Marcel, Zoey - Wrestling with Temptation [Temptation, Wyoming 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Zoey Marcel

  He chuckled. “Yeah, she’s an odd one. You gave her money for it, right?”

  “Well, of course. I showed her how to use it and she was mesmerized for the longest time. What’s that?”

  He sat down on the bed next to her with the thick, ancient-looking book. “I borrowed this book from the library. It’s about Eversor.”

  Her spirit sank and they sat in silence for a minute. “I don’t think I can read that.”

  “It’s all right. I’ll go through it with Hilary and see if she can give me some more insight into his past. Maybe we can find a way to try and stop him. Mark said Jack had a soul. The death angel gave it to him and then took it away. That’s why he’s doing all this.”

  It was a relief to know there was a reason behind the heinous crimes. “How do we get his soul back?”

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  Hilary came out of the bathroom in a towel with a robe on her head. “You have the book. That shall prove helpful.”

  Morrigan smiled. “Hilary, the robe is supposed to go on your body and the towel on your head.”

  Hilary looked down and then up. “Oh, I see.”

  She dropped both and stood before them in the buff while she remedied the mistake. They turned their heads, embarrassed by her brazen conduct, but she seemed oblivious to their discomfort as though it was nothing to get naked in front of people she’d only known less than a day.

  “What about now?”

  Morrigan peeked back with caution. The woman was covered, thankfully. “That’s much better.”

  Hilary plopped down on the middle of the bed with them, exposing a certain quantity of her thighs that bugged Morrigan. She knew Hilary wasn’t flirting. She seemed truly unaware of the level of skin she was revealing. Still, it was annoying having another woman around. At least Quinn was gay now.

  “Are you girls hungry?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m famished.”

  “How does Chinese sound?”

  “Wonderful,” Morrigan replied. “Do you like Chinese, Hilary?”

  She looked horrified. “The Chinese are fine people. I understand you are werewolves, but resorting to eating people?”

  Quinn smirked. “I’m talking about eating food that comes from China, not the people.”

  She heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank heavens. I have never had it.”

  “I’ll get some.”

  After he left, the silence became awkward. Morrigan fidgeted uncomfortably. “So do you have a special man in your life?”

  Hilary placed a soft, warm hand on her bare leg. One of her fingers dipped beneath her denim shorts. Her hazel eyes glimmered with desire. “No, Morrigan, I do not.”

  Morrigan freaked and jumped up. “I wasn’t hitting on you.”

  Hilary stood, looking confused. “I know you were not hitting me. I appreciate that. I have not been intimate for centuries. Share this night of passion with me.”

  Morrigan inched closer to the door. Holy crap, I’m alone in a hotel room with a lesbian! she thought. “I like men.”

  “I once committed scandalous acts with numerous men, time after time. I was so promiscuous I might have been a tavern wench.”

  “That’s not comforting, Hilary. I don’t sleep with women, only men.”

  “So did I, but sometimes betrayal drives us to the bosom of our own sex. I should like to caress your bosom. Let them free. I will show you mine.”

  “No! That’s okay. I have a mate—two of them actually.”

  Hilary looked briefly disappointed. “I had forgotten. I’m sorry. Come, let us read of your deviant mate. Would that give you more comfort?”

  Morrigan nodded. The words, had they been texted, might have sounded sarcastic, but the woman’s desire to help relieve her discomfort appeared genuine.

  They sat on opposite beds while Hilary pored through the aged pages. It seemed like forever until Quinn finally returned with the food.

  “I’m back. Did you guys get to know each other?”

  “Not very well,” Hilary replied, turning the page.

  Morrigan forced a smile to combat her eyes, which had to still be wide like saucers. “Pretty well.”

  They ate while Hilary perused the book and struggled to learn the art of eating with chopsticks before finally giving up and employing a fork. At one point she nearly choked on her chicken fried rice.

  “What’s wrong?” they asked.

  She was gaping at the page. “It can’t be. They were friends.”

  “Who?”

