Mystic Storm: An Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 2)

by Bella Love-Wins

  “Let me guess. Does it start with X and end with Oh my effing God?”

  The two of them fell back on the bed, laughing hard.

  “He was unbelievable,” Kiera admitted when the giggles slowed down, still looking up at the ceiling.

  “I sensed it the second Aleena and I saw you. Actually before that. As soon as you left the shifter camp, your scandalous thoughts hit me like a brick. Thank God I was not in mid-air, or I would have crashed… or worse.”

  “I did not want to leave.”

  “There is always tonight,” she cooed.

  Coco’s suggestion already overwhelmed her. She was out of breath and wrapped up in the idea of being with Xander again, of giving herself to him completely. He had unlocked something inside her she didn’t know was there. Yearning, need and pleasure all rolled into the same primal urge.

  “But how? It is so late already.”

  Coco got up and threw off her robe. She stepped over to the window and took on her bird form. “Leave that to me. You should freshen up before dinner. Oh and find Reena before your meal. She wanted to show you something.”

  When Kiera entered the laboratory, four spikes were laid out on the floor beside the counter where Reena worked. They were just like the ones she had seen while touring the shifter camps today. The tabletop was piled high with old grimoires on one end, and had green and orange liquids in beakers placed at about two-foot intervals along the countertop.

  “It is all beginning to make sense,” she said to her friend.

  Reena woman looked up from the two thick notebooks in front of her. “Well hello there, Kiera. What are you talking about? These experiments?”

  “No. I’m guessing you added something to the boundary spell at the shifter camps, didn’t you?”

  The color drained from Reena’s face. “If I could, I would add something to a boundary spell on your mouth! How many times have I told you we cannot speak freely here?” She dropped her pen, closed her notebook, and came to Kiera’s side, dragging her down the hall. “There,” she said, finally inside the greenhouse. “Better.”

  “So? Is it you?”

  Reena smiled and shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “You dragged me here for maybe?”

  “Of course not. I promise to tell you what I can as soon as I am able.”

  “I saw spikes at the shifter camp today that look just like the ones in the laboratory. Is that part of what you are promising to tell me?”

  “Oh, that? Well, yes and no. I work with the Nauru from time to time. They are the only ones who can erect such powerful containment spells. So…yes, from time to time I convince them to use a trick or two to help the shifters.”

  “Which shifter do you work with exactly?”

  Reena stared at her over her glasses. “Take a wild guess. Actually, don’t, because I do not reveal my sources.”

  “Christ, you frustrate me with all your secrecy…especially now. Anyway, can you do one of those containment spells around my room?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry love. The Regent will see right through it. I can get away with one here at the greenhouse because I need the spell here. You know? This is where I work, not in your room.”

  “And the shifter camp?”

  “Believe me, Minassus is happy not to have to deal with reading the thoughts of Commander Oslo and his soldiers. He already believes they’re plotting against him every waking hour, so who needs to eavesdrop on a thousand rumors when you can get the truth once from a reliable source?”

  Kiera sank onto the nearest stool. “What exactly are you saying? The Regent has a mole?”

  Reena sat beside her. “No. That is not what I’m saying at all, although I would not put it past him. What I mean is when he wants to know the truth, all he has to do is extract it firsthand, right from the mind of the person he believes has the answers. Face-to-face.”

  “And how do you ward yourself against him in person? I thought that was not possible?”

  “Simple. Don’t get on his radar to start with, and stay the hell away from him if he does.”

  “Then as Coco likes to say, I am fucked. I cannot avoid the Regent for a week!”

  “What does it matter? You know the truth about the shifter transformation spell. You have not run away screaming…not that you can go anywhere. He cannot replace you overnight, so if you do try to leave, he will find you.”

  “Twenty thousand square miles of island is a big place to search.”

  “You are not running away, dear, and you know it.”

  “Okay. Whatever. I just cannot believe you are so chipper about the fact that I will not live to see my next birthday, or another Christmas, or anything after next week.”

  “I am not chipper about it. I’m not happy at all. Trust me, I would fight to get that man to stop using witches the way he does.”

  “And why haven’t you?”

  “Because everything comes at a price…and sometimes, that cost is too high. Let me explain what I mean. Let us say you decide to run, and you end up doing one hell of a job tucking yourself away. Minassus has seven days to find you. If he does not, and can’t replace you with another one of the Chosen, the ravagers will decimate the troops, and eventually all of Sector Two. If he does find you, and you refuse to perform the spell, well, you will live, but not for long. He would probably have you killed, but then again, he may throw you to the Sector. You will be the most hated person on the island. So my real task is not to save a Chosen’s life…not even yours, dear, and you know I love you to pieces. That goal is too short-sighted. What we need to do is bring about change. Find better ways to protect the sector from the ravagers, then expose the truth about Minassus, and hopefully, he will be the next one to meet his demise. Until then, we do our parts.”

  “So my life does not matter. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “You know what he always says…sacrifice the one to save the many, and all that jazz. Look, it is the hardest thing for me to tell you all this, but at the same time, think of my position too. Ryan is going to be turned during your shifter transformation ceremony. My only brother. There is nothing I would like to do more than to stop that from happening. Who is to say if he will live to see the end of winter? So I work on the big picture plan. And between you and me, love, I am so close I can taste it.”

