Dark Tide (A Mated by Magic Novel)

by Stella Marie Alden

  She swallowed hard. “And now your back?”

  He nodded, his gaze intense. “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why.”

  Sex. Mating.

  “I can’t.” She shook her head and stepped back. She didn’t know if she could survive him leaving again. “You need to go. Before…”

  “Before what?”

  “Before solstice.” As soon as the sun began to set, she wouldn’t be able to control the unnatural desire building within her.

  His lips curved up in a smile. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Was he meaning to torture her? Tease her with what she couldn’t have.

  “Josh.”

  “Maya.” He bridged the gap between them.

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what?” His fingers threaded through her hair, and he lowered his mouth as if to kiss her.

  “Hurt me again.”

  He dropped his hand and frowned. “You think that’s why I’m here.”

  She took the moment to create a space between them.

  It was time she told him the truth. Maybe then he’d understand and leave her alone.

  “I know you don’t mean to. But I’m in love with you. And I can’t do this again. It’s not just sex for me. I’m sorry.”

  Not giving him a chance to say anything else that would break her heart, she slipped out of the room and through the service wing.

  She needed to be alone, somewhere no one would find her. At least until solstice was over, and Josh had gone home.

  Chapter 30

  Josh stood there stunned. She loved him? By the time he wrapped his brain around her words she was gone.

  Shit.

  He rushed from the room, finding Maya’s youngest sister giggling with one of the male receptionists at the front desk.

  “Where did she go?”

  Mari frowned up at him. “I thought she was with you.”

  “Damn it. She took off.” Outside the huge front windows, tourists laughed with kids in tow.

  No Maya. He rubbed at the awful migraine forming in the back of his neck and tried to calm his unsteady breathing.

  “What did you do to her now?” With hands on her hips, Mari glowered in a way that would’ve made her dad proud.

  Josh put up his palms and shrugged as he continued to search the area. “Nothing. I swear.”

  She didn’t look convinced, but did point to the elevator bay. “Maybe she went up to her room.”

  Brian O’Conner was the next to enter the lobby, and asked Mari, “What’s up with Maya?”

  His brows shot up when he noticed Josh at the front window. “Oh, well that explains it. Good to have you back.” He stuck out a hand.

  Their handshake indicated all was solid between them. “Where was she headed?”

  “Down at the side docks. Can’t see them from here. She left crying, didn’t even take Willy with her. Shit, Yank, what’d you do this time?”

  That question was starting to piss him off. “Nothing.”

  “Didn’t look like nothing,” Brian mumbled, brows furrowed, ready to go all big-brother on him.

  “Just tell me. Do you know where she was headed?”

  Brian shrugged, eyeing him suspiciously. “Probably went to Turtle Island. That’s where she goes when she needs to get away.”

  Josh slammed his palms down on the counter, making Mari jump. “I need a boat.”

  “Not sure we want to give you one.” Maya’s brother stood in front of him with arms crossed over his chest.

  “Stop being an ass, Brian. Here.” The girl reached over the reception desk and grabbed a set of keys. “Take the Terminator.”

  “Thanks.” He caught the keys midair, gave a small nod, and dashed toward the door.

  The intense need to get to Maya made his chest constrict, stomach clench. He’d been an idiot giving her this much time alone. All he’d done is hurt her more.

  He had to stop at the front door when a wave of water blocked his exit. Brian stepped forward and said, “I’ll kick your sorry ass back to the states if you hurt her.”

  Josh took a deep steadying breath and stared the younger man down. “I love your sister. And I plan on making her my mate. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  Mari yelped.

  Brian’s mouth dropped open, slapped him hard on the shoulder, and said, “Well, you better hurry up mate and get her.”

  *

  It took Josh the rest of the day to gather the supplies he needed. By the time he spotted the small, remote island, the sun was already setting in the sky.

  Maya’s Stacer was pulled up on the sandy beach, but even as he docked his own boat, there was no sign of her.

  After checking the small cabin and finding it empty, he started to get worried. Where the hell was she? It wasn’t like the island was that big.

  He glanced out at the ocean, worried that she’d gone scuba diving alone, but he knew she never broke her own rule.

  “Damn it, Maya. Where are you?”

  He trudged through the thick foliage to the center of the island. He was almost about to return to the shore when he spotted a hint of red among deep fern greens.

  He pushed a giant palm back and stepped into the clearing.

  A small fresh water pool, gathered at the base of a twenty-foot waterfall. Maya tread water in the middle of it. Her hair, swirling around her pale flesh. He sucked in a breath when he realized she was naked.

  Fuck, she was beautiful.

  It wasn’t the kind of beauty that needed any kind of lipstick or designer jeans. It came from inside of her and radiated out. Her caring for others, her sense of responsibility, and damn near everything about her. Not for the first time, he marveled that he could’ve ever let her go.

  Silently, he undressed and joined her in the water. She must have felt him, because she turned quickly, her green eyes wide.

  He locked onto her gaze and swam to her side. His hands found the soft flesh of her waist and he pulled her naked body against his.

  Every cell in his body ached for her.

