We have inside information on how to get to Abby, thanks to a disgruntled packmate. It’s nice to see things aren’t perfect in their world either. Even if it means what was once just a pipe dream is now a reality for my father. I don’t give myself a break until the planning session with my father and his lieutenants is over. I’m poised to add another black mark upon my soul with the planned kidnapping, and who knows what else, of a woman only trying to do the best for her pack. I once had the same ambition, but my father called it weakness and beat it out of me. Every strike of his hand to my face and each kick and slur have helped hone me into the man I am. I’m only a shadow of who I could have been, but I found a way to survive. I let this shadow man live in a dark corner of my blackened soul, only free to come out when no one else is around to see my mask come off.
Once we’re done, I disappear into my room. It’s my safe place, and only here can I let the feelings his kiss invoked come back to me—those soft lips skimming over mine, seeking entrance. I slide my hand under the drawstring pajama bottoms I’m wearing and grab my cock, already hard from the thought of him. I grip it firmly and stroke, imagining the playful green eyes that captured my heart, despite how hard I fought to deny him. I think about how his blond hair always falls into his face, now moving my hand faster and faster. My breaths come in shallow pants, and I think about his lips replacing my hand. His lush mouth enveloping me in its wet heat. In moments I cum so hard that it hits my stomach. I grab some tissues and wipe myself off. It’s okay here. I can be myself and love who I want.
I find myself wishing he would come into my room and let me hold him to soothe the ache I know he feels too, but he won’t. If there was any chance of that happening, it was squashed today when he finally gathered up the courage to kiss me. I grab a book, choosing to ignore the guilty thoughts swirling in my brain, and instead get lost in someone else’s head for a while. I force myself from my bedroom and settle in our den. I’m waiting for Carter to get home safely, but I don’t have to admit that to anyone.
When he finally comes home, wasted off his ass, he has a petite brunette on the one hand and a statuesque redhead on his other. He looks at me, and all traces of softness and longing are gone. “You left too early brother, so I got an extra one!”
He leers at me, “Don’t worry though, Brad is passed out in the car. Deon is carrying him inside.” His gaze holds mind, and I can catch his meaning. I may be drunk and pissed at you, but I haven’t forgotten, and Brad didn’t get to go psycho rapist tonight. I nod my head in thanks, and then he picks the small brunette up and slings her over his shoulder. “Come on ladies, let me show you my dungeon. Whoever sucks my cock the best gets fucked first,” he says loud enough to carry through the room. Each word pierces my heart. My packmates cheer at him as he disappears into his room, and soon the sounds of sex began echoing through the hallway.
I can’t pretend anymore, so I creep away back to the safety of my room, where I can imagine a different way this night could have ended. In a world where I’m not a Death Claw.
Carter stole my heart at thirteen, and I’ve never even tried to get it back. I don’t deserve him, but I want him. I need to be cold and vicious like my father and survive his reign long enough to take the helm. I can’t help but wonder what will be left of me by the time I do.
Chapter Fifteen
Abby
My stomach jumps a little as I watch Justin cleanse our space and pull out a few of my family grimoires. We’re standing in a clearing often used for spells, so there’s a permanent casting circle on the ground. I shouldn’t still be nervous when I spend one-on-one time with my guys, but I can’t help it. In a group setting, things are much more comfortable with all of us. The twins are always there to break any tension that builds, and I don’t feel as much pressure, but alone? Alone, it’s just them and me, and Justin is so damn tempting.
His ability to sense my emotions makes it impossible to hide things from him unless I’m actively blocking his access to me. And his mind is my kryptonite; I am turned on by intelligence, brawn aside. Justin is both, and the combination is potent. My wolf feels it too, loving being in his presence. I love how each guy has something special about them that makes me tick.
“Since this is our first lesson, let’s start small. Why don’t we begin with a simple spell of intention? We’ll start by speaking our desires aloud for this lesson.”