  She turned the book and showed the drawing of the tiger and a dark dire wolf. “Eversor was the one who thwarted my spell over Nex. Oh, god!”

  “Who’s Nex?” Quinn asked.

  Her face was pale with terror and her eyes watery with fright. “I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. I’m not from this century.”

  “Really?” Morrigan asked with a hint of sarcasm.

  “Aye, I used to live in Scotland in the fourteenth century. Someone brought a tiger to the queen as a gift, but it was soon discovered that he was a beast with a thirst for human blood. She ordered him to be sent back, but he escaped. He spent years terrorizing the people of Scotland. I finally stepped in and cast a spell on him to make him a human being. I thought if he had a soul in him he would behave himself.”

  Morrigan became intrigued. “You’re a witch.”

  “You turned a tiger into a human and gave him a soul?” Quinn sounded hopeful. “Did it work?”

  “Aye, it worked. He was no saint. He was a dashing, rugged lover of women, and a gambler, but he stopped killing at least. Then one day he lost his soul and somehow discovered how to shift between man and beast whenever he wanted. I never knew why, but it’s right here. I must have skipped the page before. Eversor was his friend. He found out what happened to Nex and he took away his soul so he would revert.”

  Morrigan shivered, heart aching that her mate would do something like that. “What happened?”

  “Nex came to me and beat me. He swore revenge on me for what I did and then he took the knowledge of the spell from my memory. He went around torturing the people twice as badly as before. I couldn’t remember the spell, so I chose the next best thing.”

  “What was that?” Quinn asked.

  “I sent him to hell.”

  “You killed him?”

  “No, I used a spell to send him there.” Hilary shuddered. “‘It was the blackest magic I have ever used. I had nightmares for so long afterward.”

  “Is there any way to get you to remember that spell so we can get Jack’s soul back?” Morrigan asked.

  Hilary sighed. “I cannot. It was a very complicated, secretive one. It’s in Nex’s head now.”

  Quinn shrugged. “Is there a spell for getting in people’s heads?”

  Her eyes widened and then narrowed. “I will not step into Nex’s mind! He will find me.”

  “How is it you survived all these centuries?” Morrigan queried.

  Hilary’s gaze fell into her lap. “I died and went to hell. Very recently a demon resurrected me and told me to run and hide because his friend, Nex, was coming for me. Nex did a favor for the demon, so he raised me from the dead so Nex could hunt me down slowly, toying with me until he finds me and executes his vengeance. That’s why I have to stay away from him. I’m not going back there. I won’t.”

  “You don’t have to, just help us save Jack,” Morrigan pleaded.

  “If you can find his true mate and have him claim that individual, then it will give him his soul back, but only if his mate also has a soul. Otherwise you will just have two soulless entities running around producing carnage.”

  “I’m his mate, but he already claimed Mark,” said Morrigan. “He has a soul, but Jack still doesn’t.”

  “Then perhaps Mark wasn’t his mate,” Hilary mused.

  “Or maybe he has two mates and that’s why he hasn’t turned yet,” Quinn suggested. “Like you haven’t turned lycan yet since you nee
d Jack to claim you, too.”

  “Aye, ’tis a possibility.” Hilary nodded.

  “That’s our answer,” Morrigan said excitedly. “If I just let Jack claim me, he’ll get his soul back and everything will be the way it was again.”

  “No! That’s out of the question,” Quinn protested. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “He is right. Dire wolves are feral. There is no telling whether or not he would agree to bite you if you approached him.” Hilary explained, “In order to do so, he must be in his wolf form, since he is an animal by nature.”

  “I can’t sleep with an animal!”

  She shrugged. “He’s a sentient being. He knows exactly what he’s doing and is well aware of his surroundings, hence his well-executed plans and ability to talk to shifters and the undead. It is either you take a chance at mating him or you kill him. There is no other way.”

  “Or you could get into the fucking tiger’s head and retrieve that spell.” Quinn growled.

  Morrigan placed a hand gently on his leg to steady him. He was getting too hyper.

