It was too much for both of them. Kerry came with a scream, her pussy walls clamping down on him so hard he saw stars. His orgasm ripped through him, pouring into her until he was hers just as much as she was his.
He collapsed on top of her, nuzzling the bite mark on her neck. He whispered the final words to finish the spell and mark her for all time as his.
“Kindled is love,
Kindled is flame,
And on my love
I lay my claim.
With the ending of this spell
May my shadow guard her well.
By the power of earth and fire,
Bind unto me my heart’s desire.
By the power of air and sea,
As I will so mote it be.”
The bite mark turned, twisting, darkening, until the shadow of a black wolf rested on her skin.
Seeing it there, knowing that she was his now for eternity, brought tears to his eyes. “Kerry.”
When she turned her head back to face him, she was crying, silent tears standing in her eyes. “You called me love.”
He smiled. “Of course.” Daniel stroked the shadow, thrilled when she shivered at the touch. “Would I be this nuts over someone I was merely fond of?”
Her brows rose. “I hope not, or I’d have some asses to kick.” She cuddled against him, turning them so she lay with her head on his chest, her leg between his. She stroked his chest.
Daniel could almost hear the wheels turning. “What?”
“Hmm?”
“You want to ask me something. Go ahead.”
“You know I love you too, right?”
He shuddered, clutching her so tightly she squeaked in protest. “I’d prayed, but I wasn’t sure.”
“Now you are.” She rubbed her side. “Will this interfere with the bonding ceremony?”
“I don’t think so. If anything, it might even strengthen the connection between us.” Of course, what they were doing was so rarely done he had no idea if that was true or not, but he wouldn’t have her nervous over their binding. She needed to be confident it would work, or it really might not. And if she accidentally rejected them that way, his wolf might consider it a rejection of another kind as well.
“I hope so.” She cuddled up to him again. “The nightmare was…bad.”
“Tell me about it.” If it frightened her that much, perhaps speaking to him would make it better.
“I was at a ball, and Kelly was there, without Dennis. She was flirting with some guy, thrilled that both of us were now magic users.”
He blinked. “It would take something similar to what you went through for Kelly to develop magic.”
“I know.” She shivered. “I pray she never does. It scared the hell out of me.”
“I bet.”
“So. There we were, and this man walks up to me and asks me to dance.”
Daniel was growling before she was done speaking.
“The man tried to convince me that Gareth had no brothers, but I knew that was wrong, so I tried to leave, but he wouldn’t let me. So I fought him off and ran. When the walls crumbled and he revealed himself, I fried his ass.”
“Damn, woman.” Unbelievable. She’d come out of it whole, or his spell wouldn’t have worked. If she’d had a demon inside her, the wolf would never have manifested. The shadow wolf was born of a Beckett’s love, something a demon could never understand or accept. “You really are badass.”
“Damn straight.” She yawned, wiggling against him. “We have a big day tomorrow. Let’s get some rest.”
He cupped her cheek. “Any more nightmares, wake me, okay?”
“I will.”
“Promise?”
She smiled. “Always.”
He couldn’t ask for a better promise.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Are you sure about this?” Gen held tight to Kerry’s hand, guiding her from Daniel’s workroom to the living room. The furniture had been pushed as far back as it could go to accommodate the circle they’d be casting to protect both Kerry and Daniel while they bonded on an even deeper level than they had before. “You can always try something else if this doesn’t work.”
Kerry fingered the mark Daniel had left on her shoulder, the same mark Gen carried on hers. It was the mark of a Beckett mate, the shadow wolf clear and strong and, in Kerry’s case, the mark of the power she would share with Daniel. “I’m sure.”
“And Daniel?”
Kerry laughed, almost tripping over the green robe Gen had insisted she wear. “Are you kidding me? Between Daniel and his wolf, I’m surprised I’m not already bound to their magic.”
“Their magic.” Gen shook her head. “I’m still not sure how Daniel’s wolf has not gone feral before now. There are times I think he is more wolf than man.”
“Because Daniel is strong.” Kerry was certain there was more to it than that, but Gen might not understand how Daniel viewed his wolf. It was like Daniel had four brothers, not three, and the wolf felt the same way. Now it had accepted Kerry, claimed her as well as Daniel, she had no doubts that the wolf would come to her aid in times of need just as it did Daniel’s.
“He is.” Gen accepted that without any sign that she held doubts. “That I have never questioned.”
“You ready?” Daniel strode forward, holding out his hands.
Kerry took them without hesitation. “Let’s do this.”
He winked and led her to the center of the room where an altar stood. Two statues, representing the God and the Goddess, stood on either side of a white pillar candle with a pentacle carved into its surface. Salt and water, a vial of lavender-scented oil, smaller white candles and a closed Book of Shadows also decorated the altar. Gen’s athame sat at the bottom of the Book of Shadows, sheathed until she was ready to use it. On the floor someone had sketched out a complicated circle of runes that meant little to Kerry. “What’s that? I’ve never seen you use those before.”