  She sucked in a breath when their energies merged. Already solstice heat flamed between them. Within a few minutes, the pull would be so strong it would be nearly impossible for either of them to walk away.

  Her brows drew down and she shook her head. “Josh–”

  “No. It’s my turn to speak.” He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, not wanting to mess up again. “I never meant to hurt you. I loved you the first moment I laid eyes on you. I was just too stupid to know it.” He moaned at all the lost time and nipped her earlobe. “I don’t want to live without you.”

  Maya pulled back and searched his eyes. “What’re you saying?”

  “I want you. Forever. As my mate. Will you have me, Maya. Will you fight me?”

  She gave a nervous laugh, and when her fingers dug into the back of his neck, his cock jumped to attention.

  “We’ll need to live here. Are you willing?”

  “To live in paradise? I suppose I could.” He gave her a crooked grin.

  She was going to say yes. His heart thumped wildly, and a tiny bit of flame sizzled under the water.

  She kissed him hard. “Say it.”

  He grinned, “Fight me, witch.”

  He was caught off guard when she pushed back on his chest. The small pool swirled around him and he was caught up in the pull. The water caressed him, her essence in it, and he moaned at the fucking awesomeness. But not yet. Too soon. It took him two revolutions to right himself and stand.

  Both hands up, he quickly connected to the electricity in the air and sent a sexual spark into the water, willing it between her legs. She let out a little yelp.

  When the pool stopped spinning he exited, and ran to where she swam to get out.

  “I have you trapped.” He narrowed his eyes and smiled.

  “Oh no. Not yet.” She sent a wave into him, knocking him flat on his ass.

&nb
sp; “That was good, honey, but not good enough. Come here.”

  “No way.” Laughing, she conjured a giant pink bubble around him.

  Madness seeped into his brain. His brothers had warned him it would be like this, but who could be prepared? Something snapped. He had to make her acquiesce first. Nothing else mattered.

  He heated her bubble until it popped, then entered the water where she again swam away. For the first time, he worried he wouldn’t have enough power to hold her interest. If he screwed up now, his dreams of a lifetime together with her would be over.

  He thrust both hands into the water and zapped it until she turned. Careful not to scald her, he upped the electric current until she screeched and ran out. Her lithe naked body sent his already sizzling brain into caveman-mode.

  “You’re mine. Maya,” he shouted as he conjured a perfect ball of energy. Red and orange electrons sparkled as he excited the energy within with his love for her. When he could stand it no more, he thrust it across the pool.

  It cut through the air like a meteor, and exploded just below her navel. Still attached to the essence, he willed it to touch every intimate part of her body. Her breasts, between her fingers, and behind her ears.

  Eyes wide, mouth open, she sat on the foliage at the pond’s edge. She leaned back on her elbows, and spread her legs wide for him.

  Crazed with lust to taste her, he dove into the water and swam like hell.

  When he came up for air, she stood there, knee deep in water. Her normally green eyes had turned black with passion. Water swirled around his cock and he moaned.

  “Say it,” he growled.

  “You first.” Water rushed over him, exploding around him like a geyser.

  He used his flame to shield them, and the water sizzled and steamed above.

  The need to sink his cock into her driving him, he picked her up and laid her on some lush ferns. With a palm to her chest, he surrounded her body with a heat that shared how much he needed her.

  “Feel me,” he murmured, capturing her mouth.

  She moaned and squirmed but he wouldn’t let her out of his power. Not this time.

  He nipped, laved and sucked, lowering his mouth and capturing a taut nipple beneath his teeth. His other hand went lower still, feeling the wet heat between her legs.

  “Oh my God. Josh…Now.”

  “No, my love. You know how this works.”

  Suddenly, a pool size tidal wave splashed over him, knocking him onto his back. She straddled him, her swollen pussy at his navel. Slowly she backed up, her ass hitting his overly sensitive erection. She lifted and placed the tip of him at her entrance.

  The drips of water on his body, under his back, and in his face pulsed with her essence. Never, had he felt more desired.

  He moved a thumb to where she swelled over him, and she cried out, “Now Josh, Now.”

  He screamed with a lust so stiff, it hurt like hell, “My mate.”

  At the same moment, she thrust down on him and shouted the same.

  “Say it,” he growled.

  “In water we are one,” she cried out.

  “In fire we are fused.” The words came from somewhere deep within him. A primal place that had always known she was his.

  Their powers merged. Fire. Water. It was a rare combination, and for a second he worried that their powers wouldn’t fuse. Then he felt it, the cool, dark, calm of her powers, so different than the fiery temperamental heat of his own. They melded together in perfect harmony, balancing his nature.

  Never in his life had he felt so complete.

  “Josh.” Her eyes were wide. She felt it too.

  “I know.” He held a palm over her heart, giving her every piece of him, holding nothing back. And she did the same in return.

  “My mate,” he growled low.

  “Yours,” she cried out, arching against him as he thrust deeper.

  He bucked.

  She pushed back.

  Fire lit the wet foliage as she met him thrust for thrust.

  She sent a small wave to douse the fire around them.

  Small bubbles exploded around them, then burst apart. The sprinkles of cool water the only thing keeping him from bursting into flames. It was the sweetest agony.

