by J. E. Cluney
“Shoot,” she laughed softly.
“Have you ever been able to see into someone’s mind and, I don’t know, connect with them, learn absolutely everything about them, what they’ve been through?” I asked as I set my muffin down beside my glass of juice. I’d forgone the milkshake today for a slightly healthier option.
“No, I only ever get a glimpse, normally what they’re thinking about right at that moment, sometimes feelings,” she said, frowning at me as she sat back against the seat. “Why? You worried I’ll dig into your past?”
“No! Not at all, I trust you, besides, you said you can control it, and I trust you not to peek too much,” I said with a wink before I became serious again.
“Something happened last night, I got… I don’t know how to describe it. I had a dream, and Marcus was in it, we kissed…” I murmured, mulling over my words as she grinned and arched an eyebrow, but it dropped when she realized this was moving to something else.
“We connected. Our minds. I saw everything, learned everything about him. And the thing is, it worked both ways, he had the same dream leading up to it, and then we both slipped into each other’s mind, seeing their past,” I said, keeping my voice hushed as I glanced at the other patrons. No one seemed to have taken any notice.
“Wow, that’s not something I’ve ever heard of before. I mean, I know there are binding spells out there, very difficult and hard to use, but they never come about like this,” she said, her brow creasing as she leaned forward and tapped her bright red nails on the table.
“It’s kinda got me freaked a bit. Because of it, we got talking, and then there was this really instant… attraction?” I said, almost inaudibly.
“Okay,” she shook her head, waiting for me to elaborate.
“We pretty much jumped each other’s bones,” I sighed, and her face lit up.
“Score!” she giggled, but sobered when I stared at my muffin uncertainly.
“Look, I’ve never heard of anything like it, but it doesn’t sound like it was a bad thing,” she said as she reached out to pat my hand reassuringly.
“That’s not all, today, Skip caught me out in the hall, and when he was talking to me, I saw a glimpse inside his head too, just that small moment of what he was thinking,” I whispered as I flicked my eyes around the cafe once more. I really didn’t want anyone else knowing this. I had no idea what it meant.
“Sounds like maybe you’ve got some sort of telepathy,” she mused as she toyed with her pendant. It was an amethyst stone, and she often played with it when deep in thought I’d noticed.
“Why?”
“No idea. Something on your father’s side maybe?” she suggested.
“What if it keeps happening?” I hissed.
“Which part?”
“All of it,” I groaned.
“Well, getting horny and jumping the hot vamp isn’t what I’d call a problem,” she snorted. “But hearing in on thoughts, that could be annoying, at least you’re talking to the right person,” she smiled. “Can you hear my thoughts now?”
“No,” I blinked as I sat back.
“Have you tried? Tried listening?” she asked as she cocked her head.
I sighed as I sipped my juice, keeping my fingers wrapped around the cool glass as I closed my eyes. I focused, trying to recreate the feeling of hearing Skip’s thoughts.
Nothing.
“Here, give me your hand,” Emma sighed as she held out her hand expectantly.
I hesitantly laid my hand out in hers, palm upwards.
“Relax, I’m just doing a reading, focusing on last night,” she murmured as her eyes lit up with that soft green glow.
She pursed her lips as her frown deepened, and she traced the lines in the palm of my hand. I felt that foreign energy tingle through me like when she’d done the tarot card reading, and I tried to relax so it could do its work.
She pulled back after a moment and released my hand.
“Not true telepathy. Whatever happened last night must’ve linked those in the house. Do you all wear these charms?” she asked as she jingled my charm bracelet.
“Yeah, to talk to Oliver when he’s stuck,” I said.
“Well, whatever magic went through you, got amplified through this. If the others were wearing them too, then you possibly got a little linked up thanks to the jumbling with charm magic,” she said with a shrug.
“What was the magic then?” I asked, intrigued by her reasoning. It wasn’t something I’d even considered, that the charms we used to communicate with Ollie could be the cause.
“No idea, something deep inside you, that’s for sure,” she said, her eyes trailing over me as if she were expecting the answers to reveal themselves right then.
“So why were Marcus and Skip different?”
“How should I know,” she snorted.
I just rolled my eyes, glancing at the clock on the wall behind the counter. I needed to get my muffin finished soon.
“You tried asking family?” she suddenly said.
“No, I don’t really know much family,” I sighed.
“Well, it’s worth a shot. Might get you some more answers.”
“Right, I’d have to find some family first,” I said softly as I picked my muffin apart to eat.
“Got plans after work?” she asked.
“Avoiding the boys,” I smirked.
“Why?”
“Because they all like me, and now I’ve been with one of them. I’m worried how they’ll react,” I groaned as I stuffed some muffin into my mouth. Something sweet was definitely in order right now.
“You really need to tell me about that,” she grinned, those eyes lighting up at the thought.
“How about you catch me after work, I finish in an hour. I’ll tell you about it then,” I chuckled.
“Great! I might pop down to the bookstore, if I’m not back by three, come down there. I probably just got caught looking at books,” she said as she stood up.
I finished the last few bits of my muffin and downed my juice before joining her.