“Gen set them up. It’s a warlock thing.” Daniel stared as well. Perhaps he understood what some of them meant, because he didn’t seem at all worried about them. “I think it’s part of the binding ritual.”
“Your wolf isn’t upset by them?”
“Nope.” His eyes were gold. His wolf was watching as well, ready for his part in the ritual to come.
“Let’s get this party rolling.” Zach placed a geode on the floor for north.
“I agree.” Gareth, standing east, placed the incense burner on the floor.
Lana was carefully placing a red candle on the floor. “I’ll take south this time, since Daniel is part of the ritual.”
“And I’ve got west.” Chris placed a silver bowl of water on the floor and nodded. “We’re ready.”
Gen picked up the athame, unsheathed it and began casting the circle that would start the ritual.
“I lay down the circle white,
Symbol of purity and might.
May evil be blinded by the sight.”
White light gleamed along the tip of her athame, casting a gentle moon glow around the circle.
“I lay down the circle blue,
For protection sound and true.
May evil not pass through.”
Blue light tinged the edges of the athame as the blue circle was laid down.
Gen began the third and final circle, her voice firm.
“I lay down the circle black.
Justice comes to those who lack.
May evil intentions break and crack.”
Sparkling black light, like midnight stars, encircled the other two. Gen placed the athame back in its sheath and bowed before the altar.
Zach knelt and cupped the geode in his hands, his voice was strong as he called to his element.
“North and Earth we call on thee.
&nbs
p; Join us in our circles three.
Grant us your stability.”
For the first time, Kerry felt the element of earth respond to a call. Beneath her feet something rumbled, waking from a deep slumber, paying attention to what the witches, warlocks and wizards were doing in Daniel’s apartment. She turned to Daniel, awed at the magic brushing against her senses. “I felt that.”
He tightened his hold on her hands. “It only gets better.”
She smiled, dazed as the rest of them called to their elements, each one adding to the magic building up inside her. No wonder Lana loved this so much. She felt like she could fly.
Gareth lit the incense, and the scent of jasmine filled the air.
“East and Air I call on thee.
Join me in my circles three.
Grant me your creativity.”
Lana lit the candle, and Kerry could feel her BFF’s power like it was her own.
“South and Fire I call on thee.
Join me in my circles three.
Grant me your energy.”
Chris held his hand out, palm over the bowl of water, and began his chant.
“West and Water I call on thee.
Join me in my circles three.
Grant me your clarity.”
Zach and Gen moved to stand before the altar, Zach before the god, Gen before the Goddess. Zach spoke first, lighting a votive candle that sat at the statue’s feet.
“Lord of shadows, dark’s embrace,
Hear me now, know my face.
Your faithful child cries out to Thee;
Join me in my circles three!”
Kerry gasped as she distantly heard a wolf howl, others answering its cry.
Daniel lifted his head, his howl joining the others until they died down to a watchful silence.
Gen lit the votive candle at the feet of the Goddess and called to her.
“Lady of the darkest night,
Hear me now, know my plight.
Your faithful child cries out to Thee;
Join me in my circles three!”
An owl hooted three times. Kerry could almost feel the wind in silent feathers as an image of an owl flying through the night skies filled her vision. It, too, slowly faded away until all she saw were Daniel’s golden eyes.
Still holding Daniel’s hands, Kerry knelt at his feet. She knew what she had to say. Gen had given her the words, but Kerry needed to put her own spin on them. These were unique circumstances, so Kerry would appeal not only to Daniel, but to his wolf as well.
“Here I lay my heart and soul,
For only you can make me whole.”
Gen was shaking her head rapidly, her eyes wide with fear, but Kerry knew what she was doing. This was the way it was always meant to be, and she’d give herself over to Daniel just as he would give himself to her.
“My need is strong, my goal is sure,
All of my intentions pure.
I have found someone of like mind
With whom I wish to bind.
To man and wolf I now submit
My body, my heart and my spirit.
In perfect love and perfect trust,
To you my power I entrust.
By the power of earth and fire,
Give unto me my heart’s desire.
By the power of air and sea,
As I will so mote it be.”
Daniel stared at her, his wolf’s eyes glowing with power. He smiled, bent and kissed her forehead, right where Gen said her third eye, the seat of her power, lay.
Against her skin Daniel spoke, his breath sending shivers down her spine.
“Here I lay my heart and soul,
Knowing together we are whole.
Your need is strong, my goal is sure,
All of my intentions pure.
We are of like mind
And to you I willingly bind.
To my warlock I now submit
My body, my heart and my spirit.
In perfect love and perfect trust,
To you my power I entrust.
By the power of earth and fire,
Give unto me my heart’s desire.
By the power of air and sea,
As I will so mote it be.”
She thought she’d felt power before, but it was nothing like this. Always it had brushed against her skin, but this? This was like an electric shock, all her nerves tingling with energy. Her hands shook as she tried to ride the wave of force that flowed through her.
