Dark Tremor (Mated by Magic #2)

by Stella Marie Alden

  Nose scrunched, Nicole gave a small nod and withdrew to another room.

  “Thank you,” Terra said softly.

  He gave a small nod. Of course the cat stayed. He hadn’t saved the damn thing to have it carted off to the pound. Plus, he knew how much the fur ball meant to her.

  Josh looked between them, brows raised, and downed his drink.

  “Don’t.” Jace warned, knowing where his brother’s mind was headed. “We need to focus on what’s important, making sure that Mic Luggerio doesn’t get his hands on Terra or that turquoise.”

  “We need to call Jack. Let him know what’s going on.” Josh reached into his jean’s pocket and pulled out his cell.

  Nodding, Jace paced, then stared down at the fountain below. “We’re going to need him, and any other men we can spare if it comes down to a fight.”

  “We don’t have time for that.” Terra stood abruptly, and her cat jumped off her lap. “Mic will already have his men sweeping the mine. If he hasn’t found it yet, he will soon.”

  “You saw what he’s capable of. There’s no way I can beat him.” Jace’s heart went into his throat at the panic in her eyes. Would that he could be all that she needed.

  “What do you suggest?” The phone already to his ear, Josh glanced up.

  “We wait for Jack and the others to arrive.”

  “It’ll be too late,” Terra insisted. “I can fight him. I know I can. If you help, then–”

  “No.” A headache began to form right behind Jace’s eyes.

  “You?” Josh’s brows shot up.

  She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then the baby blues opened, laced with steel and grit. “Mic is my father. I inherited his powers. I might not be as trained as him, but with the pieces of dark turquoise, I’m sure I can beat him.”

  “No.” What part of that is she not getting?

  “It’s not your choice.” She crossed her arms over her chest and the cheap coffee pot rattled on the plastic holder.

  That little trick had lost its potency. “While you’re under my protection it is.”

  “I don’t need you or your protection. All this”–she waved her arms in the air–“is because of you anyways. If you’d just minded your damn business and stayed off my land, none of this would have happened.”

  He covered the distance between them, finger pointed.

  “Bullshit. You were pawning pieces of dark turquoise at a dive shop. How long do you think it would have taken Mic to track you down? And let’s not forget the fact that your little boyfriend has been working behind your back. Who’s to say he wasn’t the one that led your dear old daddy straight to your door.”

  The color drained from Terra’s face and he immediately regretted his words and posture. He took a step back.

  “Wait.” She touched his arm.

  His frustrated cock jumped to attention at the sudden contact. Heat zipped and sizzled between them, and he swore the heat in the room elevated ten degrees.

  “No more touching,” he said, tearing his arm away from her.

  At that, Josh choked on his drink, then laughed.

  Jace glared.

  Seemingly oblivious to his brother’s response, Terra pouted with little fists clenched. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here with you.”

  “And where else would you go?” Jace demanded.

  “Anywhere but here.” She scooped the cat up, then stormed towards the door.

  “The minute you walk out of here, Mic’s men will be on you like flies on shit.”

  She ignored him, clicked the bolt, and turned the handle.

  “Goddamnit, Terra, wait.” He crossed the room, reached over her shoulder and held the door shut. His chest brushed against her back. Every neuron in his body sparked at her nearness.

  He inhaled her intoxicating sent. Desert with a hint of rye.

  “Get out of my way.” Her voice held a soft quiver. She felt it too.

  “I’m not letting you walk out of here,” he whispered softly in her ear.

  She shivered and her breath hitched.

  Josh cleared his throat behind them. “Just an observation, but if you two are a match, then–”

  “Don’t start.” Jace kept his palm planted firmly on the door and locked an arm around her waist. His cock begged to enter her.

  “I’m just saying, it’s solstice. If you mated–”

  “Not happening,” he growled.

  Terra turned to meet his gaze. Hurt shined behind her blue eyes as she bit her lower lip.

