan of big crowds.
Natalie trotted over from the side door; drawing my attention and Mel’s. He tracked her progress like a lovesick puppy. Geez, I thought worriedly, like I didn’t have enough problems.
She came to a stop beside me and leaned in, “They’re coming. I filled Allie in.”
I nodded, “Thanks.”
Blaze flashed into view with Sasha in his thick arms; followed quickly by Allie. I’d requested a chair from Julian in preparation of her arrival. He gently lowered her tall fame onto the seat. She swayed for a moment, but quickly caught her balance and gazed with unseeing eyes off into the distance.
“Blaze, do you have the chalice?” I asked, holding out my hands.
He placed it, and the paring knife, into my waiting palms.
Taking a deep breath, I faced the 46 people that had gathered. Shifters, Protectors, and Vampires alike, all leaned in to hear my words. “Hello,” I said from my diaphragm to project my voice. “We are here tonight to help Sasha through her grief. I have never done this before, so we must proceed with caution. Your volunteering will take a part of her grief into yourself.” I paused, “You will feel her pain, her aguish, from losing her Mate. It is true that the more people we have to share her grief with, the easier it will be on all of us.”
The side door opened once more, interrupting my speech. Our entire Clutch spilled out and began placing themselves amongst those already gathered. My heart swelled with pride as tears gathered in my eyes. They’d come for their ClutchMate, they’d come to help.
Mine…
Jackson and Viv zipped to Blaze.
Viv placed a large bowl into his hands with a smirk, “We figured you’d need a bigger dish.”
Blaze took the chalice from my fingers and replaced it with the dish as tears of joy streamed down my cheeks.
I smiled my thanks and slashed my palm with the small knife. Blood pooled and I clenched my fist. Holding it over the bowl, I released a few drops and passed it back.
Dropping to knees beside Sasha, I watched as the bowl made its rounds through the crowd. When they’d finished, Natalie brought the dish back to me. She slashed her hand, dribbled her blood into the mix and handed me the knife.