It wasn’t hers, not yet. She had to take what was being offered and mark it somehow, but doing what Gen had said made no sense. Gen had to transform the energy of the Goddess into something a human could safely use, but Daniel was human. Kerry had to take the energy and bind it, not only to herself but to Daniel. The hole in Kerry began to fill, Daniel’s magic pouring into it and back out again, flowing between the two of them easily.
Daniel’s wolf touched her, the feel of fur and fang more intimate than lovemaking, awakening something inside Kerry that responded solely to it. The wolf’s magic mated with hers and Daniel’s, an unbreakable triangle of energy that flowed between them, making all of them stronger than they’d been before.
When the flow ebbed, subsiding into something far more tamed, Kerry opened her eyes. Daniel knelt before her, panting, his expression dazed. The rest of them seemed as shocked as he did, but Kerry felt like she’d finally come home.
She and Daniel were bonded for life, but the consequences were far from clear. Especially when Kerry felt the first stirrings of her own wolf.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“So the last body was found in Rhode Island?” Kerry was staring at the screen and clicking on the map. “Show me where.”
Daniel stood behind her and bent, enjoying the scent of her hair. Something was different, though, something that made his wolf practically purr in satisfaction. He kept getting images of two wolves, one smaller than the other, running through the forest. From the way they moved, it was obvious they were mates. The larger one was protective of the smaller one, but the smaller one never once rolled over to show her belly.
Was it the final bonding, the one that marked them as a warlock and her source? Because he’d expected to actually feel weaker once the bonding was done, but instead, insanely, he felt stronger. It was like echoes of magic, growing stronger as they bounced back and forth between the two of them. While they’d never reach the level of power Zach or Gen held, they were far more powerful as a pair than he’d ever been as a solo wizard.
This must be why the elementals chose to bond with a warlock, and why demons desired the union so fiercely. The amplification of their power was a heady feeling. Knowing his mate was even more intimately bound to him than any of his brothers’? Priceless.
“Earth to Daniel.” Kerry was staring at him with an amused expression.
“Sorry.” He took the mouse and moved it across the map until he came to Charlestown. “Here.”
Kerry tilted her head. “What makes you think she’s the latest victim?”
He froze for a moment. “The…videos?” Fuck fuck fuck! Talk about assumptions. If Kerry was right…
What if Arthur had started in Rhode Island? Could he still be in New York? Perhaps even the Hamptons?
“How can we find him?” Kerry bit her lip.
“We go back to the beginning, back to the beach house. He has to be there somewhere.” Daniel wanted to kick his own ass. “We were so focused on the fact that his scent was fading and the boat was gone that we just assumed he fled the area.”
“Leaving him the perfect opportunity to return and continue where he’d left off while you boys ran around fixing the hex on me and hunting for him in the wrong state.”
“It makes sense.” He pulled out his phone
. “Let me get the guys. It will take about three hours to reach Arthur’s house. You’ll need to make up your first pouch.”
“My first what?” Kerry followed him into his workroom.
Daniel dug out a small pouch and tossed it to her. “Fill it with what feels right.”
She began to rifle through his drawers, picking up objects and putting them back down with a shake of her head. Some went into the pouch, but the majority of it remained in his drawers.
“Do you fuckin’ know what time it is, fuckhead?”
Daniel grinned. “Hello, Gareth.”
“This better be good or I’m frying your ass.”
“We know where Arthur’s been hiding.”
Silence. “We’re on our way.”
By the time everyone gathered it was nearly dawn. Jo, Lana and Gen made sure that Kerry’s pouch held everything it needed while Daniel explained the theory Kerry had.
“Damn, she’s probably right.” Gareth stared at Kerry with a hell of a lot of respect. “You’re mate’s smarter than we are.”
“An orangutan is smarter than Daniel.” Zach started making weird monkey noises, drawing the attention of the women.
“Funny man. Ha ha.” Daniel threw some feathers at Zach.
They had to pile into four cars, since the women insisted on coming, but they managed. Zach drove the first car as he’d already been to Arthur’s hideaway, with Daniel bringing up the rear. They stopped for breakfast at a fast food restaurant, and by the time they got to the beach house it was midmorning. The sun was shining brightly, the waves crashing against the shore invitingly. Anyone who came here would want to swim, play volleyball and enjoy a good time.
Except Arthur Godwin. He wanted to fucking kill people and dump them in the water. Daniel wasn’t certain he’d ever view the ocean the same way again, knowing there were two more bodies out there that hadn’t yet been found. How many more were there that they didn’t know about? Had Arthur met whatever goal he was reaching for?
“Daniel?” Zach’s wary tone had him glancing away from the waves to his brother. “Look at Kerry.”
Daniel watched his mate lift her head, sniffing the breeze in a familiar way that sent a shock of fear through him. “Kerry? What are you doing?”
Warlock Unbound: Heart's Desire, Book 4 Page 18
