The wolf howled again. It was a sad, soulful sound, conveying pain and frustration. He wanted to claim Julia but knew we couldn’t. The realization that she might never truly belong to us was near impossible for either side to accept. In the beginning, the wolf hadn’t realized she might never be ours. Now, he was finally recognizing her rejection.
Deciding it was time to focus on what was important, I pushed thoughts of the danger to Julia to the forefront. We would protect her. This we could both agree on. It was hard for those who weren’t werewolves to fully understand the bond between my two halves. Each werewolf was different. In some, the wolf was more dominant, and those werewolves acted even more on instinct. Their lives among the pack were simpler, but they couldn’t survive outside the pack. In others, the wolf was more submissive. They had the easiest time surviving if cut off from the pack.
The farther we got, the more the ache to be near Julia intensified. My wolf didn’t like the distance, especially while she was in danger, so we headed back.
I stopped at the top of the hill overlooking Ray and Lauren’s home and gazed down into the yard. There she was, smiling at the children in the pool as they splashed her. She was the only light in my dark existence. Yes, I had friends now, but Julia was so much more. I needed to find a way to convince her we belonged together. In wolf form, it was easier to see how empty my life was without her.
I let out another howl, this one more of triumph as my wolf showed his agreement. He liked the idea of proving to our mate we belonged together.
Her gaze moved in my direction, and her eyes locked on us. She knew we were watching her. I could almost feel her longing.
She’s always felt that way, but she’s afraid to accept us.
It wasn’t often my wolf spoke to me in anything I could describe as words. Usually, I just understood his meaning. His meaning regarding Julia had always been primal and insistent that she belonged to us. It had only been this evening when he’d begun to doubt she’d accept us. He’d clawed at my insides for months after we’d left her behind. I’d have doubted his words, but even from this distance, I sensed our mate’s need. Then, the strangest thing happened; I felt her. I knew it had to be her magic flowing along my fur, soothing my wolf. We both sighed mentally as the tendrils of her magic wrapped around us like a cocoon that smelled of Julia.
I’d never experienced anything like this before. It was as if Julia was here with us—a part of her, anyway. I couldn’t look away from her. Soon, it felt like my own power, the magic that allowed me to share space with my wolf, reached out to Julia’s. Every doubt I’d had about her accepting me faded away. We were one.
Chapter 25
Julia
I was sitting a few feet away from the pool, trying not to worry that someone was threatening me, or about how tense Gryph had seemed. Watching the kids laugh and play helped take my mind off my problems. The pure joy of those children allowed me to relax some. My focus was on them until I heard Gryph’s howl.
Turning, my eyes immediately found him on the hill. All I could see was the yellow of his eyes piercing the night. An ache started deep in my chest as I recognized the wolf’s longing. Until then, I’d never felt the wolf calling to me. I’d seen hints of that part of Gryph when his eyes glowed yellow, but I’d never felt the wolf as much as I did in that moment. Now, I fully sensed them both, and they called to me.
It shouldn’t have been possible. Every witch would argue it couldn’t happen, but my magic was drawn to Gryph, as if pulled by an invisible force. The crimson tendrils of my magic flowed through the air toward Gryph until they wrapped around his body, illuminating the hill. With the lack of lighting and the distance between us, I shouldn’t have been able to make out much, but as my power moved along the wolf’s fur, I saw him clearly.
To most, the wolf would have been a frightening sight. He was huge with black fur and glowing yellow eyes. As my magic surrounded him, I suddenly saw the image of Gryph as a man standing behind him, his green eyes burning into me.
“This is impossible,” I breathed out. “I must be losing my mind.”
“Are you okay?” Lauren asked from my side. I hadn’t even heard her approach.
All I could do was nod numbly as I continued to stare at the werewolf, his two halves visible to me. My magic was swirling around both forms, essentially testing his werewolf magic. I was afraid of what this meant. No witch’s magic had ever chosen someone who didn’t have at least some witch blood. Naturally, there were love matches, but never magical bonds. I didn’t know of anyone who would even agree to perform an affinity test between a witch and a werewolf, knowing it would end in disaster. Certainly, my own family would never agree to it. So, the fact that the impossible was happening scared me.
At the same time, I was also elated. When a witch’s magic found its perfect complement, it caused a rush of endorphins to be released into their body. I’d heard it was one of the most intense sensations, and I had to agree.
I couldn’t look away for a long time. All I could do was focus on the way the blues from his magic and the reds from mine appeared purple as they swirled around each other.
Gryph pulled away first, disappearing into the woods again. Losing that contact created an ache in me, and my magic reached out to him again. My magic wanted to bond with his, something that should be impossible.
I don’t know how long I sat there, waiting for Gryph to return. Lost in my thoughts, it was hard to keep track of what was happening around me, let alone the passage of time. I felt Gryph’s approach before I saw him. My power seemed to vibrate with every step he took as if some tendrils of my magic were snared with his.
“Are you ready to go, Sass?” he asked, his voice rough.
I nodded and turned to look at him. “Did you feel what happened?”
He nodded. “We felt it.”
