“I want to share this moment with you.” A blond eyebrow raised in inquiry. “Besides, the sooner we receive the potion, the sooner we can indulge in other things.”
“What are you talking about?” Sophia gripped the metal door handle, floundering in his intense golden gaze that brimmed with dark promises of carnal pleasure. “Oh.” The burning in her cheeks couldn’t compare to the heat building in her core.
His chuckle washed over her. “So, shall we continue?” He gently detached her fingers from the door handle and pulled it open. “Or would you rather gawk at me here?”
“Uh, we’ll go inside.” She preceded him into the fortuneteller’s office, desperate for a distraction from him. A rumble in her stomach provided it. “I’m hungry.” A cursory glance around the waiting area showed a few couples, all of whom looked up when they pushed into the room. “You didn’t want to spare the minutes to stop for lunch.”
“There’s a Mongolian barbeque next door. You can alleviate your hunger pangs there while I talk with Mirela.” His lips twitched as he signed in at the receptionist’s desk. “Or, if that is not to your liking, I believe we passed a sushi bar two blocks over.”
“You know I’m a vegetarian.” Her stomach rolled in protest. “Why did you even suggest those places?” She flopped into a hard plastic chair, glaring at the two women who regarded her with avid curiosity.
“I simply gave you options.”
As Xavier sat beside her, his arm jostled with hers for the shared armrest. His closeness, his intoxicating scent, the mere whisper of his body heat that seeped into her skin where their arms touched, sent electric currents of awareness through her until
Sophia thought she’d scream out her need. In an effort to keep her mind away from the werewolf, she made eye contact with a rotund woman to her left. “Don’t you hate it when your partner thinks he knows what’s best for you when he clearly has no clue?” Xavier listened to the conversation, and she purposefully baited him.
“And then they just continue on as if you never spoke to begin with,” the woman asserted, shooting a black look to her equally round husband.
Sophia resisted the urge to laugh. “Men, what do we need them for anyway?” She turned toward Xavier and almost jumped off her chair when he slipped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and brought his lips to her ear. “What are you doing?”
“If you’d care to step into the supply closet with me for a few minutes, I’d be happy to show you.” A flood of warmth rushed through her bloodstream to gather between her thighs. “There are some things men are exceedingly good at and most definitely needed for.”
“Um…” She made the critical mistake of peering into his eyes. Deep amber, they drew her into his soul with the blatant hunger reflected there. “That won’t be necessary.” She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Nervously crossing her legs, she turned to regard the woman beside her. “On second thought, I think I’ll just stop complaining.”
An envious grin skated across the woman’s broad face. “Honey, if my man looked at me with half the fire yours shows you, I could die a happy woman.” She swept her gaze over Xavier as if undressing him before she snapped her attention to Sophia. “You be nice to him. He’s a keeper.”
Xavier elbowed Sophia’s arm, smiling at the woman. “I won’t give her the chance to get away, ma’am. I think Sophia and I will be quite happy together.”
“Kiss up.” She rolled her eyes, hid behind an outdated magazine on parenting, and ignored every occupant of the waiting room as Xavier and the woman chatted quietly. Finally, after what seemed like two eternity’s worth of waiting, Mirela stepped out of her office.
“Ah, my favorite troubled couple has returned. Happy Halloween. Come on back.”
Sophia’s stomach plummeted to her toes. “Gee, I can hardly wait.” Tossing the magazine aside, she followed Xavier into Mirela’s office, cringing when the door closed behind her with firm finality.
“It’s good to see you again, Madame.” Xavier bowed over her hand before taking a chair.
“I hope the last few days have been good to you.”
“I’ve been busy, yes, and not happy with the unneeded delay.”
Mirela shrugged, unsuccessfully hiding a smile. “These things happen.”
