Shifter Magnetism

by Stormie Kent

  He pushed her legs wider apart, and though he knew she was awake, she didn’t acknowledge him in any way. The slit in the teddy framed her pussy, hinting at the dark hair just above. He would buy one of the flimsy garments for every day of the year.

  “That won’t be necessary. I have some other things you might like just as well.” Her voice was low and quiet.

  He hadn’t meant to express his desire out loud. “I’m not sure I could handle anything more perfect than this.” But he would certainly give it his best shot.

  Her eyes opened, and her smile turned mysterious. He understood then that she’d taken his statement as a challenge. Equal parts desire and wariness coursed through him. His mate would test his control at every turn. The thought delighted him. He pressed the head of his cock at her entrance and then slid slowly inside. The first inch sharpened his focus. He still had something to prove.

  Right now, his little witch-hybrid mate wasn’t thinking everything through. She thought of closeness in the mate bond as something inevitable. She dismissed her mother’s claim that she could dissolve magic as strong as the bond. One day she would realize she could leave him, simply walk away and return whenever she needed her itch for him scratched.

  He loved her. He loved her with his last breath, but he knew she didn’t love him. They were joined by a mutual desire to keep her safe and catch her attacker. They had swapped pieces of their magic and souls, even if it was by accident. But Nic wasn’t sure a soul swap would carry them through a full life together. The pack was a hard place full of rules she’d not grown up obeying. Eventually, she’d understand gratefulness for saving her life couldn’t hold them together forever.

  He needed to be able to offer her a continuation of this lust. Make her see they could be good together, and then she might feel enough affection for him to stay. He would lay everything he was and all the power he wielded as the Alpha of the Coldwell Pack at her feet.

  He had work to do. He entwined his fingers with hers, keeping her hands pressed to the bed over her head. He worked his hips, trying to drag more moans of ecstasy from her lips, he knew the work would be his pleasure as well. Her legs wound around his waist, and he felt the press of one high heel against his ass. The novelty of it spurred him on, and he thrust faster, catching her gasps and groans against his lips while he lightly kissed her.

  Her hips followed the faster rhythm he set, and she raised her head and deepened the kiss. She matched him, her hunger as apparent as his. His climax was almost on top of him, and he held it off with a fierceness he intended to apply to keeping his mate. He could feel her release approaching, the tightening deep inside. The shorter, deeper breaths. Her body tensed under him as her legs tightened around his waist. He held his breath, knowing she would take him with her when he was snared by the pulsing contractions of her pussy.

  LEILA’S CLIMAX RIPPED through her body. She felt Nic tumble with her, enjoying the thought of them being in sync at such an intimate moment. She held on to him and waited for her heart rate and breathing to slow.

  The new beast inside her had begun riding her hard the moment Nic had touched her. It had pushed her, making her more savage than she’d ever felt during sex. She’d wanted something from him and was certain if she hadn’t gotten it, she’d have turned quite violent. She didn’t like not understanding what was happening to her. She didn’t want to fear herself.

  Nic pushed up on his elbows and kissed her before pulling away to stare into her eyes. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I can smell your fear.”

  That was damn inconvenient. “I don’t understand what just happened.”

  “You’re an alpha female, and your wolf wanted to test me, make sure I was strong enough for you.”

  “Oh.” Evidently he’d passed. Her body was still humming with pleasure.

  She unwound her legs from his back, kicking her shoes off and onto the floor. Nic was hard again inside her, but he surprised her by pulling from her body and moving to her side. Leaning on his elbow, he proceeded to stare at her body. She actually blushed despite the fact that they’d recently been engaged in an ardent round of sex.

  When he reached over and folded the cups of the teddy down under her breasts, she was prepared to end up with him inside her again, but all he did was run his gaze over his handiwork. So intense was his regard that it felt exactly as if he were caressing her. He was so entranced she knew exactly the lingerie she would wear for him next.

  “Are you having fun?”

  His smile caused little sparks to ignite in her chest. “This is one of my new favorite pastimes.”

  Leila didn’t really have a bad body image. She knew everyone didn’t find the extent of her curves sexy, and she didn’t worry about those people. Nic, on the other hand, watched her as if he were thinking of stalking her, and he never showed in any way that he didn’t simply want to devour her. That kind of attention might start going to her head.

  He trailed his fingertips along the lace at her side before pulling his hand back. “Did this come out of that store you wouldn’t let me go into at the mall?”

  She turned toward him and mimicked him by propping her head on her palm. “It sure did. I have to have some mystery.”

  “I don’t think this outfit has enough material to be counted as mysterious.” He reached over and pulled her flush against him.

  “You don’t know what I’m going to wear next, do you?”

  His grin was cocky. “Oh, I’m pretty sure you’ll be wearing a look of extreme satisfaction.”

  “Yes, please,” she said primly.

  He sat up and began to slowly peel the garment that had so delighted him from her body. He handled the fragile material with care, making sure to kiss every part of her that he uncovered. As usual, her body responded immediately.