Hearing him use that pronoun confirmed that he and his wolf were separate but one. It seemed my magic didn’t recognize Gryph alone as our match. Until his wolf had been more in control, my magic had rejected him. I’d needed to see his wolf in the forefront. Only then did my magic react to him—to both sides of him.
“Your magic was warm and soothing,” he added.
“This isn’t possible,” I repeated because I apparently needed the reminder.
Gryph’s brow scrunched in confusion. “What’s not possible?”
My assumption that Gryph would recognize what had just happened between us was foolish. He’d felt my magic, but he had no clue what it meant. “I’m not sure what just happened. When my magic reached out to you, it was almost like I was standing in front of you. I could see your wolf, and I saw you standing beside him.” I decided to leave out the part about my magic connecting with him. Before I spoke, I needed to mull over what had happened and perhaps get some advice on it.
Gryph moved to my left side so he could slip his arm around my shoulders. “You look pale, Sass.” There was no missing the concern in his voice.
I nodded and smiled up at him. “It’s been one hell of a day,” was all I could think to say.
“That it has,” he agreed. “Were you okay hanging out with the vampires while I went for my run?”
It seemed we were going to make small talk. I wondered if that was because Gryph sensed my unease over what had happened or if he was also uneasy. It could be either.
“They’re really nice,” I replied as he guided me back toward his home.
“Thanks for having us over,” he called out to Ray.
“Any time,” Ray replied. “It was great meeting you, Julia.”
“I enjoyed meeting you, too,” I replied before looking around for Lauren who was nowhere to be seen. “Tell Lauren I said thank you.”
“Will do,” Ray called back.
“This is the first time I’ve been around vampires for more than a few minutes,” I admitted when we reached Gryph’s front door. “They aren’t at all what I’d expected.”
Gryph released me to open the d
oor. “From what I can tell, most aren’t like the ones in this particular part of the subdivision. I wasn’t sure about making friends with them at first. Vampires don’t have the best reputation.”
“Don’t forget, the smell also bothers you,” I added.
“Yeah, they do smell dead to me. That part drives my wolf side crazy,” he admitted. “It took some getting used to, but it’s worth it. Ray and Lauren are good people trying to live their lives in peace.”
“There’s a lot I don’t know about most preternatural creatures,” I admitted. “I know a little about demons and fallen angels but next to nothing about werewolves. I’m sorry if I was insensitive to you because of that.”
I’d followed Gryph into the kitchen where I was certain he’d be looking for something to eat after his run. Sure enough, he pulled out a tub of pasta and started to heat it up. “You want some dessert, Sass?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Lauren offered me some brownies she’d made. It seems strange that vampires cook, but I guess they need to keep the humans living among them fed.”
“Yeah, those kids can really put away the food,” Gryph added. “The blood donors seem to eat a lot, too.”
“How is it I’ve never seen you in wolf form before tonight?” I asked casually.
When Gryph turned to face me with his bowl of pasta, he looked intense, and the yellow was swirling in the pale green of his eyes. “My wolf doesn’t reason things out as well, so I try to keep him away from you. It’s just better that way.”
“You think you’ll hurt me in wolf form?” I asked. For some reason, my entire being rejected that idea. His wolf would never hurt me. My magic had moved along the wolf, and there was no malice toward me.
“It’s not that I think he’ll hurt you,” Gryph began. “He’s just ruled more by instinct. It’s harder for him to reason things out. To my wolf, you’re our mate. Lately, he’s begun to understand you don’t want to assume that role. It’s not easy for him.”
“I always thought you were the wolf,” I said softly.
“I am, and I’m not,” he began. “We’re two souls inhabiting the same space and sharing the same power.”
“Why did you let me see your wolf tonight?” I asked.
“He needed to see you,” I began. “I needed to see you. When I stopped on that hill, I never expected you to notice I was there. It’s a good thing you weren’t close enough to see much. If you think I’m scary looking in this form, you should see me as a wolf. He looks like a fucking hellhound.”
I laughed at his description. “Trust me when I tell you that your wolf looks nothing like a hellhound.”
“How would you know?” he asked.
“I saw your wolf form,” I admitted. “Not just the outline. It was like I was standing there.”
“When your magic touched me?” he asked, his voice rough with arousal at the memory.
I nodded. “Your wolf is powerful and alluring, just like this form.”
“And with glowing red eyes, he’d look like a hellhound,” Gryph added.
I shook my head. “I’ve met Lucifer’s hellhounds when his daughter was dog sitting.”
“You know the devil’s daughter?” he asked slowly.
“Not well, but I’ve spoken to her a few times,” I explained. “I’ve never actually met Lucifer, something I’m thankful for, but his daughter seems nice.”
“And his hellhounds?” he asked.
“Annoying little puffs of white fur that yap all the time,” I told him.
Gryph let out a roar of laughter that seemed to lighten both our moods. He didn’t look convinced Lucifer’s hellhounds were little yapper dogs, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was how relaxed and sexy Gryph looked when he laughed. I loved seeing him like this.
Oh. My. God. I was in serious trouble, and it had nothing to do with the threats to me.