“We’ll figure this out, don’t worry,” she said as she gave me a hug. “See you soon!”
“See you soon,” I nodded as she turned and headed for the door.
I gathered up my glass and plate and headed back behind the counter to rinse them and add them to the dishwasher.
I’d figure out what this was, what it all meant. Maybe Lucas would have dug up something by the time I got home.
The thought of seeing Ollie made me cringe. Would he know? He’d be devastated. And what about Marcus? Did this mean anything? God, I really didn’t want to try to figure all this out right now.
But no matter how much I tried, the next whole hour was spent mulling things over.
2
The bookstore was old and dark, but it felt more cozy than most bookstores I’d been too. The smell of books, old and new, perfumed the air, and I drew in the relaxing aroma as I nodded at the lady perched on a stool behind the counter. She was reading, but had looked up to acknowledge my presence. I continued examining the quaint little store, a smile forming on my lips.
Lamps gave it a warm feel, sitting on various antique looking tables, and I spied a reading area further up the back of the store.
I found Emma perched on an old leather lounge up the back, immersed in some fantasy book.
“Hey,” I greeted her, and her head snapped up.
“God, I’m sorry,” she cringed. “I got caught up.”
“I can see, good book?” I asked.
“Yep, I’ll buy it so I can finish it later,” she grinned as she folded the corner of the page and slammed it shut. “How about we walk while we talk?”
“Sure,” I shrugged, not bothering to sit down beside her. I glanced down at my apron that I still wore, not wanting to try to stuff it into my handbag. I’d be asking for trouble doing that, it was way too small. My handbag would pop.
Emma led the way to the counter where she paid fo
r her book and tucked it into her messenger bag before leading the way out.
She wore a short blue skirt today that showed off her pale legs, and a purple singlet that went well with it.
“So, tell me alllll about this sexy vampire,” she turned on me once we were out of the bookstore.
I laughed at her desperate need to know, her footsteps bouncing and eager as we continued walking in the direction of home.
“Well, he was a good, real good kisser,” I said, wondering just how much I should share.
“Mmm, I bet,” she moaned, fluttering her eyes before giggling.
“We didn’t actually do the deed, he just wanted to go down there, see if he could taste the honey,” I admitted.
“I believe vamps can. They can taste most bodily fluids, another reason they love fae. All fae, no matter the sub species, have honey flavored orgasms,” she shrugged.
I snorted and burst into giggles as a man walking past us whipped his head around, staring wide-eyed at her. Emma just gave him the brightest grin, which only made me laugh more as we continued walking.
“Well, he certainly loved it, as did I,” I sighed, remembering that hot, beautiful session we’d had. My body warmed at the memory, and I suddenly wanted to slip back into his bed, to finish what we’d started properly.
“Did you ever use toys?” she asked, not bothering to keep her voice down. Thankfully, there weren’t many people around to hear us as we passed the Lawyer’s and Solicitor’s building.
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Ended badly,” I muttered.
“How?” Now she was curious.
“Well, my first one, let’s just say I didn’t know about this mischief magic thing. I ended up running around the house, stark naked, trying to beat a flying, honking, pink vibrator to death with a book. It was a little sad, it was my first ever toy, and I was only just getting to know it,” I sighed. “At least my housemate wasn’t home.”
“Wow,” Emma chortled.
“I wore my pendant after that, and got a slightly better quality one next. It died a few months back though.”
“Your aunt is so strange, having forced you to wear a charmed pendant. That’d be against the laws for sure. It was her duty to teach you about yourself if she was your guardian,” Emma scowled. I’d told her a little bit about my aunt and cousin one afternoon, and she was not a fan.
“I had the same kind of problem with a toy, except I live at home still,” Emma scrunched up her nose as she remembered it.
“Ouch, did anyone see?”
“Well, mine wasn’t honking. It was on a mission…” she muttered, contemplating how best to tell her story. “It basically flew downstairs, into the kitchen, where my mom was working on a potion for a customer, and threw itself into the bowl. Turns out it was a hair growing potion, to promote hair growth in a bald shifter. Since it was already covered in mischief magic, it just exploded into a big mess of long, growing hair. It didn’t stop either. And not just any hair, pubic hair. I still have nightmares about that,” she shuddered, then grinned at me.
“Is this true?” I said in disbelief, utterly shocked at what she’d just said. I was just imagining the scene unfolding, and the sheer embarrassment she must have felt. How did her mother react?
“Completely. Thankfully, mum helped me murder it, and my dad had to sit me down and explain it to me. No one had really done the sex talk with me, and now we had to. Turns out, pixie men are the same. So we have to be careful. Once we finish, we need to focus on drawing our magic back to ourselves, or there could be trouble.”
“That must have been so awkward,” I winced, feeling her pain.
“It was, at first, but it’s made us closer now. And we laugh looking back on it,” Emma chuckled.
“You’re so lucky,” I grinned.
“So, where are we headed?” she asked as we kept at a steady pace.
I slowed as I looked around. “I guess I was just walking home, sorry.”
“That’s all good! Maybe I can finally come by and check out these housemates for a while,” she winked. “Besides, we could do some practice if you want? Of masking your magic? And having me there might make it less awkward too.”
