by Honor James
Paranormal Protection Unit 2
Their Mating Illusion
As a part of the royal line of magic, Maya Griffon knows just what evil is brewing in her own home. But to break free will take everything she has and everything she can give. Prophecy spoke of a way free, a way to find love and to have what she's always wanted, a man who can understand her like no other ever has. All she has to do now is convince him she is right.
Growing up poor, Quincy Wallace learned that everything has a price. Nothing is unconditional, and nothing is ever free. Love? Love is for those that can afford to be made the fool, something he will never be again. Maya, though, might just be the one person who can change all that if he dares to let her in.
With a crown on the line and danger pressing ever closer, love is truly the most powerful and pure magic there is. But will it be enough?
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: 54,832 words
THEIR MATING ILLUSION
Paranormal Protection Unit 2
Honor James
EROTIC ROMANCE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance
THEIR MATING ILLUSION
Copyright © 2013 by Honor James
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-228-9
First E-book Publication: January 2013
Cover design by Viola Estrella
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DEDICATION
I would like to first thank my editor, who has once again guided me through getting my book ready for release.
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THEIR MATING ILLUSION
Paranormal Protection Unit 2
HONOR JAMES
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Staring out into the night, he watched the moonlight dancing off the drops of water dripping from the trees. The storm had blown in suddenly and fiercely but had continued on eastward about ten minutes ago. Sighing softly, he moved back to the desk and got everything started up once more. He had work to do. The upcoming mission might very well depend on what he discovered.
Rubbing away the sleep from his eyes, he cracked his neck and popped the tab on another energy drink. It was turning into a hell of a long night, not that he wasn’t used to them, but still, just once he’d like to get to bed before the sun rose. Maybe one day, who knew?
“All right, lads,” he said and then had to pause to yawn wide. Shaking his head, he blinked. Two hours of sleep after nearly forty-eight hours wide awake just did not cut it. “Sorry ’bout that,” he muttered and rolled his head around his neck.
Ignoring the smirks, he refocused on Beta Team. “Jean DeMarco.” He pointed to the large screen where the image of a male, early thirties and looking too suave to be real, was displayed. “He was spotted coming out of Monte Carlo three weeks ago, a quick stop in Belize and then, from what we’ve been able to determine, he is now headed to meet up with his current fling on a cruise of the Mediterranean. The ship left Venice, Italy, three days ago. He will be rendezvousing with the cruise ship in Mykonos, Greece, in just under four days. The ship comes in at approximately two in the afternoon and leaves promptly at nine. He will be on it for the next two days when it will reach Naples and he will depart it again and we lose him until an unknown date in the future.”
“It’s a cruise. How is he getting on board at such a late date?” Scaled Wonder Number One asked.
“He’s rich, he’s powerful, he has connections, and the captain is his fourth cousin on his mother’s side, so flat-out bribery works well,” he explained to the thick-headed ones. He liked most Dragons, Talon in particular, but the twins were a serious pain in his ass. Even more so since apparently he was going to be stuck with them for eternity. How in the world could Gaia be that mean? Like really!
Shaking off the thought, he changed images on the large screen. “This is the captain of the cruise liner, Filip Espanito. This”—the image shifted again—“is the girlfriend, Felicity van Hemptyn. She’s from a very influential but clean-as-can-be family. Her father took his father’s small clothing alteration and repair business and turned it into a multi-billion, yes, billion, dollar empire. He owns ships, owns shops worldwide both still in clothing repair and alteration, but also design studios, malls, and many other things.”
“Does Daddy know what his little princess is getting mixed up in?” Scaled Wonder Number Two put out there. Gods, he hated those Dragons.
“As far as we can tell, no,” Skittles explained to them all. Alpha Team was there, too, but since they were merely acting as a secondary extraction team and not primary, they were sitting in the back talking amongst themselves and with Talon. “It appears that her father hasn’t got a clue who she’s dating, probably wouldn’t approve.”
Another click on his computer and he brought up a schematic of the ship. “I’ve s
ent this to all your iPads. Study it. We’re going to have to get on during the stop in Mykonos with forged documents, travelers who missed the Venice departure. I’ve got us berths on board and we’ll have a full day at sea to ensure we have him secure. We’ll be departing before the next berthing.” He’d open a Vortex back to base from the ship. A risk to be sure but if it had to be done, it had to be done.