  “Close as in under seven days?”

  Reena laughed. “Who knows. Just keep doing whatever you are doing.” She gripped Kiera’s shoulders playfully. “Speaking of which, can we dispense with all this talk of death and revolution long enough so you can tell me about your date? Were you a complete whore today or what? Tell me everything.”

  10

  Kiera

  “I’m glad you made it.” Xander’s deep, sonorous voice floated out at her.

  Kiera kept her eyes on him as he sat on his bed and pulled her to stand in front of him. She stood with her back to the fireplace, where fresh logs crackled and caused even more warmth to spread out from between her legs.

  “I am too.”

  “Is it warm enough for you?”

  “It is perfect.”

  He ran his hands up her arms. “I don’t feel the cold the way you do.”

  “I never considered all the ways shifter magic altered men, but I guess that makes sense.”

  “Are you hungry?” He looked up into her eyes and smiled playfully. “For dinner, I mean.”

  “Sure. Let us have supper,” she said, looking over at the large basket of food she had brought with her. “I have missed so many meals at the fortress, the cooks did not think twice about preparing a basket with no questions asked. My friend, Reena slipped it out of the fortress for me.”

  “Nice. Thanks for thinking of me.”

  She pulled him over to the table and opened the basket. “Is this enough food?”

  “More than.”

  She placed the dishes on the table while Xander set out two plates and cutlery. They sat to eat, and she marveled at the way h
e dug into the thick, juicy steaks.

  “Oh, this is good,” he said between bites. “It has been a while since I enjoyed this much meat at one sitting.”

  “Glad you like it. You mentioned the camp is supplied with food from the fortress, correct?”

  He nodded. “Every few days there’s a delivery of meat, milk, that sort of thing. Food that spoils quickly. Fruit and vegetables come once a week. Grain once every two or three weeks, depending on how much we’ve gone through. There is never enough meat.”

  “Do you hunt for food while in shifter form? I am only curious because Coco does. In the warmer months, that is. She cannot go for more than a few days without fish.”

  “She probably does her hunting in the old shipping canals, or the rivers on the south end of the island. For us, hunting is more of a rare, winter privilege. Summer hunts are out of the question. The water this far south is just too warm. We would have to swim a few hundred miles north to hit water that is cold enough to enjoy. Or even further away. In winter, well, we fight the ravagers. I suppose you could call it hunting, except those disgusting monsters are not food. A few of us do get the chance to swim the canals in winter, and yes, fish are the meat of choice then.”

  “How would you change the Sector if Minassus was no longer ruling?”

  He turned to her, eyes wide. “Seriously?”

  “Of course.”

  “You’re not afraid of discussing this treachery?” he joked, then bit into a hunk of bread.

  “Come on. I want to know.”

  Xander put down his cutlery. “There was a time when all I wanted was to be human again. To have this magic reversed so I could go back to the life I had before the Big Storm. But nine years of living as a shifter changes you. I am just as much a human as a polar bear, and my animal’s call is just as powerful. So what I want now, is to be free. First, I would visit my mother. I would convince her to leave with me, and if she agreed, we would pack our things and prepare to go as far north as we can. It makes sense to wait for summer to arrive, as the ravagers around this Sector hibernate. In the meantime, I would find a functioning fishing boat, or a ship, whatever is large enough for as many shifters who want to join us. And we would head north until we find land.”

  “And what of the people of Sector Two? Who will protect them?”

  “The truth, whether you can open your mind to the idea, is that the witches already can.”

  “You mean with spells?”

  “Sure. It could take work, testing and such, but only if Minassus will stop his power-hungry crap and let them get there. Plus, any shifter who wants to remain here can do so. That is the beauty of free will. They get to choose.”

  “Interesting.”

  “What would you do?” he asked.

  “I have honestly never thought about it. All this time, I believed in a reality that does not exist. Remember, it has only been two days since I found out I have seven days to live.” She took a drink of water from her glass. “By the way, thanks a lot for shattering my cozy view of life as I knew it.”

  “Ouch. That sounds like sarcasm.”

  “It is and it is not…I mean, it is mostly genuine. This knowledge…it is a heavy truth hanging around my neck, dragging me into despair, choking the hope out of every good thought.”

  “I am sorry to have been the bearer of such bad news.”

  “I know. Still, at the same time, I do not want a second to go by without making the most of it. I want to do everything, try everything, and see every square mile of the Sector if I can, before…well, you know. For that, I am grateful to you.”

  Xander pushed his plate aside and stood up abruptly. “Don’t be grateful, Kiera. Be angry enough to do something about it.” He began to pace from the fireplace and the front door. “Dig deeper. Ask the questions that can bring about change. Fight! Use your magic as it was meant to be used… for all, not the select few.”

  “I have had two days with this new information. Do I look like I can move mountains in two days?”

