He backed away and effortlessly switched to his animal form, then disappeared into the thicket. It took me a little longer to change, but when I did, I found him in the middle of the trees, plopped down on the grass waiting for me. I ran past him, absorbing the pungent scents of oak, pine, fresh grass. The cool night air was cleansing to the senses and as we sped through the grassy plain, darting round the trees. I felt invigorated, the trials of the day stripped from me, the magic dulled by euphoria. I ran faster and Ethan kept pace with me. I whipped around the trees, stopping short to go in another direction. I needed a few minutes alone. Not long, just a few minutes to enjoy that feeling that seemed so rare to me, joy. Sensing my need, Ethan hung back.
Running at top speed, the ground pounded into my paws, broken branches pricked at my skin, and the strong crisp air cleansed me. Finally, I stopped. Peace. I hadn’t felt it in so long. I could stay like this. Immune to magic, unrestricted by the obligation of being a Moura, recluse from the pack and from civilization. I plopped on the ground, closed my eyes, and gave in to the fantasy. I wasn’t sure how long I was there, maybe five minutes, perhaps five hours. I would have stayed just like that, but Ethan nudged me with his nose. My head lolled to the side, looked at him, then returned to my position. He lay next to me, close, half his body over mine. When he licked my face, I jumped up. Gross. That was something I just couldn’t get used to.
He headed for the house in a slow, lazy trot and I remained several feet behind, a ginger walk back to my life and all the complicated troubles that came with it.
Ethan was dressed, leaning against the house when I got there. I waited for him to turn around so I could change. He rolled his eyes, exhaled an annoyed, exacerbated breath, and walked around to the front of the house.
I changed quicker than usual and found Ethan leaning against his car.
“Do you feel better?” he asked.
I was afraid that if I said yes, he would leave. The buzzing stopped and I had relaxed significantly, but I was a victim of my imagination and it was as paranoid as they come. Constant flashes of the many things that could go wrong with that curse haunted me incessantly. The relief was immediate when he followed me into the house. Ethan and I weren’t friends. Our relationship had limitations and constraints, unlike what I had with his brother. I wouldn’t have had a problem asking Josh to stay, but with Ethan, things were different.
He looked around, walking slowly through the space as his gaze swept over the area. It had to be hard to be him. Did he ever just walk into a room, relax and take a seat or did everything require recon?
“I need a shower.” But I didn’t move. Would he leave in my absence?
He relaxed back on the sofa, his arms outstretched, the indecipherable expression on his face, but his eyes were always expressive. Far too often I see the deep gunmetal; now they were soft cobalt. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”
Hot water and steam usually relaxed me, making me feel renewed. But a half hour later, thoughts of the curse still remained fresh in my mind, unable to be cleansed. Replaying in my head over and over—the consequences of possessing the Aufero was now death. The morbid thought clung to me in a manner that forced me back against the tiles, inhaling steam that felt like smoke. Breathing didn’t come easy anymore; sharp ragged breaths just weren’t deep enough. The calming effect of the run was undone and the thoughts of everything came rushing with a fury. Things were bad.
It took some time for me to return to something that resembled calm, and when I came out of my room, I found Ethan in the kitchen. A plate of bacon and a stack of waffles were on the counter, and the eggs looked like they were almost done. His hair was damp and disheveled from being towel-dried and he’d changed clothes.
“I used Steven’s shower,” he said.
“Steven doesn’t have a shower, that’s the guest bathroom.” It was an ongoing debate between Steven and me. I refused to have a housemate, but somehow he had managed to sneak his way into being one. Every time I said I didn’t want a housemate, Steven shot back the same response: “Good because I don’t live here.”
Ethan grinned. “Of course.”
“And the clothes?”
“I always keep some in my car? Don’t you?” Then Ethan’s lips lifted into a crooked grin as he gave my outfit a once-over.
I looked down at my gray modal pants and matching tank. “What?”
He shrugged. “Cute outfit. Maybe for your birthday you can get some grown-up pajamas.”
Ignoring his snide remark, I grabbed a couple of strips of bacon off the plate and took a comfy spot near the food. I wished I was the type of woman that owned sexy sleepwear. Cute sexy pajamas that were hard to sleep in. Give me a t-shirt or tank and comfortable pajama pants. Most of the time, I took them off and opted to sleep in the nude instead of the binding clothing. What’s wrong with comfortable clothes, and how is my outfit not adult-like? I caught a glimpse of myself in the window. Okay, maybe I could have worn a plain t-shirt instead of the gray one with a wide-eyed owl in a sleep hat.
We devoured the food in no time standing at the kitchen counter. “What happens next?” I asked.
“We find someone to remove the curse. But it will not be anyone here. Marcia commands too much loyalty around here.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know, right now there aren’t many options. We have friends in the east that may be able to help, but honestly…” he paused. “Finding someone to remove a curse is going to be a task. It’s such an archaic practice, the younger ones only know how to do it in theory.”
“Your friends in the east, are they experienced witches that can do it?”
“They aren’t witches at all. They’re fae.”
“How are they going to be able to help?” To me it seemed like he was bringing an electrician to a job that required a plumber. Especially after recounting Logan’s derisive remarks about them.
