Bring On the Heat

by Eden Bradley

  “Why aren’t they accepted?”

  “It’s a hard fact of life, but one we have learned very well. Only the strong survive. Eric has no magic. He should not be able to shapeshift, or fly, or breathe fire. In most cases, these Others are killed—or murdered—young. Hunters exist. So do eon long wars between species, between families.”

  “But he can fly and I’ve seen him breathe fire,” Scott said. “So how’s that possible?”

  Anguish filled Calla, panic clawing at her insides. “Stop the car please.”

  He jerked the wheel and stopped. Calla jumped out, clutching the blanket close, breathing deeply of the fresh night air. Scott came to her side, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her to his chest.

  She laid her head on his shirt, listening to the thump of his heartbeat.

  Slowly, trying to contain the pain, she said softly, “There are still a few mages who can pervert earth magic to their bidding. Sometimes, an Other will find such a mage. In return for a piece of their soul, they are given the power to use blood magic and gain the powers their kind are supposed to have.”

  “Blood magic?”

  She didn’t want to go on, not with the tears burning the back of her throat, the pain ripping her heart to shreds. But he needed the answers if he was to survive in this new world she’d brought him into.

  “The Other must use the blood of a relation, the closer the more powerful. By taking the life and drinking the blood, eating the flesh, the Other gains their magic.”

  Scott shivered. “Who did Eric murder to gain his power?”

  Drawing back so she could see his eyes, Calla forced the answer to leave her tight throat. “Our mother.”

  He flinched, but did not pull away. Gaze steady, he whispered, “He is your brother?”

  “No. Once, maybe, but not any longer. He is Other. Evil. A being who must be destroyed so my mother’s soul will find freedom. Peace.”

  ~ * ~

  TWELVE

  Pain filled her blue eyes, along with determination. And fury. He couldn’t imagine knowing your own brother killed your mother. And there was nothing he could do or say to comfort her hurting.

  An idea struck. “Do you like hot springs?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said cautiously.

  Scott drove less than a mile up the road and turned onto a narrow dirt lane. A few miles in, he parked, then led Calla into the trees.

  They came to the first of the springs, but he bypassed it, tugging her hand playfully, enjoying the way her eyes were lightening, the painful past pushed back by the present. He took her to the fourth heated pool of water. In a secluded glade behind a craggy hill, a small waterfall flowed on the far side.

  Big enough for swimming, it had always been his favorite. And now, with the beautiful woman by his side, it seemed even better.

  Calla quickly stripped and slipped in, splashing water over her shoulders and breasts. Ducking beneath the ripples, she swam to the center of the pool. Like some nymph, her head rose above the water, red hair darkened and slicked back. Light fell on her skin, embracing her beauty.

  She raised her arms, reaching back to grab her hair. Her full breasts jutted out, a glittering drop of water sliding down the slope to reach a pert pink nipple. His cock jumped at the sight of droplets on her creamy skin. His hands twitched as if the fullness of her breasts filled his palms.

  Shucking his clothes, he joined her in the hot water, but ignored his lust for another answer he needed. “How can I be a magical creature and not ever have known?”

  She stopped paddling and turned. A drop of water moved down her cheek, to the corner of her mouth. The tip of her pink tongue slid out, catching it.

  “It’s actually not that uncommon. Shapeshifters like me can’t get away from it. When we’re young, the moon calls us every month and our families must make sure we stay safe and don’t hurt anyone else until we learn control. But others, well…”

  “So I’m not a shapeshifter?”

  “Not unless you shift every full moon,” she replied with a ghost of a grin.

  Good. The conversation was working. Now he wanted a full smile. “No.”

  “Well then. We know you have the ability to move things without touching them. It could be telekinesis, or something entirely different.”

  “So what else is there?” he asked.

  She slid through the water, coming closer, her eyes a deep blue. Calla ran her hands up his sides. “Too many to name. I’m not even sure what creatures still exist, and which do not.”