  “Two days is a lifetime for some of the shifters who are turned every year. They move mountains with every ravager attack. They never got the choice, but you know what? They still fight with everything they have!” He must have noticed her hands were shaking, because he stopped pacing, pulled his chair to her side and took a seat, covering his hands over hers. “Look. I am sorry for the way I just acted. Steamrolling is my default setting, so I have a tendency to get overly impatient.”

  Did he ever, but how could Kiera blame him? She couldn’t imagine living with this knowledge for years, seeing men die unnecessarily if there were other ways to protect the Sector. “I understand why.”

  “I do believe you should fight,” he continued in a gentler tone. “In your own way. You can tell every Chosen witch the truth about the ceremony, and stand against Minassus. But it is not my place to put such a burden on you, or to force you. I would be no different from him if I did.”

  “I do not want to spend another minute of my seven days arguing with you.”

  “You are missing the point about the seven days, Kiera, but I agree. Let’s not argue.”

  “Thank you.”

  He returned to his seat and picked up the cutlery again. “Would you like to take a walk after supper?”

  “What about your curfew?”

  “I have my ways to get around the village when I need to.”

  “How about something else? I was going to ask you…”

  “Go on.”

  “I wondered what you look like after you shift.”

  “Is that a trick question? I look like a polar bear.”

  “No, what I mean is, I wanted to see you transform…so I can observe the magic as you go through the process, and for sure, see your animal too.”

  He grinned, helped her to stand, and took slow steps back to his bed, pulling her with him. “There are easier ways to see me naked, Kiera. All you have to do is ask.”

  Kiera turned away, cheeks blazing hot from embarrassment. “That is, um…I did not mean it that way.”

  “I know, woman. It was a joke…though there is no way to avoid seeing me naked while I turn.” He began pulling the homespun sweater over his head.

  “You mean, right here?”

  He threw the sweater on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt. “Yes here and now, Miss seven days.”

  The sight of his pants dropping to the floor made her pulse race so fast, she could die. With a coy expression on his face, Xander lowered his stretchy boxers down his legs, kicking them off his feet. He was completely bare, and the man was a chiseled, beautiful God. Heat sparked in her core, spreading throughout her body at the sight of his manhood. It was massive, not that she had seen others to know the difference. She could not wait to touch him…everywhere. Except that was not the reason she had asked him to remove all his clothes.

  A second later, his skin appeared to shimmer. His body grew outward in all directions. A coat of sleek, bristly, white fur replaced his bare skin. Claws, legs and paws replacing his nails, hands and feet. His torso bent forward until he was on all fours. His face and skull elongated until Xander was a thousand pounds of polar bear.

  Kiera bit down hard on her lip to contain the scream that threatened to break free, not from fear, but in awe of the powerful magic it had taken to produce this beautiful creature. Her heart was in her throat for some time, until Xander’s bear let out a foreign, deep grunting sound.

  For just a moment, he stood on his hind legs, towering over her. He was magnificent. Pure white fur, large, razor-sharp claws. His eyes were the same ice blue as they were when he was a man. She looked up into them, wondering if he still thought as a man, or if he ran purely on instinct. Either way, she was in awe. She had never felt so small and helpless, yet buzzing with excitement. He could do anything he wanted. He could rip her to shreds right there. The knowledge that she was at his mercy took her breath away.

  He snorted, then roared with his head thrown back before
lowering to balance his weight on all four paws again, breathing slowly. Kiera did not say a word as they faced each other. Slowly, she reached one hand to him and he stilled. She ran her fingers through his soft, smooth fur, and looked down into his eyes.

  “You are just…perfect.”

  As though understanding her words, he stood upright again and gradually returned to his human form. “Thank you,” he said, not making a move to get dressed.

  “You are welcome.”

  “I want you, Kiera,” he said. “Right now.”

  She smiled, undoing the buttons at the tops of her shoulders. She let her simple, loose shift dress to fall to her feet, revealing only panties underneath.

  “You will be my first.”

  11

  Kiera

  Kiera’s lips met Xander’s and her entire body ignited. She leaned forward, standing on her tiptoes and threading the fingers of her free hand through his long, thick hair. He returned voraciously hungry kisses, leaving no doubt in her mind that what was happening between them was more than mere lust. The thought of caring that deeply for him filled her with fear for a split second. She started to pull away, gasping for breath. Xander pressed his palm against her lower back, holding her tight against his lean, chiseled abdomen and thick erection. His heartbeat thrummed on her torso, and the insistent throbbing between her legs intensified.

  The sensation of Xander’s firm hand on her back strengthened her resolve. She was not leaving his cabin until she discovered exactly what she had been missing. Squeezing her eyes shut, she bit his lower lip, pulling it gently between her teeth. Xander groaned, lifting a hand into her hair and deepening into the kiss. The way he touched and tasted her was hot and primal. He dipped his tongue deeper into her mouth, making her hope he would take her body that way, with hard, sure, masterful strokes. She was lightheaded and giddy from the pressure of his manhood, solid against her stomach. Tilting her hips, she hoped for relief for her aching core. His hand at her back tightened. A moment later, he lifted and spun her sideways, lowering her to the bed. With his weight on top of her now, his lower body was as hot as fire against her skin. She could not move around much if she tried, but already loved the sensation.