He speaks the words for the spell, and I repeat them. A pleasant warmth flows through me as I complete my recitation.
I open eyes I don’t remember shutting and ask, “Did I do it? Did it work?” excitement coloring my voice. Something about performing my own spells is oddly exhilarating.
“Well, I’m going to go with yes,” he says chuckling, and gestures to the candles glowing around us.
“Hmm … let’s try something more difficult now. I want you to try to access your inner magic. We need to unlock the Aether elemental magic that you possess.”
I try to follow his instructions, but it’s not working, I can’t figure out what he’s talking about. I’m gonna crap myself I’m squeezing so hard, and I know my face must look ridiculous.
“Okay,” Justin says, “let’s try this again. Abby, you’re overthinking it.”
I roll my eyes and briefly consider sticking my tongue out at him but decide to flick him off instead. I know it’s childish, but this whole magic thing, while exciting, is way harder than I expected.
“Do that one more time, and I’ll turn you over my knee,” he growls.
“Umm,” I shuffle in place, “Justin, if your goal is to get me to focus, then don’t say things like that. Actually, I think we should probably just establish that threatening to spank me is never going to be much of a deterrent.”
“Abby, please. This is serious,” he pleads with me.
“I know, I know. I’ll be serious,” I say, shaking myself like a runner before a race. “Alright, I’m ready.” I clap my hands together and look at him expectantly.
A small smile quirks at the corner of his lips before he stops it. He wants to laugh, but we both know it’s a bad idea if I’m supposed to be focusing.
“Think about the power that you feel when you shift, okay? Focus on that feeling, and then I want you to use that feeling to go into yourself. I want you to find your spark.”
I bust out laughing. “Find my spark? You sound like some kind of self-help book, Justin.” I tease.
“You’re hopeless,” he groans in exasperation. “How can I teach you magic when you’re cracking jokes every second?”
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling guilty for upsetting him. “I know this is important, and I’ll buckle down, I promise. It’s just that this is all so intense. If I don’t laugh, I’m afraid I’ll have another breakdown,” I admit honestly.
“I understand, princess. I really do, so let’s make this fun,” he says, cupping my face gently. “How about for each time you can access your magic, I’ll give you a kiss, and at the end of this session, if you can correctly perform a spell,” his voice drops an octave, “you can have me.”
I lick my lips in anticipation.
Now, this is how you motivate me, and oh my, do I want some of that.
Justin has been hard to spend time with lately, but not because he’s avoiding me. He’s just been so busy pouring over our family grimoires finding every passage he can about Aether magic and how to access it, that I’m lucky if I get a few minutes with him daily. I’ve yet to spend a night in his arms.
I smile up at him. “We have a deal, but when you say have you do you mean …”
“Abby,” he warns.
“Oh fine, I got it. Abby doesn’t get to have the cock; she only gets to suck the cock.” I pout.
“Are you complaining?
“No!” I snap, “no, I’m good with that, very good.”
He smirks at me, and for a second I consider popping off but decide against it. I want his cock—he knows it, and I know it. Why pretend?
/> “Justin,” I begin, deciding to change subjects, “Why is Aether magic so rare? And from what you told me, why is there hardly any information on it?” I finish asking, as he flips through the grimoire.
“Well, you’re right. It is rare, but between your family grimoires, and the ones from Clan Wyvern, I’ve been able to piece together enough knowledge to teach you the basics. You’re going to have to rely on instinct a fair amount though, and I’m sorry for that.” His eyes connect with mine, and I see the apology in them.
“No one knows for sure why so little is out there on Aether magic, but rumor has it the Elders started purging every source on it because a few very powerful Aether witches used it for some nefarious actions.” He looks at me to make sure I’m paying attention. I am, believe me. If my history teacher had looked anything like Justin, I’d have been a total teacher’s pet, with the Lifetime movie to match!