  He felt her body tremble, and knew she was close to her final release. He thrust harder, cupping her breast, never taking his gaze from hers.

  She threw her head back, body pulsing, shuddering around his cock as she came.

  “Maya.” Oh, God. He forced his cock deep, then came apart. His release was explosive and he swore for a moment that he lost consciousness before coming down from the incredible high.

  He moved so that she was lying across his chest. One hand slipped up and over her ass, up her back, and caressed. Mine. Forever. “I love you.”

  She smiled up at him, struggled to reach his lips, and kissed him. “I love you, too.”

  Epilogue

  One year later

  The hotel was chaos. Along with her mother and siblings, the entire Fialko family had flown down to be a part of the celebration.

  Maya smiled when she saw her husband, standing with his brothers, a hoard of children swarming around their legs. But Josh only had eyes for one. She caught the flash of pride in his expression when he glanced down at their daughter. He held her with the confidence of a man born to be a father.

  A wisp of red hair poked out of her white bonnet. Danielle Pearl Fialko. They’d chosen the name to honor her father, and already she was showing signs of being a strong water power. It was a good thing children didn’t come into their powers until adolescence, because Maya had a feeling they were going to have their hands full with her.

  Josh glanced up when she approached, and her heart sped up as it always did when he looked at her.

  “Hello, beautiful.” He kissed her on her cheek

  Danielle let out a small wail. Maya sighed and took her from her father’s arms. She soothed instantly.

  She never knew she could be this happy, this content. There were struggles. Within and among the clans. Gregor Uragan was dead, but his research wasn’t. The Council had done their best to contain the consequences of what the man had started, but there was a ripple effect, and already the climate was showing signs of being altered.

  “You three look awfully serious over here.” She glanced at each of the brothers, all wearing the same grim expression.

  Josh placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently against his chest. She saw the grimace on Jace’s face, and Jack looked away.

  “That bad?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

  “Tell her,” Josh said, squeezing Maya’s shoulder. “She’s going to find out anyways.”

  Jack sighed heavily. “Gregor didn’t just alter the weather patterns. It appears he somehow shifted the balance of power.”

  “What does that mean?” Maya rocked her daughter when she started to whimper.

  “It isn’t clear yet.” Jack picked up his daughter Cecille, when she lifted her arms for him, and placed her on his hip. “But there appears to be small pockets of unidentified energy in multiple locations around the globe.”

  Maya shook her head, not understanding.

  Her sister-in-laws, Terra and Zoe joined them, both with their own children in their arms.

  The Fialko family had grown exponentially in the last few years. And Maya couldn’t help but feel blessed to be a part of it.

  “What does it mean for us?” Maya asked Jack, who seemed to be the one with the most information. But that didn’t surprise her, he always seemed to be the first to know about everything.

  “We don’t know yet. There are some on the Council that are speculating the energy pockets are portals–”

  “Portals?” Maya’s mouth went dry. “For what?”

  “Again, it’s too early to say.”

  Cecille squirmed in Jack’s arms and he put her down.

  “I was talking with my cousin, Olivia,” Zoe said, passing their
son to Jack. “She’s a healer, from one of the older clans. Has studied all the ancient texts. She showed me a picture in one of her books with the same patterns that the energy pockets possess. Whatever it is, it isn’t new. It’s as old as time.”

  “But you still think Gregor was responsible for creating them?” Maya still didn’t fully understand the implication.

  Jack shrugged. “They appeared around the same time as the storms.”

  “Did your cousin explain?” A small pang of anxiety squeezed Maya’s chest.

  Zoe glanced down at the floor, and her cheeks went pink. Maya knew the woman had only been introduced to the world of magic a few years ago, before that she’d lived her life believing she was human, unaware of the world around her. Even now, Zoe always seemed a little more skeptical than the rest about the supernatural world.

  “Tell her.” Terra let out a small chuckle, and Maya swore she felt the earth move under her feet.

  Maya looked around, and noticed everyone seemed to have a sheepish look on their faces.

  “What is it?”

  “My cousin, Olivia, thinks that the energy may be doors for…” Zoe winced. “For angels.”

  “Angels?” Maya’s mouth dropped open.

  “Silly right?” Zoe laughed nervously.

  “Not necessarily,” Jack said. “Many of the ancient scripts say that our powers were created when angels descended on the earth and mated with human women.”

  “That’s just a myth.” Josh raked his fingers over his jaw.

  “Maybe. But our powers came from somewhere.” Jack exchanged a look with his brothers that Maya didn’t understand, and a small shiver ran down Maya’s back.

  She knew they would be required to fight against the evils of world, but today was a day for celebrating the good. Their daughter. And the merging of the Iesco and Irroro clans.

  “Whatever happens, we’ll be ready for it,” Maya said, glancing down at Danielle who stared up at her with bright green eyes. “Look at everything we’ve overcome already.”

  There was a silent agreement, as everyone’s thoughts turned inward.

  “Hey sis, we’re ready to start.” Her brother, Brian, raised an eyebrow at the pensive group. “Everyone’s waiting.”

  Josh cleared his throat and nodded. “We’ll meet you all there in a second. I just want a minute with my wife.”