Winter Souls: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Sector 10 (The Othala Witch Collection)

by Angela Fristoe

  “What the fuck was that?” he asked when he could speak.

  “I’m sorry. You startled me.” She knelt and lifted the knife. “Did I do it wrong?”

  “Wrong? Fuck. Where the hell did you learn to do that?”

  “I didn’t.” She stood and brushed the snow from her pants.

  “Elora, you don’t just do that kind of move without some kind of training.” He got to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I didn’t have any training.”

  “Then how did you know what to do?”

  There was a pause as she appeared to decide whether to tell him or not.

  “Niobe use to come at me like that sometimes. At first, I took it. I didn’t have the strength to defend myself. It was like a game for her. Once I tried fighting back, she’d release a ravager on me.”

  “You’ve gone hand to hand with a ravager?” It was an image so farfetched, he couldn’t even picture it. Killing a ravager by hand required either severing the head or removing the heart.

  “In part.”

  “What the fuck does that mean? Either you did, or you didn’t.”

  “I found if I could just get close enough, I could use my knife on them.”

  “There’s no way a knife could make it deep enough to kill a ravager.”

  She nodded. “No, but I didn’t need it to. I just had to get it in them and then I could use a reaping sigil to finish them.”

  “The Reaping sigil should only work on humans.”

  “To take souls to the afterlife. But if I used the ravager’s blood to create the sigil, I could invoke the reapers strength to kill the ravager.”

  “Why wouldn’t you use it before the ravager attacked?”

  “Because I need to use its blood for the sigil.”

  Very little amazed him, yet the thought of this tiny woman successfully taking on a ravager not once, but many times, did. He’d been nearing twenty the first time he took on a ravager and had barely survived.

  He gathered the weapons and headed for the house.

  “What’s wrong?” she called after him.

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he placed the spear and bolt inside and grabbed the leather belt he’d hung on the hook beside the door.

  “We need to do a search of the mining office,” he said when he rejoined her.

  “I thought you were going to train me.”

  “We're done for the day. You're obviously capable with a knife, so what we need to do is find more rounds for the buckshot bolt. Then you can practice with that.” He held out the belt. “Here, put this on.”

  “My pants are fine. I don’t need a belt.”

  “It’s not to hold your pants up. It has a sheath for the knife.” He jiggled it until she took the strap.

  He waited while she wrapped it around her waist, then helped her create a new notch so it wouldn’t slide right off her.

  “I was clearing houses first,” she said as they walked down the road. “Then I thought I’d move on to the commercial buildings; that way, I wouldn’t miss anything.”

  He shook his head. “We’ve got food to last us a while. What we need are charges for the bolt and any other weapons we can find.”

  “You think we’ll be under siege from packs of wolves?”

  “No, but I do think you need lots of practice, because as good as you are with the knife, it’s a shitload easier to kill something from a hundred yards away with a bolt.”

  The mining office was locked, so he smashed the end of his ax handle into the lock until it gave way. Unlike the houses, the office was well preserved, a testament to the worth the Capitol had once placed on their resources up North. If it weren’t for the thick, stale air, he might have expected a receptionist to come out and greet them.

  Elora moved further into the room and around the front desk. She lifted a tablet, then tossed it onto the desk.

  “Why would an entire town just up and leave like this? Why would the Capitol leave all of this stuff here?”

  “Could have been a lot of things. Maybe the breach in Anchorage left them paranoid about another. Or maybe the mine shut down.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Let’s look around. Stick close; animals could have found their way in.”

  They made their way through the office, checking every room. The security office housed a handful of bolts, each fully-loaded with active charges. He looped his arm and head through the straps of the bolts so they hung down his back.

  “I think I found what we need,” Elora said, staring into a tall metal closet.

  Mason looked over her shoulder and saw a stack of boxes marked with a label proclaiming it bolt ammo.

  “Damn, that’s a lot of ammo.” He reached into the open box on top and pulled out one of the charges. At less than a half-inch long and a quarter-inch thick, there’d be well over thousands of charges in the boxes.

  “Still no peppermint, though,” Elora reminded him.

  “No, but we’ll keep checking tomorrow.”

  “What about the rest of today? It’s not even noon.”

  “Yeah, but we have warm water back at the house, and I plan to enjoy it while we’ve got it.”

  15

  Thirty-nine days. On the island, it would have been an eternity. Each day a grinding, painful reminder that she was trapped in a living hell.

  But in Petersville with Mason, thirty-nine days wasn’t long enough. Thirty-nine years wouldn’t be enough.

  When she’d left Ironshore, she’d been resigned to never having the man she loved back. Despite her plan to find the Underworld and get the Soul Rune, it was a fool’s mission. She never would have survived on her own and her death would have only given him another reason to not search for the rune.

  She wouldn’t admit it to Mason, but she held doubts that they’d ever find Juki or the Underworld. Even if they managed to do both, finding the rune still relied on Niobe revealing its whereabouts. A fool’s mission. Elora thought that is was one she’d complete at any cost.