“Yes, most fae can do spells. Like witches, there needs to be a certain skill level. I’ve never needed them for anything to this extent,” he admitted.
Despite giving it a good fight, I couldn’t ward off the fatigue and yawned several times. But if I went to bed, I wouldn’t sleep.
“You need to sleep, you are running on fumes,” Ethan said.
“I’m fine.”
He stepped closer. He assessed me for a few moments, and amusement played in his eyes. “What? You think you are going to turn into a troll or fall into a deep sleep that can only be broken by a prince’s kiss if you go to sleep?” he said with a grin.
“Yep, and where the heck are we going to find a prince this time of night?” I said.
“Go to sleep, Sky, you’ve had a long day. Things will look a lot better tomorrow after you’ve rested.”
Unless I was going back in time, that was doubtful. How would things be better tomorrow? Tomorrow: I still would be cursed, be a Moura without her protected object in her possession, and living in fear of an unknown guardian who killed Mouras if they didn’t have their protected object.
No matter how I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. But I nodded absently at his suggestion and helped him clean up the kitchen, just to delay the inevitable: a sleepless night or one riddled with nightmares. I wasn’t looking forward to either.
Before he left, he leaned down and kissed me lightly on the cheek. He drew back, but stayed close. I moved closer, my lips lingered over his just moments before I kissed him. Lacing my fingers through his hair, I pulled him closer and his warm lips pressed against mine. He wasn’t close enough. I tugged at his shirt, pulling him closer, his kisses more fervent as he backed me into the counter. He leaned into me, his lips entreating for more, his response passionate and feral, all-consuming. The weight of his body pressed against me. I grappled at his shirt, one hand pulling him closer. Grabbing a fistful of hair, he clung to me, and his ragged breaths beat against my lips. His tongue was warm and searching. My fingers tightened around his shirt, pulling me closer
. We were as close as any two bodies could be, yet I needed to be closer. He thrust closer, his fingers sliding under my shirt, kneading into my skin. Slipping his hands under my legs, he placed them around his waist as he carried me to my room.
He laid me on the bed, reluctant to end the kiss. Pulling away, he moved just long enough to yank off his shirt and toss it aside, and then his pants. Firm, languid fingers trailed over me, and as his lips made warm trails in their wake, he removed my shirt and pants. The weight of his body relaxed firmly against me. I was stripped down to my underwear, and he sat back on his heels as his gaze moved leisurely over every inch of my body before he leaned down and kissed me again.
Threading my hands through his hair, I was reluctant to release him as he eased away from me. His warm lips cruised over my stomach, my panties, and my inner thighs before he returned to me. His kisses were ravenous and his hands made slow, languorous sweeps, exploring my breasts, stomach, and inner thighs.
He slipped off my panties and bra, and I tensed when he sidled in between my legs. He stopped and watched me. Panting lightly, I closed my eyes, and his body rested over mine, melting into me. I was acutely aware of his light touch as his fingers intimately explored me, followed by gentle kisses. I felt him, a gentle pressure against me between my legs. I tensed and exhaled a ragged breath. He pressed harder, his lips moved lightly over mine. I gripped the sheets, taking slow, measured breaths as he gently rocked further into me.
Then, he abruptly stopped, and when I finally opened my eyes, he watched me for a long time in silence. He kissed me again; warmth lingered on my lips for mere seconds before he nestled his face in the curve of my neck as his languid fingers gently roved over my body.
He pulled away with a tender smile, kissed me again on my cheek, then slipped to the side of me, nudged me over and then cradled me against him. “You should get some sleep.”
What? Was he freaking kidding me? How could I sleep? I was fully aware of his naked body behind me, the restless energy in me that hadn’t been sated, the constant reminder of his attraction that poked at me from behind, and his hands wrapped around me, his fingers just inches from my breasts. Rest? How the hell was I going to rest like this?
His body was like reinforced steel. I attempted to nudge him away, but he didn’t budge. Eventually, I relaxed against him, and his hold tightened. “I will wake you in an hour. If you don’t wake up, I’ll go look for that prince for you,” he chuckled softly into my ear.
I wasn’t going to sleep because I had no idea what had just happened. Why did he stop?
The next morning, probably like many women before me, I awoke to an empty bed. Ethan was gone.
I took a long shower and my thoughts were split between the curse and Ethan. Still baffled by what had happened, I wished common sense would take over. Ethan wasn’t the type of person you liked, fawned over, or even slept with for that matter. He was the type of person you gave a smile and a quick nod to and went on with your day, aware that he would never be the person to give you “happily ever after.” But that wasn’t what went through my mind. If his looks didn’t captivate you, his primal sexuality did. Why couldn’t I just think of all the jackass things he had done to me instead of allowing them to slip to the back burner? And now the only thing I could think of was his lips on mine and the firm but gentle way he touched me.
Shaking off the thoughts of Ethan, I focused on Marcia. What was the game plan? Ethan didn’t sound very confident that his contacts could remove the curse. If they couldn’t, what was our next move? Who else could we turn to? With the exception of Josh, there wasn’t another witch that could help us. For a brief moment, I considered Logan. He had to have some knowledge of the archaic practice of cursing someone. But I wasn’t sure the depths of his power. Could he remove it? But I quickly dismissed the idea. It was still an option—a last desperate option.