  “Look, I don’t want to be mated to you either, but if there’s a way to beat Mic, then I’ll do it.”

  He placed his free hand on the door beside her head, trapping her. She let go of the cat and took a small step backwards, until she was pressed tight against the door.

  “This isn’t a game. Do you even understand what Josh is suggesting? What you’d be sacrificing?”

  She swallowed hard. “It’s just sex.”

  He laughed darkly. “It’s a hell of a lot more than sex. It’s a fight for power, for control. If you’re not strong enough…” He clenched his teeth not wanting to think about what could happen to her.

  The ground trembled beneath his feet and the entire structure seemed to vibrate.

  Josh cursed behind him, and Nicole came out of the other room squawking.

  “For the love of God, stop it,” Jace yelled. “Do you know how high this building is?”

  “Trust me. I’m strong enough.” Terra’s eyes blazed, but the tremors subsided. “Maybe it’s you who’s not strong enough.”

  “What’s going on?” Nicole’s high-pitched voice grated on his already overwrought senses.

  Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. “Did she seriously just do that?”

  Josh laughed at the bar and poured another. “Looks like you found yourself a little hell-cat.”

  “More like a badger,” Jace grunted.

  “Nicole, let’s go.” Josh’s lips twisted in a smirk.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I want to know what just happened. Did she just cause the entire building to shake?”

  Not for the first time, Jace wondered how Josh put up with the screeching.

  Josh gripped his wife’s shoulder and turned her toward the door. “We can talk about it in the car. You said you wanted to visit your family.”

  She shrugged off his hand. “I’ll go. Alone.”

  Jace didn’t miss the subtle glare Nicole threw at Terra and the disdain at Josh before slamming the door shut behind her.

  Josh stared after her, clearly wounded by her slight. Their marriage had never been easy, but Nicole was acting even bitchier than normal. Clearly even love matches had their problems.

  “It’s the desert heat,” Jace said, shoving his hands in his pockets and not taking his gaze off Terra. “Makes everyone cranky.”

  The breath that escaped Terra’s lips sounded like a hiss.

  Josh gave his head a small shake. “I’ll go down to the conference center and make a few calls. Get Jack up to speed.”

  “You don’t need to leave,” Terra said, looking uncomfortable.

  “Yes he does.” He took a step towards her and the damn cat nearly tripped him.

  The little demon hissed, as if it was his fault.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Right. Let’s talk about how the thought of mating with me makes you cringe.” Her mouth quivered. “Sorry if I don’t meet your high standards.”

  “That’s not why…” He scrubbed his hand over his face and blew out a long breath.

  “Yeah, I definitely need to get out of here.” Josh slapped him on the back as he passed. “Good luck.”

  Terra glared at Josh’s back as he departed and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Jace studied her a long moment. Her face was scrunched up in defiance. Her lithe body tense, but still she made him harder than fucking granite. Maybe she was strong enough to survive mating with him uninjured, but he
wasn’t taking any chances.

  Not again.

  What he needed was a cold shower and an icepack for his aching balls.

  Chapter 14

  Terra stood beside the door and scowled at Jace who’d retreated behind the bar to make another drink. “Stop staring at me like that.”

  “Like what?” Small flames lit the wide pupils of his smoldering gaze. He licked his lips.

  “Like that.” She threw up her hands. The man was infuriating. One second he was rejecting her, the next he looked like he was ready to devour her.

  “You want to mate with me, but you can’t handle a little heat?” One side of his mouth went up as he sat down on a bar stool with arms crossed over his chest.

  What a jerk. “I never said I wanted to mate with you. I said I wanted to merge our powers.”

  “Same thing.” He flashed a sexy dimple.

  Her cheeks heated like they were on fire and her hands balled into fists. Within her chest her heart pounded erratically.

  “I couldn’t care less about the sex part. I just want to make sure Mic is stopped.”

  “Liar.” He grinned and leaned back against the bar, legs crossed.