  The sadness came back into her eyes. Determined to make it leave, he splashed her.

  She sputtered, wiping her face and glaring at him, but a grin touched her lips. Then she dove under the water. Hands grabbed his feet, jerking him down.

  Scott took a deep breath before plunging beneath the water. He twisted until free, then caught her in his arms and kissed her.

  Slippery, she slid from his arms. He surfaced, drawing a deep breath into his lungs. Calla didn’t. Worried, he was about to dive beneath the water when her hands slid up his legs and around his ass.

  Then she wrapped her hands his cock, her touch hotter than the water.

  ~ * ~

  Calla enjoyed swimming. Especially the capacity she had for holding her breath. Underwater, she nibbled the tip of Scott’s dick, loving the soft smooth texture against her tongue. Loving the way his body jerked and tightened in response.

  He tugged at her hair, trying to get her to surface. The man was so cute, worried about her being able to breathe. She slapped his ass, the effect slightly lost by the weight of the water. She needed this. New, happy memories to overshadow the old ones dredged up. She needed to feel alive, to feel loved, even though this relationship wasn’t about love.

  Was it?

  Trying to ignore everything swirling in her head, she didn’t think, only felt.

  She sucked him hard, then slow, enjoying the way he responded to both. She took his balls into her mouth and rolled them around her tongue.

  Sliding his dick back into her mouth, she sucked fast and hard, until his hips began to buck. He nudged her head again, to let her know he was about to come. She sucked him harder. Slammed the tip of his cock against the back of her mouth while pushing her tongue against him.

  He pulsed, filling her with salty-sweet come. His body twitched, then relaxed, the tension flowing into her mouth.

  Calla surfaced, a smile on her face. “You taste good.”

  His breathing raced, but he grinned. “Wow. Never done that before.”

  “That’s ‘cause you’ve never had a dragon before.”

  “True.” Scott grabbed her, plastering their bodies together. He kissed her with a passion that stated he wasn’t nearly done.

  Good.

  Neither was she.

  Their bodies twined, his leg sliding between hers, his knee grazing her hot sex. He rubbed her clit, the coarse hair on his leg tickling deliciously. She moaned into his mouth, their tongues rubbing, his chest pushing against hers.

  He grabbed a breast and licked his way to her nipple, then bit, the sensation a mix of pleasure and pain, just the way she liked.

  His muscles beneath her hands bunched as he carried her out of the water. Scott kept her in his arms, holding her high, while he walked to where their clothes lay.

  Slowly, he slid her down his body. Calla shivered in the cool evening air, a contrast to the heat inside her, the heat coming from him. Kissing her again, his hands roamed over her body as he knelt in front of her.

  “I can’t hold my breath that long,” he said with a grin.

  “I don’t mind,” she replied, her words drifting to a moan as his tongue pushed between her legs. She was ready for him; the act of pleasuring him had pleasured her.

  Scott ran his hands up her legs, mumbling, “You are so damn sexy.”

  He pulled her hips to him and leaned forward, flicking his tongue over her nub. The shock hit her hard and her hips jutted forward.


  Scott took it as a cue and covered her entire sex with his mouth, sucking greedily. One hand cupped her ass, the other slipped down, his finger sliding between her buttocks and rubbing in tight circles, his fingertip sliding inside her hole, then back out. His tongue slid along her, then pushed into her pussy.

  The pleasure of having him touching her so completely was overwhelming.

  The intensity of the double penetration made Calla’s knees shake. Urgently, as if about to come himself, his tongue rapidly penetrated her core.

  A cry escaped Calla’s throat and she grabbed handfuls of his hair, trying to stay upright, feelings coursing through her.

  His finger worked inside her ass, as he alternately nibbled and licked and sucked on her clit. A scream built inside her as the pressure became unbearably exquisite. Then she exploded into his mouth, hot and wet, the orgasm spasming throughout her entire body. Scott licked her roughly.

  Before Calla recovered, he tugged her onto his lap. Hands on her hips, he guided her. She slid down his length, gasping as it increased her orgasm.