The voices on the television were louder as I stepped out the shower. Pulling on a shirt, I expected to see Ethan. Instead, Steven stood in the middle of the kitchen, scarfing down a large bowl of cereal. I nearly knocked him over when I ran and hugged him. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Ethan called my mom yesterday and said if she didn’t need me, he wanted me back here.”
He quickly returned to his bowl of cereal shoving spoonfuls in his mouth and barely chewing before he swallowed.
“Joan didn’t mind you leaving?”
“The transition was easy. No one seemed to have a problem with her as the Alpha. But that probably had a lot to do with the fact that the higher-ranked ones were killed. It speaks volumes that she survived an attack that killed their Alpha.” He scratched at his beard, which I planned to tell him later how much I hated. It didn’t fit him. He was always trying new things to shake the boyish cherub looks that kept him from ever being considered handsome. He was cute, handsome-pretty at best.
“I am glad he called because it saved my mom from looking bad once she kicked me out. Apparently I am ‘a messy pig that should live in a barn.’” He grinned.
I looked around the house. He had been there maybe a couple of hours, but his suitcase was in the middle of the living room, a jacket tossed on the floor, I was sure intended for the back of the sofa. There were unrinsed dishes in the sink, crumbs on the counter from a bagel he had half-eaten and placed on it. Trails of cereal were on the counter and so was a carton of milk, cap removed and nowhere to be found. He was a slob, but I had missed him.
CHAPTER 17
Although it had only been two days since the curse, I felt despondent because I hadn’t heard from either Josh or Ethan. I figured they were working on something, but I wished I knew what. I was so desperate that I considered paying Logan a visit. I sent Ethan a text message since he didn’t answer his phone: “Are you making progress?”
“Yes.”
“Like?”
“I will let you know later.”
“Do you think Logan can help?”
“DON’T GO TO LOGAN!”
I typed a text asking why, but deleted it. He didn’t want to be indebted to Logan any more than I did. They were tricksters by nature, so it wasn’t as simple as just striking a deal. But the way things were going, I might have to make a deal with him just to survive.
I sat on my couch finishing up another project for work. I really didn’t want to take this assignment, but since I had turned down several of the audits offered to me, I knew I had to take this one. My employer kindly sent me a copy of the contract, a reminder that I had agreed to take at least one assignment a month. Being a healthcare auditor wasn’t a hard job. It was a good job that I liked and worked for me. All I had to do was go assess a facility and fill out a report pointing out all the deficiencies that would cause them to fail a federal audit. It was the easiest job that I was probably going to get fired from if I didn’t stop letting pack business interfere with it.
I finally hit the send button on my finished project. My stomach was telling me it was dinner time. I looked over at Steven, who sat on the couch opposite me, with headphones on, looking at something on his computer. His stomach had growled less than ten minutes earlier. Foolishly, I thought it would urge him to fix dinner. But he hadn’t changed and he would wait until I gave in and made dinner.
Moving around the chair that for some reason was in the middle of the room, I negotiated around a couple of games that were sprawled over the floor and made it to the kitchen where I was met with bowls and plates from Steven’s breakfast and lunch. “Your mom’s right, you are a pig,” I mumbled.
He looked up, removed his headphones. “What?”
I grinned. “Nothing.”
He scowled, “I’m not a pig. It’s organized chaos,” he refuted and snapped his headphones over his ears.
When someone knocked at the door during dinner, I expected it to be my neighbor. He would be just as excited that Steven was back as I was and I knew that a surprise visit was only a matter of time. Ten was a little late for him, he was
a brunch or dinner type of guy. Pointing out that his fascination with Steven was technically cheating on his partner was only met with a derisive grin and a rebuttal that noticing the neighbor wasn’t cheating, just an appreciation for pretty men. I never got the pretty thing with Steven. Describing him as such was rather misleading; I considered him cute— a description he hated. The jasper eyes with the flickers of brown, a result of a very intimate relationship with his animal half, were deep and engaging. Winged cheeks that were too flushed, and dimples that dipped too deep whenever he hinted at a smile, made him look young for his age. The supple bowed lips always took him from that place where he could be considered handsome. Even with the full ginger beard that he refused to shave after my multiple protests over the past two days, he didn’t look twenty-one. When he smiled, he wasn’t the hot guy, but the dimpled boy next door.
I couldn’t hide my shock at Demetrius, the Master of the Northern Seethe, standing at my door. His hands were shoved deep into his slacks, and the deep chocolate eyes were a chasm as they looked back at me. It was hard to hold the gaze. The glower tarnished, and when he spoke his tone was as grave as his appearance. There was always a hint of an accent that I still hadn’t been able to place. “I need to speak with you. May I come in?”
When I didn’t extend an offer to let him in, he said softly, “Michaela is unhappy.”
Good, send me a text when she is downright miserable. “Thank you for letting me know, you can give me a call the next time,” I said as I started to close the door.
Midnight Falls (Sky Brooks Series Book 3) Page 26