  “You’re pretty high on yourself, you know that.” She wrinkled her nose, wishing she could wiggle it and turn him into a toad.

  “It’s solstice heat, darling.” He pushed off the stool and stalked toward her. “Just because I don’t want to mate with you, doesn’t mean I don’t want to fuck you.”

  He did not just say that. She glanced left and right, and saw nowhere to run.

  He stood inside her personal space, and she caught the scent of rye, leather, and musk.

  “Unfortunately for both of us, during solstice there’s no separating the two.”

  Between her legs, she creamed for him as she backed away toward the bathroom. Maybe she’d make it in time to bolt the door.

  “So you’d sleep with me as long as there were no strings attached?”

  “I didn’t say anything about sleeping.” He laughed.

  She took a sharp breath at his mocking, and let it out slowly. “God, you’re impossible.”

  “Says the little badger.”

  “Stop calling me that.”

  Another bit of self-control fell away and power oozed out, despite trying to contain it. If she wasn’t careful, she’d bring the entire building down on both of their heads. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths, but the tremors didn’t subside. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  “Hey.” Jace moved closer, placing his large hands on her shoulders, touching her, calming her, and yet at the same time stirring a desire that seemed impossible to deny.

  “I’m okay,” she said, putting a lid on the energy. “I shouldn’t be in a building like this. My powers are too volatile. I need to get out of here.”

  “Look at me.” His fingers threaded through her hair, while his thumbs stroked her cheeks.

  Green eyes held her gaze and his breath drew close, warming her lips. She couldn’t move if she wanted to. With heart racing wilder than ever, she lifted her hands and placed them on his chest. She had every intention of pushing him away, but his beating heart under her palms only amplified her hunger.

  “Jace, I–”

  His lips covered hers, his tongue taking full advantage of her gasp.

  Holy mother of pearls. The heat was scorching. She opened her mouth, and a little moan vibrated in her throat.

  The taste of his lips made her insides turn to mush. Her fingers itched to wrap around his neck, to draw him closer and never let go.

  With a jolt, Jace pulled back, blinking repeatedly. He sent her a fierce scowl as if what was going on between them was all her fault, and said, “I’m going to have a shower.”

  “Now? A shower?” Heat rushed to her cheeks and her lower lip might’ve bled, she bit down so hard.

  Without giving her any reasonable explanation, he crossed the room and slammed the bedroom door.

  She stared open-mouthed, took a deep breath, and then willed the trembling in her hands to stop. It wasn’t just her body that’d betrayed her. Her mind wouldn’t stop conjuring images of what it would be like to have him naked, on top of her…inside her.

  A shiver raced down her spine, sending a jolt between her thighs and her body ached with need. Hadn’t he felt it too? She knew he had, so what was stopping him?

  Obviously, he didn’t want to be saddled with her. She groaned, furious at herself for thinking for one moment he cared.

  Frigging men. She’d never relied on one before, she certainly wouldn’t now. Not with him.

  If Jace had no intention of mating, then tomorrow she’d destroy the mine herself. It was the only way to ensure that Mic didn’t get the turquoise.

  As she was working up to seriously-pissed-beyond-belief, the hotel phone rang.

  “Hello?” She glowered at the receiver.

  “Terra. It’s Wovoka. Have you seen Falcon?”

  Oh man. She didn’t have the heart to tell the old healer the truth. “Uh, I believe he went into the desert.”

  “I know a lot more than you think. He’s in trouble. If you know where he is–”

  “I’ll find him,” she promised. “And make sure he’s safe.”

  “Thank you.”

  She hung up and rubbed her forehead.

  Shit. There was no way Jace would approve of what she was about to do.

  When she heard the shower turn on, she opened the door to the bedroom and snuck inside. Jace’s pants lay discarded on the bed. She reached into the pockets and pulled out the dark turquoise. She’d need it to have any hope in hell of defeating Mic, if he showed up. The stones buzzed and vibrated in her hands, causing a surge of power to form in her fingertips. Before she lost control, she shoved them in her pants.

