by Hickory Mack
“They’ve gone back to the spirit world, and they won’t come until I call them. What else about them bothers you?”
“I want them to stop touching you.”
“Love, are you jealous of them?” Silence. A grin spread over his face, and he sidled closer to her. “You are! They’re not a threat to you. I have no sexual interest in them, and I never have. Think of them like beloved pets.”
“Then why do they attach themselves to you like that?”
He took her hand and called his ethereal magic as though he were about to pull spirits through the veil. Elsie couldn’t feel his magic in the air as she normally would, but she could feel it humming across his skin.
“This is why,” he said. “They’re feeding off my magic. It comforts them, makes them feel stronger in this world. However, if it makes you unhappy, I’ll find another way to feed them magic.”
The humming went away, but instead of dropping her hand, he brought it to his lips while holding her gaze. “I have a limited understanding of how mating works, but I do know that I will never want anyone but you from now on. If I ever give you reason to think otherwise, I’ll take whatever punishment you decide.”
“Now, who’s being dramatic?” she teased. “When did you get to town?”
“Yesterday. The spirits kept trying to drag me back home, but as we got further south, they started urging me to move faster. They wanted me to find you, though I’m wondering if their reasoning is selfish. Maybe they helped find you because they figured out I wouldn’t turn back until I’d found you,” he pondered.
“Why do they want you to go home?” Elsie asked, and he shrugged.
“They keep showing me the same visions over and over again, but none of it makes any sense. They’re usually a lot more clear with what they want to say. I’ll figure it out when we get back,” he said. He brought her over to the bench he’d occupied all night, encouraging her to sit next to him.
“How important is it to you to return there?” she asked, trying not to lean in and smell him when he put his arm around her shoulders. It was like everything about him was designed to be appealing.
“They’re my family; I have to return to them. Trillian is capable of handling them for a time, but even she has her limits,” he said. “Are you trying to figure out where you and your mates fit in?”
Elsie nodded. “I like the idea of staying still and having a home. But because of who and what she is, Wren has to travel frequently, almost constantly, looking after her element. Saint is happy wherever we go, but I haven’t had the chance to ask Cross what he wants.”
“Sounds like you have a lot of decisions to make. This may sound self-serving, but I think you should come home with me. The others will sort themselves out. You can travel with your earth spirit when you need or want to, but I’ll always be there for you to come home to,” Pascal suggested.
“What’s it like?”
He described his burrow and the little garden outside with a wall made of gray stone surrounding it. He told her about the creek and about the village of wolverines surrounding his burrow, which was big enough to comfortably house ten of his people, meaning it had a lot of space to accommodate such territorial assholes.
“It may be a bit too masculine for your taste. I’ve never kept a woman around long enough to let her decorate. It will be your house, though. You can do whatever you want with it. I reckon even your wolf would be comfortable there,” he said.
Elsie thought about Saint and his request. He wanted her to go to Pascal’s home, and after hearing more about it, she did too. “We’re going to steal as much of the elixir keeping me alive as we can,” she said. “After that, we’ll leave. We’ll still have to find the witches and hunt down the mages to free Frost, but at least we can get out of here. We’ll come back to deal with the hunters later, when they can no longer hold this curse over my head.”
“That seems reasonable.”
“I don’t have a home of my own anymore. The hunters took it from me.”
“You do have a home. My home is yours. Take me into that other dimension, and I’ll get that elixir for you. We can get started on heading home today,” he said, and Elsie smiled. If only it were that simple. They still had to figure out where the elixir was being kept.
“I’m not going to bring you there. That’s just asking for trouble. But… I want to know you better, Mouro. I want you as my mate. Fuck, I want you,” she admitted, and his eyes lit up. “I will go home with you.”
Chapter 43
Frost stood at Elsie’s side, watching Frida, Cross, and Saint cross into the other dimension and her suite. They’d looked all morning but found no trace of the witches she and Saint had seen before. They’d eaten a quick lunch, and now Elsie had to go back and open a gate.
Pascal’s face was unreadable. He wanted to come with them, but Elsie had convinced him to stay behind and continue searching for the witches while she looked for the elixir. One of his dolls sat at his feet, pouting. She wanted to wrap herself around him, and for the first time, he wouldn’t let her.
“I’m thinking it’s unfair that you are the only one to have set any rules,” he said, taking her off guard.
“What rule would you ask me to abide by?” she asked, playing along.
“You bring anyone who so much as annoys you to me, so I can deal with them,” he rumbled, holding up one finger, then he raised a second. “Come back to me in less than twenty-four hours. I don’t have the refinement necessary to open a nice little doorway or the finesse to handle a gate, but I have the power to tear a hole between this world and the next. Don’t keep me waiting, or I will come find you.”
If anyone else had said something that domineering, she’d have laughed at them, but the glint in his eyes told her he was dead serious. This crazy demon would rip the dimensional fabric and invade a compound filled with demon hunters for her. She smiled and backed away as he came closer, his eyes zeroing in on her lips. She’d be late for whatever the hell Grant wanted from her if she let Mouro get any closer.