  Hilary folded her arms. “I’m not getting into his head. If I do he will find me and then you will have two bloodthirsty monsters to contend with.”

  “It’s okay. I’m his mate. It will work,” Morrigan insisted.

  “He will kill you,” Quinn objected.

  “Aye, if she isn’t his mate, but if she is she has a fifty percent chance of survival,” Hilary said with a happy smile. She was looking at the glass as half full.

  Morrigan felt like it was half empty.

  Chapter Seven:

  Marked

  Mark knew where Jack was. He followed the sound of his hypnotic voice deeper into the woods until he came across him in his human form. Thank God he was clothed. Mark didn’t know if he could resist him if he wasn’t.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t the horny church mouse,” Jack taunted, licking his lips.

  Mark wished he wouldn’t do that. The way his tongue slid over his lips was utterly enticing. “What did you do to me? I feel so different.”

  “I awakened you, bitch. You’re welcome.” Jack sauntered toward him. “Do you have any valuable information for me?”

  “They’re going to kill you.”

  “You told me that.”

  Mark’s lower lip quivered when Jack traced it. “They’re serious about it. The full moon is tonight. You could die.”

  “I won’t die. They will die. You will help me kill them.” Jack yanked his head back by his hair.

  A tiny cry of pleasure caught in his throat. “I can’t kill them.”

  “You can and you will. I’ll help you.”

  Mark moaned in tormented pleasure when Jack plastered his mouth to his. The man’s kisses were to die for. His mouth was a sweet, balmy caress of masculinity and decadence. He never wanted it to stop. He pulled out the needle discreetly but couldn’t bring himself to inject Jack. He had to. They were counting on him.

  “I’m going to suck your cock, Mark.” Jack sucked Mark’s lower lip and rubbed the denim over his hard length, making him wail with pleasure. “And you’re going to suck mine. I’ll swallow every drop of your cum and you’ll drink my load.”

  The words made him hot. Mark panted in his mouth when Jack rubbed him faster and the kiss turned savage. He held the syringe, hand trembling. One good poke and this would end, but he never wanted it to end.

  “Undo my pants,” Jack whispered against his lips.

  Mark almost did but stopped when he realized he would need both hands to do so with ease and without arousing Jack’s suspicion. Was he onto him? “This is all happening so fast.”

  Jack slowly popped open each button on Mark’s fly and slid his hand down his pants. “I love you, Mark. Do you love me?”

  Mark lost his breath at the words and the intimate touch on his penis. “What?”

  Jack knocked the syringe out of his hand and spun around to tackle Quinn, who was sneaking up on him.

  Damn, he knew, Mark thought.

  The two fought in their human forms, which was surprising.

  Mark stood in a stupor over Jack’s declaration. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. His dick throbbed painfully as he buttoned his fly in a haze. He snapped himself out of it and grabbed the syringe.

  Jack had Quinn pinned to the ground and was beating the crap out of him. Mark plunged the syringe into his skin, praying the entire amount of the sedative entered his bloodstream. Jack howled and then snapped at him, but Mark backed away, giving Quinn the chance to pin Jack down. The stuff worked surprisingly quickly and he was out cold within seconds.

  They locked him in a large, iron cage outdoors on their ranch and sat nearby waiting for him to wake up.

  “I’m so sorry about what happened,” Mark whispered in Morrigan’s ear. “I don’t know why I did that. I’m not gay.”

  “Sweetie, we’ve been over this. I know you love me and still like getting me. It was more than evident when you came all over me this morning and then again inside of me.”

  “I adore you. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  She rubbed his leg. “It’s okay. It’s not like you slept with another woman. It’s Jack. He’s part of our little ménage. I think it’s kind of hot that you’re bi.”

  “I’m not bi. He has me under some kind of spell. I’ll get out of it.”

  Jack woke up and stretched before looking at Hilary with an evil grin. “Nex is looking for you. He told me once what he intends to do when he catches you. Would you like to know?”

  Hilary shuddered. “He has to find me first.”