  Her heart fluttered and she stared into his gray-green eyes, feeling this man so completely. His very presence touched her everywhere, but the soft look in his gaze touched her heart.

  She rode him, filling with pride at his moans. Lifting higher, she slammed down, then ground her clit against him. She took control of their movements and Scott used the opportunity to take one breast in his mouth, the other in his hand.

  Her legs trembled as she rose and fell, bringing him to the brink of his own pleasure, making sure his matched hers. He grabbed her head and pulled her closer for a kiss, before lifting her off his cock.

  “Not yet,” he whispered, his voice rough.

  “But—”

  “Shh.” He led her back to the water, rinsing her body, then his own. Then Scott gently laid her on their pile of clothes. Starting at her ankles, he kissed and nibbled and licked his way to her knees.

  He nudged her legs apart, moving between them, and pressing his tongue into the dimple at the back of her knee. A shiver worked through her body. The rough shadow on his cheeks and chin scraped along her sensitive skin, on her inner thighs, his chin pressing against her lips and her clit.

  Then he moved to her belly, rubbing his cheeks against her stomach, nuzzling between her breasts, pausing to lick each nipple.

  A smile touched his lips and he softly kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, cheeks and mouth. Before she could kiss him, he pulled back and stared into her eyes. “Do you want me?”

  “Yes.”

  “You. Not some magical thing. Only you, Calla.”

  Knowing he was serious, she laid her hands on his cheeks. “Me. Calla. I want you.”

  He kissed her with a sweet passion that made her eyes prickle. She ran her hands up his back, his sides. Scott perched between her legs once more.

  Scott massaged her hot, quivering clit with his tongue. Her hands grasped his hair, opening and closing. Her hips tightened beneath his grasp. Sliding down, he plunged his tongue into her sweet warmth, fucking her with his mouth.

  She moaned as he grasped her clit between his thumb and forefinger, tugging. Her moans became whimpers and her pussy shuddered around his tongue as she climaxed.

  Calla’s body jerked, tight. Her whimpers turning to screams of pleasure.

  ~ * ~

  Cock straining, about to explode, Scott moved over her, then teased her pussy with the tip. She shuddered, raising her hips up, wanting him inside.

  He held back, watching the frustration build as he teased her, only slipping the tip of his cock in, then backing out. She raked her nails over his ass, making him shudder from the sensation.

  “One of these days,” she growled, “I’m going to tie you down and make you beg for mercy.”

  “Any time, honey. Any time.”

  He pushed into her, spreading her legs wider so she took all of him. She gasped, digging her fingers into his skin, pulling at him, frantically wanting more.

  Scott tried to draw out, but his control was shot. He pumped his hips, her hot wetness surrounding him, straining the little control he grasped.

  Her breaths came faster, her little sounds driving him crazy. He fucked her harder, giving in to the demands of her hands and hips.

  The pressure built, but he pushed it back until she surged up, meeting him with a scream of desire fulfilled. Then he exploded, coming into her tightness as she spasmed around his cock.

  ~ * ~

  THIRTEEN

  Warmth surrounded Calla. The scent of dirt and leaves and Scott filled her as she took a deep breath. Opening her eyes to the dawn light, she looked up through the entwined branches to the purplish sky.

  Beside her, Scott whispered in his sleep. She slowly moved his arm off her stomach and sat up, wondering what woke her. Hearing the swoop of large wings, she shook Scott awake and scrambled for his shirt.

  Hopefully it was her brother.

  But luck was not to be. The black dragon landed a little ways away, then shifted into Eric’s form.

  The Other, a hundred years older than herself, had the ability to shift with his clothes intact, a skill she really wanted to master. He strode toward her, a smirk on his lips.

  “Where’s Garreth?” Calla demanded, tugging her shorts on beneath the long shirt.

  “Who cares? But you…” He tsked. “Allowing me to catch you out here with no protection.”