“After the Elders cleaned up the mess, they burned all the books that had any knowledge of how to use Aether magic, beyond the basics of how to identify if someone has that elemental ability to begin with.”
I stare into his blue eyes, lost in their color; his eyes match his power, which I think is incredible. His eyes are limitless like the sea and just as deep. I can sense so much power in him. The fact that somewhere locked in my own body is more power than his is unfathomable.
“So how about a starter kiss? Just a little one to get me in the right frame of mind and all.”
He looks down at me and smiles then slowly brings his head to hover just above my lips. “No kisses until you do the work, baby girl,” he teases.
“Ugh, I hate all of you. I should be worn out—exhausted from all the nonstop sex I’m having with five dragons. Instead, I’m so sexually frustrated that I wore out my vibrator … and it’s rechargeable,” I grumble.
“Anyway, back to your lesson,” he says, totally ignoring my outburst. “We’re dealing with soul magic, and it seems like the best way to get you access is with your wolf. She is tied in deeply to your magical core. Now, once you feel your spark, I want you to think about how it feels and see if you can separate it from your animal’s magic.”
I do what he says, closing my eyes and turning my thoughts inward. I look into my magical well of power, and I see what he means. A brilliant blue that represents my shifter magic is nested next to a purple one that represents my Aether magic. I know this instinctively. I tentatively call out to the purple orb, and it comes to me readily.
“Alright, I’ve got my magic orb thingy,” I say, feeling entirely out of my comfort zone. I do small, simple rituals, not anything this serious—at least not on my own.
“That’s fantastic! Okay, now I want you to try to use it to feel the others around you. You can start with me if you’re comfortable, but you can use anyone in the near vicinity as well. I don’t know how far your power will span yet.”
I am so not starting with him. The last thing I need is to immerse myself in his aura. He’s enough of a temptation as it is.
Instead, I try to find my friend Chey. Her light calls to me—it is a brilliant blue with a halo of yellow. Interesting. That must be the color of her earth magic since that’s her affinity. I smile, so Marcus must have a yellow aura, too. That’s kind of hilarious.
I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, so I say, “Do I just jump into her soul, or what?”
“That might be a tad intrusive. Why don’t you try to sense her; feel her essence and listen to what your instincts tell you. You’re trying to sense her soul.”
I do as he instructs, and soon involuntary laughter bubbles up inside of me, escaping before I can stop myself.
“What’s so funny, Abby?” he asks.
“I feel her soul—her spirit—and she is absolute joy.” Now I understand the yellow halo. Chey is pure sunshine and love. The happiness that embodies her spreads to everyone she meets, and it all stems from her magical core. I give her a little zing of my own magic, and her halo flares brighter like it’s thanking me.
I leave her magic and seek someone new. I find Ronnie, and I pause. Her magic looks wrong. Like it’s sick and fragile. Her blue animal magic is muted and is the color of the sky versus the rich sapphire of my own and Chey’s. And she has black spots all over it that shimmer like an oil slick. The red magic that should be her fire affinity is a single barely-glowing ember as if her flame is being smothered.
I send out a jolt of my magic, and the black spots fade away, shrinking back from the magical volley.
How intriguing.
I send out more magic, trying to see if I can make the rest of the black spots that are all over her fade away. I keep feeding her tiny threads of magic until finally all that remains is her pale blue magic. I can’t do anything about the strength of her animal, but maybe now that the sickness is gone, it will heal. Maybe she’ll even become a nicer person. I snort.
Not likely.
I keep going, looking at members of my pack, but most of their magic glows healthy and bright. A couple have a few spots of darkness, but nothing as extensive as Ronnie’s. I send quick bursts of magic to them and move on. I begin searching for my aunt when I hear Justin’s voice calling out to me.
“Abby, it’s too much. Come back. Stop whatever you’re doing and come back.”
I bring myself back, following the sound of his voice and blink up at him. My eyes rapidly tear as exhaustion seeps into my bones. I feel like I was run over by a truck after running a marathon.