  “He will.”

  She walked away and Quinn followed her, trying to convince her to do the spell to get in Nex’s head. Morrigan followed, trying to convince him to back off the poor woman.

  Mark turned to Jack. “You said you loved me.”

  Jack’s smile was filled with a dark glee. “I lied.”

  “I know, earlier you did, but you weren’t lying when you said the old Jack loved me.”

  “He was a sentimental fool.”

  “I’ve inherited some of your memories. I know how Jack felt about me. I know how much he loved Morrigan, too. He cared about Quinn and Damon like family.”

  “It was a clever ploy to capture the elusive banshee.”

  Mark stepped closer. “That’s a lie. You were looking for Morrigan, so you pretended not to know her when you met her and you never told us what or who you were.”

  “As I just stated. Were you listening?”

  “That was only a partial truth. You lied to us about your identity and your past, but you never lied about your feelings for any of us.”

  “What is your point?”

  “My point is you fell in love with Morrigan and me when you didn’t even have a soul. I want to know why.”

  Jack flashed him a crooked grin. “Rape of the senses. Fate dictated my mate and I had no choice.”

  “That’s a lie. That’s not how it works and you know it. It was real.”

  “Then if that’s true that means you’re really bisexual. If fate isn’t a force of nature driving mates to each other, then you wanted me to fuck you. You came all over the shower wall because you like men as much as you like women.”

  Mark stepped away. “I’m not bi. I’m straight. You have me under a spell.”

  “So you can blame fate or magic, but with me it was real?” Jack challenged.

  Mark pounded the bar in frustration. “Damn it, I felt you! I felt what you felt in your memories. It was not a rape of the senses. You loved us with all your heart when you were soulless and even more so when you got a soul. Now you’ve lost it and I know it’s because Samael possessed you.”

  Jack winked at him. “Only for a minute. You look adorable when you’re pathetically searching for the answers to truths that aren’t even questions. Samael never possessed me until the other day. I was evil of my own free will.”

  “Fine, I’ll give you that, but why di
d he possess you the other day? You were always evil of your own accord, but that time he felt the need to give you a little push back into darkness. Why is that?”

  Jack yawned. “You should really have someone write your speeches for you. They’re long-winded and not at all interesting.”

  “He possessed you to choke out all the love you felt that was keeping you from doing his bidding. He reduced you to what you were before, but the only way to do that was to get rid of your feelings for us.”

  “Mark, if you say the word feelings one more time I’m going to hurt you.”

  “Morrigan loves you. We all do.”

  Jack’s expression became lewd. “An orgy.”

  Mark wrinkled his nose. “We all love you in different ways, you idiot. We want you back.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you what, why don’t you unlock this cage and you and Morrigan can kiss the feelings back into me. Then the spell will be broken and you can go back to being a prude in denial.”

  Mark glared at him before walking away. “You’re my best friend, Jack. I’m not giving up on you.”

  “Right back at you, twink.”

  * * * *

  They were running out of options. Quinn finally talked Hilary into doing the spell. They picked up the necessary supplies for it and brought Damon home from the hospital since he was fully recovered. Morrigan had the creeps over the pentagram Hilary made on the ground outside. There were so many odd items for the spell and strange chants.

  Morrigan left them to their disturbing ritual. She approached Jack’s cage, feeling the weight of her decision and the rush of the potential outcomes. Her hands were shaking badly.

  His grin was salacious when he saw her. “Hello, my tiny, little mate.”

  “We’re not mates, Jack. You claimed Mark instead of me, remember?” She must be convincing.

  “Are you jealous?”

  “Why would I be jealous? I know you love me.”

  He smirked. “I don’t love you.”

  Her heart died inside and her eyes stung. He didn’t mean it. Jack loved her. This monster, Eversor, didn’t. She stepped closer. “Well, I love you.”

  “If you knew what I’ve done you wouldn’t say that.”

  His face looked cocky, but she wondered if the old him always felt those words in a despairing way. “I know what you did. I saw what you did to all of us.”