“Mmhmm.” Sophia gazed at her over the tops of her glasses with a mixture of anxiety and foreboding. Her teeth hurt from the asinine chatter. Had Xavier’s talk about mates been a ploy to gather the ingredients? Dread dripped down her spine. She couldn’t let him go. Eventually, she realized both Mirela and the werewolf stared at her. She cleared her throat and attempted to shove her thoughts to the back of her mind and tried to dial into the confidence that lurked somewhere deep within. “We’ve brought the items for the potion.”
“So I assumed.” Today, Mirela wore a flowing caftan of deep purple polyester, complete with golden sequins. Fuchsia lipstick clung to her lips, while enormous gold hoops winked from her ears. Her gaze flashed to Xavier. “You must be excited. Tomorrow you’ll no longer be a wolf.”
The brief smile that touched his lips caused Sophia’s heart to skip a beat. “I’ve waited my whole life for this moment.” He caressed the leather pouch as he pulled it from his suit. “It’s a melancholy feeling to think I’ll leave my wolf-self behind, but to have a future as a man is worth the sacrifice.”
Taking several quick breaths, Sophia bit her bottom lip, laced her fingers together in her lap to stop their shaking as she looked at the man beside her. He leaned forward with anticipation, his hand outstretched, offering the pouch to the gypsy. His sensuous lips parted, his amber eyes glittered. This time she couldn’t prevent the sigh from escaping her throat. He’ll be free, yet I won’t.
“Why so sad, Sophia? Now you’ll be able to live a normal life with your handsome man and have babies.” Mirela snatched the pouch from Xavier’s hand. “I imagine Xavier will keep you quite busy.” Yanking on the strings, she poured the contents into a small earthenware bowl on her desktop.
A normal life—if only she knew. “Normalcy is in the eye of the beholder. My question is from whose eyes are we being judged.” The confines of the room stifled her so much that she fanned her face with her hand. “I didn’t mind Xavier’s wolfish tendencies—much. Of course, I did frown on the people eating, but I’m glad he’ll lift the curse. He deserves all the happiness life can offer.” She blinked rapidly, willing the tears away. Since she’d met him, her emotional balance swerved wildly in every direction.
He pried her fingers apart to enfold her right hand in his left. “Thank you for the support.” He nodded to the gypsy. “Please continue. Our time is rapidly running out and there are things Sophia and I need to…explore before the deadline.”
“As you wish.” Mirela poked a finger through the bowl of magical artifacts, then handed Sophia the mermaid scale that dangled from its black leather string. “You may have this back. Consider it a souvenir of your journey.” When the gypsy located the dragon’s tooth, she held it aloft between her thumb and forefinger. “That’s a nasty piece of business, huh?” Before either Xavier or Sophia could comment, she chucked the molar into a metal trash bin near her desk.
“What did you do that for? You have no idea what we had to go through to get that tooth!” Sophia had half risen from her chair before Xavier pulled her back down. “We were locked in a basement dungeon, barely escaped an angry dragon, had a huge argument—”
“I know.” Mirela grinned, baring her lipstick smeared teeth. “I’m well aware of the trials you’ve endured.” Upending the contents of the bowl back into the leather pouch, she tied off the strings. “The magical world doesn’t operate the same way the mortal world does. I think you both are well versed in this logic.” Yanking open a desk drawer, she dropped the bag of magic dust inside then withdrew a slim vial of black liquid.
“What’s that?” As the gypsy held in her palm, red and blue glittering swirls moved within the dark brew.
“My dear, t
his is the sought after antidote Xavier needs.” She set the vial on the desktop in front of her then tucked a strand of frizzy blonde hair behind her ear. “Isn’t this why you came here?”
“Yes, but…” Sophia’s jaw hung open for a moment. “You’re a con artist.” Only Xavier’s steady grip on her hand prevented her from scrabbling over the desk. “You told us you needed those three ingredients in order to make the potion.” Her heart raced in double time as she glared at the gypsy. “You cheated us.”