  She continued searching until she found his key ring. Stealing wasn’t something she normally did, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Besides, she was just borrowing. In the end, she’d make him understand. Falcon was family.

  She kissed Pumpkin, slipped out the door, and shut it quietly behind her. Trying to feel brave, she pictured herself as Clint Eastwood. Do you feel lucky, Mic? Well, do ya, punk?

  *

  The sun was ready to set when she parked the truck at the bottom of the hill. Falcon sat half-hidden by the long shadows of the entrance boulders. His face was bloodied, his clothes torn, and by the way he held his left arm, she was sure it was broken.

  “Your grandfather is looking for you,” she said, slamming the door and working up the perfect mood to give him a piece of her mind.

  Falcon stood. “Terra, you have to let me explain.”

  “Explain what? That you’re Mic Luggerio’s little pet now?” She climbed the hill, never taking her eyes off him. Pebbles and stones rolled under her feet, making a small avalanche fall down the hill.

  “It’s not like that. He made me–” He winced when he put weight on one of his legs.

  “Made you what? What did you do? Did you tell him who I was?”

  “No.”

  “Just where I lived?” She met him eye to eye, midway to the cave’s entrance.

  “I’m sorry. Terra, you have to listen to me, I–”

  “You’re unbelievable. I trusted you. Thought you were my friend.” She didn’t know him at all. Not anymore. “Shit, Falcon, you asked me to marry you. Is that why you did it? Because I said no?”

  “No.” His voice trembled as he continued. “He had pictures of us together. What was I supposed to do? And how was I supposed to know the trouble you’d gotten yourself into. Mic’s really pissed about these stones. All you have to do is give them to him, and he’ll back off.”

  “Back off? He tried to have me killed today.” Since when did the world revolve around Falcon? What had changed? Or had he always been this way and she just hadn’t noticed?

  “That wasn’t the plan. He just wanted to scare you a bit.” He grabbed her wrist with his good hand. His healing
talent flared, but it seemed sick, wrong.

  “You’re defending him now?” Her temper flared as she pulled her arm back and wriggled out of his grasp.

  “No. I just–”

  “You know what? Save it. Just get in the truck and I’ll bring you back to the rez.” She was so angry she barely noticed the rumbling beneath her.

  A black car, like the sedans driven by Mic’s men, tore up the dirt road.

  “What have you done?” She stared incredulously at Falcon.

  “Nothing. I promise. They must’ve followed you.”

  “Hurry. You take the truck.” She tossed him the keys and all but pushed him down the hill. “I promised Wavoka that I would make sure you were safe.”

  He slid on the gravel, then ran down the hill. “Terra–”

  “Go.” The ground rumbled beneath her and Falcon’s eyes went wide.

  He nearly flooded the engine as he tried desperately to start it, then sped off in the opposite direction as the black Mercedes neared.

  She didn’t have much time. Pulling the stones from her pocket, she sucked in the energy, and directed it toward the mine. The ground trembled, but not as fiercely as she’d hoped. It seemed like days, not hours, since she’d climbed out of her ruined house. She was still weak from this morning.

  Stunned by her loss of power, she closed her eyes and concentrated, this time sending a more powerful blast. A few large rocks tumbled, but the cave remained exposed. Shit. She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid.

  What was she going to do?

  She looked up the steep cliff. The hill was high, and the rocks fairly loose…Gravity could be her friend.

  The men below grinned and jeered as she scrambled up the hill. What were they waiting for? A dust plume lit by the last rays of the setting sun answered her. Three black sedans tore up the desert, heading in their direction. Mic. It had to be him.

  For a moment, her heart beat out of control, a real panic attack. Drips of perspiration rolled down her side and back. She crouched low inside one of the crevices.

  Car doors slammed shut.