Chapter 26
Gryph
Having Julia ask me so many questions about my wolf was making it even harder to control myself around her. One would think, after our talk about hellhounds, things would be less tense. The laughter had certainly helped for a short time. Laughter was still new to me, and it was one of the many joys Julia brought to my life. Enforcers don’t laugh. They don’t find joy in much around them. It’s hard to find joy when you’re looking out for the next threat to your pack, your leader, or yourself.
As head enforcer, I’d faced more threats than the pack leader. It was rare for a pack leader to be taken down by force. There were protocols in place for when someone wanted to challenge the head of a pack. Enforcers were another matter. You became a top enforcer by being the biggest badass in the pack. There was always someone looking to challenge you for that title.
Looking back, I could see all the things my life had been missing, things I’d never realized I was missing. Never in a million years would I have guessed I’d be thankful for getting kicked out of my pack. Had I still been a pack member, even if I’d managed to come in contact with Julia, nothing would have come of it. Had I recognized her as my mate, I still would have walked away and never looked back.
I’d just finished eating nearly a pound of pasta. With a full belly, I became even more aware of my other aching need. It was more than physical. Every part of me wanted Julia.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” Julia asked in a shaky voice. Based on her change in scent, she was feeling the same need—the same physical need, at least.
Rather than answering, I moved toward her. She was sitting at the center island, staring at me wide-eyed. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and I groaned. I both loved and hated that habit. It always made me want to run my tongue along the same path hers had taken before pulling her lower lip into my mouth and biting down gently, just enough to make her moan and open her mouth for my kiss.
Fuck me. I was in serious trouble.
“You drive me to the edge of my control,” I rasped out. “There are times when I’m not sure I can take anymore. I want to plunge into your body and lose myself in you. Never in my life has anyone tempted me the way you do. No one else has come even close, Sass.”
“Then why do you keep turning me down?” she asked in a small voice.
The hurt in her voice nearly gutted me. My hand reached out, and I allowed my fingertips to trail along the soft skin on her cheek. She was so delicate in appearance, yet I knew her underlying strength was a good match for my own. She didn’t need my protection from anything magical. In that area, she was the more powerful of the two of us. She truly amazed me. Still, I was afraid of hurting her and afraid of losing control.
“I’m trying to protect you,” I insisted. “When you invite me into your body, you don’t know what you’re asking. You aren’t just a way to relieve my sexual tension. You’re my mate, and I can’t control my wolf if I allow myself to get that close to you.”
Julia opened her mouth to argue, but instead, a stream of magic poured out of her body and wrapped around mine. It felt like warm water cascading down around me this time. My hand dropped to fist at my side as I struggled to stay in control.
“I can’t be your mate,” Julia said helplessly, and it sounded more like she was speaking to herself than me. “I’m a witch, not a werewolf.” Her body swayed toward mine, and I wrapped my arm around her lower back to offer her support. Touching her intensified the surge of magic between us. “This can’t be happening,” she uttered.
“That’s the same argument I made when my wolf first recognized you as my mate,” I began, giving in to the temptation to brush my lips against her temple. “I was certain my wolf had gone crazy. Then I started to feel more drawn to you. Whenever I touched you, I wanted to sink my teeth into the back of your neck and leave my mark on you.” I allowed my lips to trail along the soft skin on her neck.
“You wanted to bite me?” she asked, sounding more aroused than frightened by the idea. There was a touch of fear. I could smell it in the air. The change in Julia’s scent heightened m
y wolf’s awareness. As much as he wanted to protect Julia, there was a part of my wolf that also wanted to hunt her and claim her in a more violent way. There were many reasons it was best that I had more control than my wolf.
Easy, I soothed the wolf. She’s not another wolf, so we need to be gentle with her. We don’t want to hurt her or frighten her.
My wolf backed away from the surface, and I sensed his struggle to control his instincts.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Sass,” I murmured, making slow circles on her lower back with my hand as I brushed my lips against hers. Julia’s lips immediately parted to give me access to her sweet mouth. I needed to pull away, but I was helpless to do so just yet. My lips moved against hers slowly as my tongue slid past her lips. Her soft moan vibrated against my mouth, sending a shudder of lust through my body. I’d kissed Julia many times before. Those kisses had always been desperate and frenzied. This kiss was different but no less consuming. I savored Julia’s mouth, drinking in her sighs and moans as her magic moved along mine.
I longed to deepen the kiss and slide my hand under her shirt so I could feel her bare skin, but it was a bad idea. With great effort, I pulled away, taking two steps back to put some distance between us. The tendrils of her magic clung to me, refusing to release their hold. It felt stronger than it had on the hill.
“That was nice,” Julia said with a shy smile.
“You look so innocent, Sass,” I remarked with a soft chuckle.
“Innocent?” she asked with raised eyebrows. “Bewildered is more like it. That kiss was very different.”
“Yeah, it was,” I agreed. “Something changed tonight.”
Looking down at her feet, Julia nodded. “I suppose it did.” When she looked up at me again, she reached out a hand toward me, but I caught it and shook my head.
“I want to touch you, Gryph,” she admitted in a soft voice.
Seductively Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 3) Page 11