“What’s going on? What happened?” I ask, confused by the fear in his voice.
“I don’t know. You started fading. I saw your light starting to dim, and I had to bring you back. What were you doing?” he asks me.
“Ronnie was sick, and I healed her. There was something wrong with her soul. It was covered in blackness, and it was strangling her wolf,” I explain.
“After I healed her, I kept searching my other packmates to see if they had any spots like her and healed them too, but no one was as bad as her,” I finish telling him.
He holds me close to his chest, and I realize I’ve collapsed, “Oh, wow. I’m so dizzy.”
“Yeah. You overdid it. I think we’ll hold off on any more spells for now.”
“No, I want to do the spells,” I whine.
“Princess, you don’t even know what I was going to ask you to do.”
Hmm, valid point.
“Well, no. I don’t, but I can do the spell anyway.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a great idea,” he says.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re wiped out already. Look at you. You can barely stay upright.”
“Will it help my packmates if I do this? Will it help you guys?”
“It would, yes,” he admits hesitantly.
“Then let’s do it! I can do this.”
“No, the guys will kill me if they see you like this. If they learn I let you cast a protection spell, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“A protection spell?” I ask greedily. I must admit, I like this whole magic thing more than I expected.
“Yes, I was going to ask you to cast a protection spell over your pack and us.”
“Why would I do that when we’re already protected here?” I ask, feeling foggy.
“Well, because it would just be an extra layer of security when leaving the den,” he says.
“But we’ll save that for another day when you’re feeling a bit better.”
I want to protest further, but exhaustion is seeping into my bones.
“Alright, princess. You passed your magic exams for today. Let’s get you to your bed.” he slings me over his shoulder and carries me inside, setting me down on unsteady feet in the foyer.
“Fine, let’s get me to bed, but only with you in there with me!” I’m still feeling drunk on power and exhaustion.
He laughs, and it’s so wonderful that I’m momentarily stunned as the rich timber of it rolls over me. Feeling bold, I grab him o
n both sides of his head and kiss him hard and with as much passion and happiness as I can muster. I’m about to go in for another kiss when Marcus’s soft brogue drapes over me.
“Hello, Mistress ... care to share?”
I love that he’s asking, and I comply with gusto, “Mm-hmm, absolutely.” I repeat the same gesture with Marcus.
In a rare move, he takes extra liberties and grabs my ass, pulling me flush against him. Every inch of the erection strains to get out of his pants, and I curse the Blood Moon ritual. “Come on, boys. Let’s go lay in my bed and dream about how much fun it would be to have sex.”
I catch Chey’s eyes in the living room, and she looks happy, but I’m seeking a different person. Finally, I spot Ronnie. I was wondering if she would look any different after her soul cleansing, and she does. Her skin looks brighter, her hair shinier, and she’s actually smiling. I walk over to her.
“Ronnie, how are you feeling, girl?” I ask tentatively. To be fair, she’s my frenemy at best, and talking to her can be hazardous.
“I feel amazing actually. Thank you for asking.” She hugs me, and I am frozen in shock.
“Abby, I know I never say it, but you’re gonna be a kick-ass alpha, and I think you should know that.”
Then, she walks away humming to herself. I stare at her back, open-mouthed and taken aback. Justin comes to stand behind my shoulder and says. “Well, I guess you did do something because I don’t know who that woman is.” His voice snaps me out of my mini-trance, and I laugh.
“Me either,” I agree, “but I like it. Don’t you?”
“I do, I like it a lot. I wonder if she’ll have a better chance of being Claimed now,” he muses, as if he’s found a new clue.
“You know, I think she will. That blackness was strangling her wolf, and no one would want to Claim a sick mate. We’re all about the strongest surviving, right? I hope it happens for her; I hope it happens for all my sisters. Everyone deserves to be this disgustingly happy,” I say. “Now take me to bed. I want a nap.”
Blood Moon Magic Page 17