“I’ve marked out where the girlfriend’s room is, his most likely path to her room, and some of the better locations to intercept him. We need to get him before he reaches her, otherwise we’ll need to bring her along.”
“She’s not involved in his business?” Dragon Breath Number One asked.
“Not from anything I’ve dug up.” Which had been a lot. “She’s a party girl, a wild child in every meaning of the word. She barely got through high school, only made it through college thanks to her father’s money, and lives off anything and everything he gives her. As long as she stays out of the papers for idiotic things he stays out of her life.” Skittles looked at them all. “I doubt DeMarco would trust her to park the car let alone handle his gun-running and prostitution business.”
“All right, boys,” Talon said, finally speaking up. “You have three hours before you’re on a plane out of here. Sorry, but no Vortex for this portion. We don’t need to wipe Skittles out ahead of the game.” When they added in the fact that they had no idea just who or what might be in the way at the far end, it was just another reason not to slide in via Vortex. “Gear up, get packed for a vacation, and meet down at the pad in two and a half hours. Move out,” he ordered the Dragons who looked ready to argue. Eventually they meandered out of the room.
Walking to Skittles, Bulldog looked down at him. “You okay with going in only with those two, Quincy?” he asked seriously, using the Mage’s real name instead of his nickname of Skittles.
“Yeah, I’m good with it,” he said softly. “I might not like them personally or what is coming our way but they are topnotch operators. I’d have them at my back any and every time in a mess.”
“Good.” He squeezed Quincy’s shoulder. “We’ll be close if you need us,” Bulldog promised.
“I know.” Skittles grinned up at him. “If all else fails, I’ll fry their asses if they get too mouthy,” he teased. Getting a laugh from Talon, he relaxed more. “I’m going to go and get a couple hours of sleep.” He desperately needed it before being stuck on a plane for too many hours with the twins.
“Go, do what you need to. I’ll have one of the others give you a wake-up call,” Bulldog assured him. “Not one of the twins.”
“Appreciate it,” Quincy muttered, collecting his computer before heading off to find a bed.
* * * *
Operation Day 1, Mykonos, Greece
“Holy hell,” Charcoal Breath Number Two said as they all stood before the poster. “I’m thinking we should stick around. Just dump the mark through the Vortex and stay on board to enjoy a little extra treat.”
Tilting his head, Skittles had to admit the female portrayed in the poster was a tempting little bit of beauty. Supposedly a master illusionist. Smoke and mirrors really, nothing more. Damned so-called magicians gave real magic wielders a bad rap. “If we have time after securing the package we’ll go and take in her show.”
Both Dragons looked at him for a long moment. “Good plan. The package can stew for a while as we enjoy ourselves,” Charcoal Breath Number One said with a toothy, evil grin. “Maybe she’ll be willing to do an aftershow with us.” He chuckled.
Rolling his eyes, Skittles headed for the elevator. For all of two seconds he’d actually liked them. Then Puff the fucking Dragon had kept on yakking, totally ruining the moment. Seriously, Gaia? These two? Gah! Like he needed them busting his balls for all of eternity, in front of his bond-mate no less. Seriously?
Chapter Two
Maya Griffon double-checked all of the rigging on the stage. Everything had to be absolutely perfect for her show. It all had to go off without a hitch. Smiling to herself, she shook her head. It was amazing how easily she was able to pull off the tricks, illusions that boggled the mind. What was even more amazing was the fact that from time to time she had critics who tried to “debunk” her magic, critics that she paid a healthy sum to for them to do just that. No, sometimes in the art of illusion hiding in plain sight was the best thing to do, in all ways.
When she was certain that the smoke, mirrors, and lines were in place, she smiled. Stepping back, she looked at her masterpiece and knew that on this cruise she was going to gain even more notoriety, which was only a small part of why she was here. The bigger part, however, well, that was a whole different kettle of fish. The real reason why Maya was there was a rescue mission for a man that Maya had called friend, a man that her family had called friend. Maya was there to save Felicity van Hemptyn, a woman that Maya had grown up playing dolls with, a woman who was her friend and was now a lost soul.