  Scott snapped his jeans and pushed her behind his back, staring at Eric. “She is not unprotected.”

  Eric sniffed the air, then shook his head. “He smells human, sis. A little beneath you, don’t you think? You’ll never get pregnant that way. He’d have to be magic.”

  At Scott’s swift intake of breath, Calla moved to his side. “You know as well as I our mating must be complete to have a child.”

  “A mating? Really? Well, now. We didn’t count on that.” Eric glanced at Scott. “So then, what is the scrawny whelp?”

  “None of your business.” She could not think of him as her brother. It hurt too much. She remembered being a small child, Eric bouncing her on his knee, chasing her and their other siblings. He’d been so kind, so sweet. To this day, she had no idea why he’d suddenly turned down the wrong path.

  She also remembered finding her mother’s body. Or what was left of her.

  “What are you doing in this town, Other?” she spat, his flinch making her hurt. Calla hardened herself, refusing to give in to the pity and sorrow.

  “Luring you here for my master, of course.”

  “You couldn’t know they would send me.”

  “Couldn’t I?” His eyes blazed a reddish color, overtaking the black they’d become when he’d used the dark magic. “Wait until you meet my master. He’ll introduce you to many things, many ways of knowing.”

  Calla wracked her brain. She’d heard whispers Eric did the bidding of the dark mage who’d given him the key to black powers. The magic council Garreth worked for wanted this creature who called himself the master with a desperate need bordering on obsession. From what she’d overheard, this master corrupted many. Too many.

  And he had Eric.

  “Now, sister, you can come with me peacefully, or I can rip your human to shreds and take you by force. We both know which I would prefer.”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you,” Scott said protectively.

  Calla wanted to cover his mouth and tell him to shush. He didn’t know what he was, how to use whatever magic resided in his tall frame. She didn’t want to see him get hurt.

  On the bright side, neither she nor Eric could shift surrounded by all these trees. They’d never get airborne.

  Decided, she grabbed Scott’s hand and pulled. “Run.”

  They raced away from Eric, dodging through the trees. But he didn’t follow her plan. With a cry of rage, he shifted into his beast and rampaged after them, pushing trees down in his wake.

  Calla refused to look back. Her hand tig
ht on Scott’s, his fingers crushing hers, they ran. The sounds of Eric crashing through the forest came closer. They were almost to the car, but there wouldn’t be time to get in and drive away before Eric caught up.

  “Faster,” she panted.

  Scott glanced at the car as they passed it, but didn’t slow. Calla’s legs burned, her heart pounded. It was no use. Eric was catching up.

  “I’m going to shift,” she said between filling her lungs with air. “I’ll divert him. You get to the car. Home. Garreth might be there.”

  “No.” His grip tightened on her hand and he pulled her to the left.

  “He’s going to catch us. I don’t want you hurt.”

  “No.”

  She would have sighed if she had breath to spare. Instead, she jerked from his grip and turned to face Eric.

  The black dragon bounded toward her, letting out a bellow loud enough to wake the dead. She offered a brief “Sorry” for the loss of Scott’s borrowed shirt, then let her body flow into dragon form.

  She met Eric’s charge with her tail, flicking her spikes at his head. It slammed into him and he stumbled, going down, making a deep gash in the ground.

  Calla backed away, snorting at Scott to run. The stubborn man got out of the way of her girth, but didn’t leave.

  Eric rose, opening his mouth to breathe his evil blue fire. There was only one option. She raced toward him, slamming one clawed paw at his mouth. He roared and slashed at her.

  ~ * ~

  Scott’s nails bit deeply into his palms, drawing blood, but he didn’t care. He watched the larger black dragon claw at Calla, saw her blood splash red across the ground.

  He’d never felt so useless. He could fight men, fight fires, hell, he’d take on the world for Calla. But how did he fight the monster trying to kill her?

  Something deep inside him expanded, something in his chest opened. Threads of hot and cold spiraled through his body. The wind stirred, picking up leaves in a matching spiral.