  Yet, thirty-nine days had twisted that certainty into a tangled web of doubt, hope, and determination. She’d seen glimpses of the Mason she’d loved still inside him and each day they were there, she saw them more clearly. His soul was gone, but he was far from the empty shell she’d thought. She could love this Mason—not just for who he’d once been, but for who he was now.

  Each night it became harder to keep her back to him as he pressed against her and the memories of their one time together washed over her. It was the memories that had driven her from the bed that night.

  She gazed out the window at the Northern Lights. They were such a common sight that she sometimes forgot to lose herself in the beauty of them. In some ancient Inuit legends, the Northern Lights were believed to be the dancing spirits of humans not taken to the Underworld.

  “What're you doing up?”

  Elora spun around her hand to her chest. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

  “I wasn’t sneaking.”

  He stood there in his boxer-briefs as if he was fully dressed and she couldn’t see the outline of his penis under the tight material.

  “Well ... make some sort of noise next time. You startled me.”

  “Is there something out there?” he asked and strode over to look out the window. He stopped only an inch from Elora, peering over her shoulder. Not once did he tip his gaze up to watch the Northern Lights.

  “No, I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d watch the lights.”

  Heat radiated from his body, and she felt herself gravitate toward him, her body pulsing with the need to touch him.

  “Mason ...” She waited for him to look at her. “I ...”

  “You have a freckle,” he said when she hesitated.

  “What?”

  “Right here.” He lifted his hand and gently brushed at the corner of her lip.

  A rush of sensations flowed through her, and she kept herself still, conscious that any movement might break
the spell she was willfully falling under.

  His head lowered slowly, giving her the chance to pull away, but even if she could compel her legs to move, she didn’t want to. Instead, she tipped her head back and lifted her lips to his.

  The soft brush of their lips turned hard, and his tongue swept inside her mouth. The spicy rum he’d had earlier lingered, and she gave herself over to the flavor, getting drunk on the taste of him.

  Rough fingers bit into her hips, holding her close to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and rose to her tiptoes, desperately wanting to deepen their contact.

  He tugged at the nightshirt she wore, lifting it to her waist, and slid his knee between her legs. The position pressed her core to his thigh, and her pelvis instinctively rocked forward.

  He pulled back to kiss her jaw and the side of her neck. He moved to her ear and took her earlobe between his teeth, giving it a gentle nip.

  “Is this what you want, Elora?” His tongue laved the spot he’d just bitten. “No going back, no regrets?”

  Her head fell forward so her hair cascaded around her, and her eyes fluttered closed. In the darkness, she found there gave her the courage to submit herself to the desire burning within her.

  “Yes,” she moaned and leaned into him, feeling his erection, long and hard, pressing against her lower stomach.

  Suddenly, he let go of her hips, and she looked up at him, startled.

  “Tell me what you want.”

  “I want you.”

  “Me? Or who you want me to be?” He shook his head. “I can’t be the Mason you knew. Even if I get my soul back, I won’t be the same. What I’ve seen, what I’ve done in the years since Niobe tore me apart will never be forgotten. Can you really accept that this is me?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes started to drift closed again, but he gripped her chin firmly, and she stared into his steely gaze.

  “Be sure, because if we do this, there’s no going back. I’m going to fuck you every chance I get, in every fucking way I want.”

  He let go over and grabbed her ass, lifting her until her feet were off the ground and only the leg he had wedged between hers kept her from sliding back down. His fingers curled into the soft flesh and spread her ass cheeks apart. Her pussy clenched as the grip stretched her opening.

  “No more closing your eyes, pretending I’m still whole. If you want me to fuck you, do it with your eyes open. I want to know that when I’m fucking you the only thing you're thinking about is how fucking good it feels to have my cock in your tight pussy.” His fingers went lower, finding their way under her panties until they reached her opening. One finger slid into the slick channel, and she moaned at how empty it made her realize she was.

  She tried to move on his finger, to push him deeper, but he released her and rested his forearms against the wall, boxing her in.

  “Is that what you want?”

  “Yes.

  “Then why not say it?”

  “I’m afraid,” she admitted.

  “Of me?”

  She shook her head. As strong as he was, he’d never do anything to hurt her physically. Emotionally, though, he could destroy her.

  “Of myself,” she finally said. “I could lose myself in you, and in the end, you could just walk away.”

  “Anyone could do that. My father. Your mother. They all walked away. There’s no guarantees in life, Elora. All we can do is live today.” He brushed a stray curl from her forehead. “Is this what you want?”

  “Yes.” She pulled her shirt over her head. Like he said, there was no going back from this. And she didn’t want to. She was tired of denying her body what it craved. She’d live for today and let tomorrow worry about itself.

  “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he ordered, and she followed his command.

  With his hands under her for support, he walked them to the bedroom and sat on the bed. She kept her arms looped around his neck as he lifted to remove his boxers. Then he fell back on the bed, and her knees sank into the mattress. She placed her hands on his shoulders for balance and found herself on all fours above him, her breasts dangling over his chest.

  She shimmied, and her breasts swayed, brushing her puckered nipples through the soft hair covering his chest. Her knees spread wide, and her hips lowered until she was pressed to his hard length.