“I can handle the people who annoy me on my own,” she told him. “But I’ll be back before twenty-four hours are up.”
“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to run from a demon? One more rule,” he growled. Before Elsie could blink, she was held captive in his arms. How the fuck did he move so fast?! “No running away.”
“I thought I’d have a hard time leaving if—”
“I don’t care what your reason is. You don’t deny me your affection.”
“That sounds like two more rules,” she squeaked.
“Don’t test me on this one, love.”
“A-alright.”
“Now, give me a proper goodbye,” he demanded, and her brain and her body went to war. Fucking hell. She’d never had a lover who dared order her around like this, and she shouldn’t be nearly so turned on as she was. She’d thought Wren was bossy, but he made her seem like an angel by comparison.
The worst part was there was no way to hide it from him. Or maybe that was the best part. Elsie bit her lower lip and fitted herself more comfortably against him, the length of her body matched to his. She slid a hand up his chest and over his shoulder, cupping the back of his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Her heart thundered in her chest, and the blood rushing to her head made her dizzy, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t.
His hand lowered, but instead of her waist, or her ass, or even her hip, it slid over her stomach and between her thighs. Elsie gasped in surprise and desire; he’d lit her nerves on fire. She didn’t give a shit that they were out in the open where any random passerby could see. She wanted him, right fucking now. His palm moved over her shorts, rubbing her clit and pelvic bone, and it was all she could do to stop herself from moaning.
He parted his lips, and she immediately took advantage, sliding her tongue in and deepening their kiss. His hand kept moving, and she bucked her hips against him, taking everything he was offering. Mouro smiled and took
his hand away, giving her just enough time to whimper, but he grabbed the back of her thigh, hitching her leg up and opening his options. He pressed his hips to hers so she could feel his hard cock between them.
“Mouro,” she whispered, and he drove his hips against her. He pulled away from their kiss, catching her eyes with his and holding her with his intoxicating gaze while she tried desperately to get closer to him. Standing in the middle of a field where anybody could show up, they fucked each other with their clothes on.
“The next time I see you, we’ll do this again, with nothing between us. I’m going to bury myself inside of you and fuck you until you beg me to stop. Every time you look at me, you’re going to remember how good I make you feel and reward me with your sweet scent. You’ll never want to leave me behind again, my Lady,” he growled.
Fuck. Heat pooled in her pussy, and she felt her panties grow wet. He lifted her chin and kissed the base of her throat, chuckling as she tried to unbutton his pants. Mouro trapped her hands in his and raised them to his lips to kiss each of her palms. Breathless and needy, she whimpered when he took a step back, a smile on his face.
“You think I’ll give you what you want right now?” he asked. “I need to leave you with an incentive to get that pretty ass back here as quickly as possible. Find your elixir, then come back to me.”
“You’re going to leave me like this?” she whined, and he stroked her cheek.
“Only for a little while.” He nodded toward her portal, which still stood open. “Won’t something escape from there if you leave it unattended for too long?”
“No, it’s not as open as it looks. There’s a veil keeping the dimensions from touching each other, and the doorway won’t let anyone or anything come through without my permission. That way there’s less interaction and fewer chances for them to influence each other,” she answered. She balled her hands up and looked away. There was no way in hell she was going to embarrass herself by begging him to finish what he’d started.
“By the way, my Lady Elspeth, that was a proper goodbye.” He grinned at her, his cockiness making her scowl at him.
“That was a proper round of torture, Lord Pascal,” she replied, and he winked at her.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, love.”
A string of curses left her mouth as she walked through her portal, his laughter following in her wake. Closing the doorway, she frantically looked for Saint and Cross, but the witch was missing.
“Where’s Cross?” she asked.
“He went to alert them that you’ve returned and will be there on time. Apparently, you’re making them anxious,” her demon replied. His eyes widened when he caught her scent. “Gods damn, Mistress. How could he leave you like that?”
“Because he’s an asshole,” she grumbled. Saint crossed the room in a few steps and kissed her.
“His loss. Stop time, Mistress,” he said, pushing his hand under the waistband of her shorts. “What the hell did he do to you? You’re already so wet… I’ll take care of you.”
“Saint, I can’t use you as a substitute for him. I can’t do that to you.”
He played with her clit, squeezing it between his fingers and making her gasp. “Substitute? You won’t be thinking of him anymore because I’m right here. He’s got a bond with you, but ours is sealed. You’re not his yet.”
He kissed her and slipped a finger into her pussy, rocking it back and forth until she grabbed his hand and pushed him deeper. Elsie called her magic, and time came to a grinding halt. Frost rolled his eyes and disappeared into the cuff, having already reached his limit of his tolerance even though they’d been reunited for all of twenty minutes.
With his free hand, Saint pulled her shorts free as she fumbled with his. She was so frustrated he took her hands away and did it himself. Elsie grabbed his cock as soon as it was free, working her hand up and down his shaft, and he hardened in her grasp as she licked her lips. Elsie dropped to her knees and licked the tip of his cock. She’d never had one in her mouth before, but gods did she want to.