  It was time for a bit of self-truth. She liked sex as well as the next woman. Frankly, she liked it a great deal. But Nic brought something new and exciting to every encounter. Mate bond, shifter magnetism, or plain old good genes, his touch inflamed her. Every time they came together, she had a very hard time not making more of the intimacy they shared than could realistically be true.

  She wasn’t going to be that stupid. He’d already told her the mate bond didn’t equal true love and a deep connection. She wouldn’t allow herself to believe his passion during sex communicated anything more about his feelings than that he thought she was a good fuck. The world didn’t work that way, and she was a grown woman.

  Fully nude, she adored the way he worshipped her body. The feel of his tongue against her breast was incredible. She arched into the caress as she stared into his face. His gaze was on her face, his eyes so intense it felt as if he were trying to read her soul. Stop it. She would not do that to herself. Women tricked themselves into believing men loved them all the time. She wanted to be in this relationship with her eyes wide open.

  Did his intensity come from him being a shifter? There was no doubt in her mind that he delighted in fucking her. As he pushed her legs up and surged into her swiftly and powerfully, she didn’t deny that she enjoyed allowing him to fuck her. As a matter of fact, she enjoyed the hell out of it.

  She raised her hips enthusiastically to meet his thrusts. She wound her arms around his back, holding him as close to her as possible. Kissing every available stretch of skin she could reach, she savored the taste of him. His sleek muscles contracted under her lips and hands. And she ruthlessly turned her mind away from thoughts of love and firmly onto the sweat-slicked glide of his pelvis and torso against hers. She focused on the exquisite feel of his cock sliding in and out of her as he ground into her clit with each thrust.

  Within seconds, she was lost in the wild passion of sex with her shifter mate. His harsh breathing and her erratic gasps filled her ears. Everywhere he touched her he branded her, flooding her with heat, want, and longing. And he delivered, pushing her body until her entire being felt as if it had no choice but to ignite. The
tingling began in her fingers and toes and combined with the little shock waves in her core. She stiffened as the first wave of pleasure slammed into her, startling a scream out of her even though she knew it was coming.

  Any thought that didn’t begin and end with Nic over her, inside her, surrounding her was drowned in ecstasy. Scary and exhilarating all at the same time.

  She had absolutely no plans to give him up.

  Chapter Ten

  Leila stared through the posts in the ornate iron gate. “It appears deserted.”

  Findor Stevens’s manor loomed in the distance. Red brick with gray shutters that needed a paint job, the house overlooked a circular drive and a lawn whose grass was yellowing.

  Leila stood beside Nic as he and Jake studied the heavy metal chain and lock keeping them off the sorcerer’s property. Behind them stood the Council’s newly formed Watch. Five witches and wizards had volunteered to form the Council’s police force. Witches and wizards practiced traditions from shamanism to alchemy. It was her understanding that they had a mix of power on the team. The goal for the Watch was to serve Stevens with a decree from the Council allowing the Watch to search the premises and apprehend him if necessary.

  Movement on her right caused her to turn. Winrich Nova, a member of the Watch, stood at her side. She’d never figured out his ancestral origins. Winrich bore skin as brown as hers and vivid green eyes. His features were too neutral and his bone structure gave no real hint to his genetics. Dressed in black slacks and a black button-down, she noticed he appeared relaxed, as if they were headed to Stevens’s home for tea.

  “Looks shabby but not menacing.” Winrich’s British accent always gave her pause.

  Leila felt Nic’s gaze and surreptitiously put more space between herself and Winrich. It was scary how she knew what he was thinking. The pack and Council couldn’t afford a confrontation over the proper space kept between any man and the alpha female.

  Winrich flashed her a smile, and the mischief in it almost made her smile back. “Scared.”

  She knew he wasn’t referring to the house. “For you, maybe.” She glanced at Nic in time to see him break the chain with one tug of his partially shifted grip.

  “Handy.” Amusement laced Winrich’s voice.

  Leila thought so. “Does anyone in the Watch have an affinity for detecting wards?” All witches and wizards could detect wards, but some had an easier time than others. Not knowing what they would face inside the manor made it a good idea to use their energy wisely.

  “I’ll ask.” Winrich sauntered over to the sedan the members of the Watch had arrived in.

  She turned back to Nic to see him watching the wizard.

  Nic crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m surprised any of them turned up.”

  She shrugged, unwilling to admit it surprised her as well.

  “I don’t like the way he looks at you. He seems too interested and way too slick.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know, every man who sees me isn’t trying to get in my pants.” She glared at Jake when he snorted. She was glad he found the conversation humorous.

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” Nic draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Despite herself, she melted into him.

  Winrich returned with an older male dressed in a dark blue sherwani. The wizard immediately closed his eyes. The faintest brush of magical energy licked her skin. Nic’s arm tightened briefly, then relaxed.

  The wizard’s eyes opened. “I disarmed the first ward. I detect another larger one surrounding the house itself. It will take more than one wizard to break it.”

  They all went back to their vehicles. Jake climbed in the SUV with Nic and Leila. They were followed by ten shifter soldiers divided into two vans. Despite Jake’s protests, ten were all Nic felt he could spare while they had so many unknown membership petitioners on pack grounds. The carload of witches and wizards brought up the rear.