  His body arched and he let out a groan.

  “Fuck, your pussy is so hot." He cupped her breasts and squeezed them before firmly plucking her nipples. Her body reacted by grinding down on his cock.

  He rolled them over to kneel between her legs. With his thumbs hooked under the band of her panties, he slowly pulled them down her legs. When they couldn’t go any further, he lifted one of her legs up and over so her lower body was turned to the side. He paused and rubbed his hand over the exposed side of her ass then gave it a sharp slap.

  She jerked in surprise. She’d never been spanked before, and the thought of it had never appealed to her, yet her clit throbbed in excitement.

  “Do you like that?” he asked, his hand moving in small circles, waiting for her approval. A shuddering sigh escaped her. “Do you want me to do it again?”

  “Mmmm.” The moan tore from her as her back arched, trying to present herself to him again as her body gave up on waiting for her to form a response.

  “I want to hear you say it. Tell me to smack your ass. That it makes your pussy wet.”

  “Mason ... please,” she whimpered as her eyes closed.

  He cupped her chin. “Keep your eyes open. If you want it, say it.”

  “Again. Do it again.”

  His hand came down on her ass again, and he briefly soothed it with a gentle rub, before giving another stinging slap.

  “So pretty and pink. Just think of how it’ll feel when my cock is inside you.” He leaned down to give her a fleeting kiss, and the corner of his lip tipped up. “Not so hard. All you have to do is tell me what you want. Anything.”

  Her panties came off, and he tossed them to the floor.

  “But first—" he licked the underside of her breast "—we need to find out what you like—" another lick at her collarbone "—and how much you can take.”

  Mason parted the swollen lips of her pussy, and he dipped two fingers in. They filled her, but not enough. She worked her hips up and down, forcing his fingers further inside, but it only left her aching for more. He pushed a third finger in and began thrusting them in twisting motions that left her withering in need.

  Her clit pulsed for attention, but he ignored it. Finally, Elora lowered her hand down to rub the tender nub. His hand stilled, and she realized he was watching her movements, studying them. She pressed her fingers to her clit and rubbed it in a small circle, moving faster as her arousal grew. Tension arched her back as her orgasm crept closer.

  “Enough,” he said and pulled his fingers from her.

  He urged her over onto her stomach, then tugged her hips up and back. Elora rose onto her hands and embarrassment flooded her until she looked back at him and found him gazing in fascination at her ass. Any concern over how ridiculous she might look vanished.

  “I’ve thought about this for so fucking long,” he murmured. He wrapped an arm under her hips and his fingers swept through the tuft of dark hair there. He played with her clit, flicking it with his fingertip, then dipped into her pussy.

  “Can you feel how wet you are? So soft and warm.” His abs pressed against her lower back and when she would have sunk into the mattress, the arm around her kept her up. She dropped to her elbows, thrusting her ass out even more and cool air flowed across hot flesh.

  He withdrew his arm and pressed a hand between her shoulder blades preventing her from lifting back up. The thick length of his cock was running along the seam of her pussy, and she tensed in anticipation.

  “Last chance, baby.”

  Last chance for what? She was already so far past the point of no return.

  “Don’t stop,” she panted. “Please ...”r />
  “Please what?”

  She growled in frustration over his game and the primal need to he tried to delay. She knew what he wanted her to say. She knew it, but didn’t want to say it.

  “Please what, Elora?” His cock caught along her opening, teasing her with its promise of ecstasy.

  “Fuck me.”

  His cock pressed in slowly, filling her so completely she wasn’t sure she could take more. Her hips undulated as her body struggled to take more.

  “Slowly,” he said, grasping her and guiding her into a controlled rhythm. “This will be deeper, so relax and let it happen slowly.”

  He continued working his way inside until she’d taken his entire length. Her arms quivered and collapsed, pressing the side of her face against the mattress.

  Mason growled, and his hips reared back then plunged forward. Elora cried out as his heavy sac swung and tapped her engorged clit. He held himself still for a moment, then began pumping his cock in and out. The friction of his velvety cock along her opening inflamed her desire. She reached between her legs to cup his sac, rolling the rounds balls in her palm.

  He forgot his words of taking it slow, slamming his cock into her, and her entire body rocked forward. Their frantic breathing echoed around them along with the sound of wet slapping flesh. She let go of his sac and pressed her clit hard as her orgasm traveled around to her spine.

  “That’s it, baby,” Mason said and spanked her again.

  The delicious sting sent her over the edge. Her toes and fingers curled, and she let out a ragged cry as a maelstrom of sensations ripped through her. Muscles spasming, she milked his cock as he gave his own guttural yell and spent himself inside her.

  They collapsed in a damp, shuddering heap. Gradually, their breathing quieted, and the stillness of the night settled back around them.

  “We need to move before I suffocate you,” Mason said, breaking the perfect silence.

  “No, I’m fine,” she protested and threaded her fingers through his.

  While it was difficult to breathe with his heavy weight atop her, she was reluctant to move. She remembered what happened after the first time they had sex. He’d rolled off her and was gone. She wanted to stay sheltered in his arms forever.