For a moment Maya paused to think about Felicity. The poor girl had always been someone who loved attention, from her family, friends, anyone who would give it to her. It wasn’t just the good attention that she craved either, but any type of it. Shaking her head, Maya pulled herself out of those thoughts, pulling the bill of her cap down over her forehead once again and then grabbing the old worn rucksack she carried everywhere with her.
Reaching in, she grabbed a handful of the gummy worms she always had on hand, and as she walked along munching on one, her mind and thoughts went to the call she had received two days earlier.
* * * *
Two days previously
“Maya, it’s Franco van Hemptyn,” came the voice on the other end of the line, a voice that Maya hadn’t heard since she had buried her parents three years earlier.
“Uncle Franco?” she asked in shock and moved into her dressing room at the MGM Grand. “Is everything all right?” The man had been “uncle” for as long as she could recall. He was fully human, but he knew very good and well just what she and her father had been able to do. He had kept their secrets, protected her father and her, as well, for as long as she could recall.
“Well, not really.” Franco was a man that would always cut to the chase, no matter what. “It’s Felicity.”
“Oh God, what’s wrong?” Maya asked as she focused on not letting nervous energy go awry and leach out of her. Tonight was Copperfield’s night, the hack, and she couldn’t ruin his fake sham of a show because of her emotions.
“She’s gotten in with some really bad men,” Franco murmured softly. “You know I try really hard to stay out of her life but this time I have to intervene. I hate to ask this of you, My, because I know what it does to you, but…” He cleared his throat and Maya knew what was coming before he asked.
“Just tell me where she will be. I will do whatever I need to in order to bring her home. Do you think that it’s…” She hesitated and then said, “Do you think that there is some trickery going on to make her be with this seedy side?” Magic in other words.
“Yeah, My, I really do,” Franco said with a sigh. “I wouldn’t have known what to look for if not for what happened with your momma.” Bea Griffon had been an amazing woman, but she had been only human married to a Warlock. A Warlock of the ruling family, to be more precise. She had been glamoured to do atrocious things, terrible things. Things that ultimately ended both her life and her bond-mate, her husband’s life.
Maya couldn’t think about that though. She had to shake that off. “Do you have someone that can help? I can do a lot of things but I’m just not strong enough yet to work over someone else’s magic. If they are lesser than I, more than likely I can unravel what’s been done, but it would take time.”
“Yes, actually I have your brother who’s willing to help,” Franco admitted.
“Shit,” Maya grumbled. Well that was just fucking hunky-goddamn-dory now, wasn’t it? A brother she hadn’t spoken to in two years. A brother who would rather forget that she existed simply because she w
as next in line after him for something she didn’t want. Great. Wonderful. Fan-motherfucking-goddamn-tastic!
“Just get her here. Michael will do the rest.”
“You have it. Send me the information that I need, Uncle Franco.” Maya would do anything for those she considered family, and Franco and Felicity were two of those that she considered to be just that.
* * * *
Now
Pulling on the chestnut wig over her flaming-red curls, Maya had to tuck the curls for several minutes. “Stupid hair.” She should just cut it. Really she should, but she found she couldn’t. Her hair reminded her of her grandmother, her father’s mother, the woman who had been Queen of the Mage for a very long time, a woman who was amazing in and of herself. Married to the King of them all, she had ruled at his side with wisdom and strength. “I miss you so much sometimes, Nanna,” she whispered softly after getting the wig just right.
Next came the brown contacts, used to hide the odd silver color of her eyes. After she had that part of her costume put together she added on the padded costume that she wore that gave her far larger breasts than she truly had, ones that were far less generous than DD. It flared her hips even more and made her look bigger than she truly was. Zipping on the platform boots next she then started with her makeup.
Finally finished with the disguise that she wore, she was completely transformed from Maya Griffon to Bella Donna, the Illusionist. No longer was she the five-foot-even redhead with silver eyes, but she was now a towering five-foot-nine-inch brunette with deep-chocolate eyes, huge tits and ass…all the better to make the idiot men in the audience to look the other way during the illusions. Ah yes, sometimes sex was exactly what was needed to make a mark look the other way.