  Their caravan made its way down the circular drive. There were no visible cars around, and the dark drapes in the windows didn’t shift or flutter. They filed out of the cars and met at the foot of the steps leading to the front door. The wizard with the affinity for wards, Reynalda—a witch Leila knew from the Council—and another wizard stepped forward. They spoke quietly for a moment before closing their eyes.

  A sharp burst of magic swept over the area. This time its manifestation displayed color. A deep violet wave traveled up the steps and spread out even as it climbed over the brick, reaching for the roof. The violet wave spread around the house, and Leila knew it would wrap the manor in magic, counteracting the sorcerer’s ward. They waited long minutes until she heard the faint snap of the spell completely sealing over the manor.

  Reynalda and the two wizards shook under the strain. Sweat lined their brows and upper lips. The purple shield pulsed and rippled. Parts of it vacillated between violet and blue, then swiftly to a deep bloodred.

  Hands clenched, Leila watched in fascination. What in the hell was Stevens hiding in his house that required a ward so deadly?

  One of the wizards dropped to his knees, eyes still closed, concentration evident in the lines of his face. The violet wave continued to pulse, spending less and less time shifting to red until it was once again a solid luminescent violet. It bulged, becoming distended and rotund until it popped, vanishing all at once, leaving no trace of its existence.

  And that was when the smell hit her. Every shifter in their group shuffled and murmured before pulling themselves back under control. Fetid air surrounded them. Underneath was the sour putrescence of forbidden magic. Many, many people had been tortured and died inside the manor.

  “We allowed this.” The face of the wizard on his knees was so white Leila feared he might pass out.

  Nic murmured a command, and two soldiers broke away and disappeared behind the manor. One returned a moment later.

  “One visible exit in the rear.”

  Nic nodded, and the soldier rounded the building. “We leave sentries at the front and rear. Inside, no one goes off alone. Leila and I encountered a trapdoor and a hidden chamber at the last site. Just because the sorcerer hasn’t protested our presence doesn’t mean he isn’t here hiding and ready to attack.”

  His face when he turned to her would have cowed her two weeks ago. She narrowed her eyes. “No.” You had to be firm with the aggressive ones.

  His jaw tightened, and she was momentarily scared for his teeth. She still wasn’t going to allow him to leave her behind.

  Jake cleared his throat. “Remind me to settle down with a nice submissive she-wolf.”

  And grind the poor woman down to nothing. Just as Nic would do if she allowed it. So she stood her ground and waited until he capitulated by walking up the steps without arguing further.

  If Stevens was inside, there was no way he didn’t know they were there. Nic knocked anyway, right before he picked the lock. The entryway stood empty. Peeling paint adorned the walls. A grand staircase directly opposite the door led to the second floor.

  Nic didn’t look impressed by his surroundings. “Split into two teams, make sure each team includes shifters and mages.”

  Jake took a group and headed up the stairs. Leila followed Nic and didn’t scream in frustration from finding herself surrounded by an honor guard of shifters again. It wasn’t personal. They knew she could protect herself. As Ana had claimed, she was rare, and they just weren’t prepared to take unnecessary chances.

  Peeling paint and wallpaper was the norm in Findor Stevens’s home. Each room they checked was either empty or held only one or two pieces of decrepit furniture. There were no signs anyone truly lived in the home. Yet Leila knew someone was there. It was one of the side effects of repurposing energy. She could sense it. There were beings in the house with them. And they were alive, but just barely.

  The search party of shifters and mages checked both the east and west sides of the home, only returning to the entryway and the stairwell when they were sure th
ey’d searched every corner of the first floor. Jake and his team were descending the stairs as they approached.

  Winrich shook his head. “Nothing. It’s as if he doesn’t live here.”

  Leila slowly turned in a circle. “Did anyone find a basement door? There has to be another floor here. I can feel live people.”

  Spreading out to different rooms, they inspected the walls and floorboards. Leila ran her hand over the walls in the hallway near the kitchen, probing for bulges. She tapped, hoping to hear a hollow sound. They were running out of time, she could feel it. If they left the manor without finding the beings she could sense, they would never find them alive.

  A large hand enveloped hers, and Nic’s scent surrounded her. “Be calm, mate. We’ll find them if I have to tear up every floorboard in this place.”

  She allowed her body to rest against his for a moment, absorbing his warmth. She was so glad he stood with her. She wouldn’t have to face the horror alone.

  She made sure her voice was a whisper in the silent room. “Do you scent him?”

  “No.”

  She didn’t either. “Is that normal?”

  “This crazy bastard isn’t our crazy bastard. Walking through a home every day leaves a scent trail. It can fade, but the owner would need to be gone for a while.”

  “A door!” She recognized the voice of Carter, one of Nic’s shifters.

  Nic and Leila followed the excited voice to the small area behind the stairs. The other searchers gathered around. Everyone tried to squeeze into the tight space. There was a door. It slid sideways into a secret space in the wall. The area beyond lay dark, showing the top of a set of stairs and nothing more.

  One of the wizards, Leila thought his name was Percy, said, “What if we all go in and can’t get back out?”