“Sure, I’d like that.”
I grimaced as we walked to the front door and Skip flung it open. He grinned out at us, those bright blue eyes glancing at Emma before rolling over me. And, true to his nature, he was wearing only a pair of navy board shorts.
“You’re home!” he beamed, stretching to ruffle his dirty blond crew cut hair.
I could feel Emma practically drooling beside me.
Those chiseled abs were a sight for sore eyes. Utter perfection.
“How was your first day?” he asked as he held the door open for us.
Emma walked in first, not bothering to hide it as she checked him out.
Too bad Skip was focused on me, and as I went to pass him, he stepped forward, forcing me to brush against that naked chest.
He just smirked at me with a glint in his eye.
Definitely on purpose.
“It was great, busy,” I said, trying to keep my mind from wandering. I didn’t want it slipping into his head again.
“Wow, that’s all,” he said with an eye roll.
“Lots of coffees made, I helped Gina make brownies. She told me about magic infused treats that she wants to stock,” I shared.
“They’re always good,” he nodded as he followed after me into the living room.
Emma flopped down onto the nearest red lounge, and my breath caught as my eyes fell on Marcus, who was tucked behind his laptop on the other lounge.
He was already watching me, a delicious smirk playing on his lips as his eyes trailed over me.
I could see a little inside his head, of how he wanted to ravage me again, and my body reacted instantly to it.
Skip let out a soft growl as he stepped closer behind me, the heat radiating off his chest as he drew in my scent.
Damn.
“Ally!”
Thank God.
Ollie strode into the room from the kitchen, grinning as he bit into a caramello koala.
“Well, isn’t this nice,” Emma murmured, and I rolled my eyes at her as she eyed the three men in the room now.
“How was your first day?” Ollie asked as he gave Emma a curious look before focusing back on me.
“Great, busy,” I said, attempting to ignore Skip’s warm presence behind my back. Marcus was watching him, his eyes dark, and I wondered if he was annoyed with the shifter.
“We were actually going to practice masking her magic this afternoon. And can anyone help her learn some defense? I have a feeling she never got taught,” Emma said, sensing the growing heat in the room as Marcus and Skip eyed off each other. The thought of them both wanting me was only getting me excited.
Would they consider sharing me? I’d be down for that.
“Did you get taught defense?” Skip asked, his hot breath washing over my left ear as he stepped closer, his chest pressing against my back. I quivered and looked to Marcus, who looked ready to flit over and hurl Skip across the room.
“No, why?” I said, attempting to keep my voice from wavering. I caught a glimpse of what Skip wanted to do to me, and heat coursed through me, drawing a sharp intake of air from Oliver as his eyes dilated.
Things were getting heavy in here.
“All supes are taught defense, it’s mandatory in primary and high school. In case they run into problems with hunters or other supes,” Emma explained, a smile playing on her lips as her eyes flicked from me to the three men. She knew things were getting heated, and she was enjoying it.
“Hunters?” I murmured, fighting the urge to lean back against Skip and melt. I wanted to see just how good he was with his hands, to see what that two pronged penis was like.
I yelped as Marcus was before me in an instant, his eyes flashing as he wrapped his hands around my waist.
Then the air rushed by, and we were standing in his
room.
“Someone’s needy,” he purred as he kissed my neck, but I could sense an underlying frustration in his tone.
“Someone was in the middle of a conversation,” I sighed, but didn’t move away from his soft kisses.
“I don’t like you thinking about Skip,” he growled against my skin, his teeth brushing against it and sending exhilarating tingles shooting through me.
“I thought it was not a thing, last night,” I murmured, shivering as his cool fingers slipped under my shirt to caress my stomach.
“It was a moment,” he grunted as he pushed his body against mine.
“But we’re not a thing, remember,” I reminded him. We’d agreed on something along those lines. Kind of. From our shared thoughts.
“Doesn’t mean I like you thinking about the others,” he said as his fingers glided up to slip under my bra.
“Marcus!”
I jumped as Skip pounded on the door, rattling the locked doorknob as he cursed.
Marcus pulled back and sighed as those icy eyes flicked to the door in annoyance.
“You can’t just take her away, she’s not yours!” Skip snapped.
“He’s right,” I said with a teasing smile.
Marcus just narrowed his eyes before swooping down to catch my mouth.
I ignored the pounding on the door as he kissed me, his cool tongue sliding over my lower lip and demanding access. I allowed him to deepen the kiss, unable to withhold the moan that he drew from me.
“Don’t make me tear this thing down,” Skip growled through the door.
I chuckled into Marcus’ mouth and broke the kiss.
“Someone’s not happy,” I grinned.
“Someone likes to get his dick wet,” Marcus grunted.
“I seem to remember you having some of the same thoughts.” I arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m coming, Skip!” I called out.
“You better fucking not be! He already got a taste of you, he needs to share!” Skip shouted, and I burst into laughter as the realization hit me.
Marcus couldn’t avoid my infectious laughter, and grinned as he shook his head, those sweet, frosty eyes dancing with joy at my laughter.