Saint buried his fingers in her hair, and she licked him from the tip to his balls, learning his taste and length. Circling the tip with her tongue, she sucked him into her mouth. Lapping at the bottom of his cock while continuing to suck, she experimented with pressure and depth, taking him deeper. Saint’s breathing sped up, and little gasps came from his mouth, giving her no indication as to whether she was doing it right. He seemed to like everything she tried.
Holding on to the base, she kept stroking him, easing her mouth over the top until her lips met her fingers and the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat. His fingers tightened in her hair, and Elsie smiled. He especially enjoyed that. A liquid bead formed at the tip, and she licked it off curiously. Her demon was salty, but she kind of liked it.
She continued taking him into her mouth, her head bobbing as she sucked and licked and stroked until she couldn’t believe how hard he was. His skin was stretched tight and smooth, and she could swear he was even thicker than before. It was getting difficult to fit him into her mouth without letting her teeth touch him, but when she accidentally grazed his shaft, he let out a shudder and a moan.
Elsie smiled and incorporated that with the rest, softly raking her teeth across him between furiously slurping every bead of liquid he gave her. Every time his cock slid across her tongue, she imagined it pounding into her pussy until she was so distracted she could barely continue. Her hand slipped between her thighs, and she touched herself while pleasuring him. She moaned, and he gasped in response, so she did it again.
“Mistress,” Saint said so softly she barely heard him. “Mistress. Elsie.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, and she looked up at him. “Did I do it wrong?”
Saint wiped the moisture from her lips and shook his head. “You were amazing,” he praised.
“I like it a lot more than I thought I would,” she said as he pulled her up. Taking the hand she was pleasuring herself with, he licked her fingers.
“I liked it too, but you almost made me come, and you haven’t had your turn yet.” He brought her over to the couch, but instead of letting him make her lay down, she pushed him onto the cushions and eagerly climbed into his lap. “Mistress…”
“This is what I want,” she said, watching his face as she continued to stroke his cock. She’d always liked taking her time when she’d been with other women. The build-up was a huge part of what made it fun. Since sealing her bonds with Saint and Cross, she couldn’t get enough of them. She craved them so intensely that she couldn’t wait through foreplay. She needed them hard and fast, over and over again, and so far, they were more than willing to accommodate her.
Elsie positioned herself and sank onto him, using her pussy the same way she’d used her mouth. Her fist pumped away on his shaft while she squeezed her muscles around the tip of his cock, enjoying the extra stretch, but it wasn’t enough. Pulling her hand away, she took him fully inside of her, eyes widening. He felt so much deeper in this position.
She rocked back, but Saint grabbed her ass and pulled her back in, holding her tight against him. Elsie ground her hips into his, seeking relief, and groaned. He was only allowing her the tiniest range of motion, but it was delicious. He was so deep inside of her that it only took that little bit of frantic movement to bring her most sensitive places to life.
Saint shared a smile with her, and she picked up the pace, bucking wildly. Heat built between them, and her pussy grew slick with arousal, filling the air with soft, wet sounds. Elsie’s breath came in harsh gasps with every rough stroke. She rode him hard, chasing the indescribably amazing ache building to a crescendo of euphoria.
Elsie reached the peak fast, toppling over the edge in a greed-driven frenzy. She couldn’t get enough of him, and she’d take all he had to give and more. Saint groaned, his cock pulsing within the convulsing walls of her pussy. They were a wet, panting mess when she slumped over, her forehead pressed to his shoulder, an
d Saint slowly stroked her skin with a gentle laugh.
“You can visit that asshole as often as you want if he’s going to be sending you back to me like this,” he chuckled. “I’ll be happy to benefit from his stupidity.”
“Saint, you can’t hate them forever,” she sighed.
“Watch me.”
“Ugh, so territorial,” Elsie groaned, but she wasn’t serious and he knew it. “I need to shower again before we go. It feels stupid to be going anywhere when all I want is to lay around with you.”
“And the witch, and the wolverine, and the devil herself,” Saint added.
“What happened between you and Wren?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Seriously, what did she do?”
“Mistress, don’t make me talk about it,” he pleaded, looking up at her with his beautiful eyes. What a cheater.
“Fine,” she allowed. “Someday you’re going to have to tell me. If you won’t, Wren will. Whatever it is, she probably thinks it was funny. I think she sometimes torments people for fun.”
“Sounds about right,” he agreed. “That woman is a monster in pretty packaging.”
“Come wash up with me, and you can tell me all about the scary monster.” Elsie eased herself off of him and pulled him up, kicking a pair of shorts out of her way as she led him to the bathroom. They’d have to clean up before setting time free again.
An hour later, Elsie pulled the beanie over Saint’s head. He was fastening the mask over his face as a knock came at the door. “Would Cross knock?” he asked, and Elsie shook her head.
“He’s going to be in the control room downstairs. I asked him to watch the drone footage of what’s going on outside so we can have an idea of what the fuck they want me to do this for,” she told him. “Frost? We’re going!”
Her cuff warmed before the wolf made his appearance, giving her a dirty look, which she reciprocated. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t stop her need for her mates just because it annoyed him. Frida chirped and took a running leap to land on his shoulders, but Frost didn’t so much as flinch.