“I did no such thing. I never told you I need these three things specifically to make the potion.” She touched the vial with a fuchsia tipped nail. “I said the potion would be useless without the ingredients, yes. That’s because if the two of you didn’t locate each item together, then turning Xavier into a human would be pointless.” She pinned each of them with a calculating glare. “The motivation behind his wish to be free of the curse is largely due to you, as your mate. In order for him to provide for you, care for you in the manner he wishes, he can’t do that as a wolf. However, your motivation in helping him overcome his obstacle is still unclear to me at this point.”
Sophia squirmed. “What’s that supposed to mean? Of course, I don’t want Xavier to spend his life as a wolf if he doesn’t want to be one. I’m not that heartless.”
Mirela sighed. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but you leave me no choice.”
Anxiety gripped Sophia’s stomach, kneaded it into an angry wad when the gypsy reached for a coffee carafe filled with water. “What are you doing?” Scenarios of water torture with scalding water flitted through her mind. Mirela didn’t answer, only filled two small green teacups with the water.
“It’s tea, Sophia. Don’t be paranoid. Not everyone is out to harm you.” She dropped a scant teaspoon of what looked like withered herbs into the water. “Drink then I’ll read the leaves.” Mirela handed them each a teacup. “Don’t dawdle. I’ve got other clients.”
“What’s the point of this?” Sophia’s hand shook as she guided the cup to her lips and sipped. Simple and straightforward, it was plain black, unsweetened, and tepid in temperature. “Can you really see into our futures by tea leaves?”
Mirela arched an over-plucked brow. “Do I question how you do your job?”
Xavier chuckled. “She does have a point, darling.” He drained the last of his beverage. “Let’s see what she has to say before you offer up doubts.”
“Fine.” She glowered into her now empty teacup, seeing only the dark, withered bits of leaves that clung to the bottom. “Here you go.” She handed over the cup. “I must warn you, I don’t believe any of it.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion, of course, but I’ve been in this business for a number of years. I know what I’m doing.” She peeked inside Xavier’s cup. “Ah, just as I expected.” Mirela placed the teacup to the side of her desk. “Xavier, there is a great change ahead of you as well as great happiness. Count yourself fortunate. Rarely do I see such an encouraging future.”
He nodded. “You have my appreciation and gratitude.”
“Of course you’re happy.” Sophia frowned. She wished he’d hold her hand again, something, just a tiny touch to set her fears at ease. “You got a good one. I have a feeling mine won’t be so glamorous.” She glanced at the gypsy. “Let me hear it.”
“Mmhmm.” Mirela stared into Sophia’s teacup as she gnawed the lipstick from her lips. “You’ll be faced with an enormous decision, one that will leave your life and others hanging in the balance.” She tilted the cup then sucked in a sharp breath. “Your future is unclear to me.” She frowned. When she lifted her eyes, they were troubled. “I’ve never seen such a blank and cloudy reading. It’s almost as if the Fates haven’t decided on you.”
Cold fingers of dread marched down Sophia’s spine. “But I have a future, right? I’m not going to die in the next twenty-four hours, right?” Fear tightened her chest and made her throat close. “Will I…how long will I have?” She sputtered to a halt as warmth flooded her body when Xavier grasped her hand.
The gypsy shrugged. “The tea leaves can tell me nothing more.” She set the cup aside. “Betrayal is intertwined in your decision. The path after that is unclear and undecided. How you shape your future rests solely on your shoulders.”
“Great.” Sophia stared at the toe of her boot as the knot in her stomach grew. “At least you didn’t say I’d die. That has to count for something.”
The gypsy didn’t laugh. Instead, she focused on Xavier. “You must take the antidote to the Samhain festival tonight. Before the clock strikes midnight, circle around the hundred year oak tree five times. On the twelfth stroke, drink the potion while facing the northern sky. Only then will you be rid of the curse.”
“Thank you.” Xavier stood, dragging Sophia to her feet at the same time. “We need to plan.” He tucked the vial into an inner pocket of his trench coat and pulled Sophia out of the office into the waiting area. “We have much to accomplish.”
*****
Xavier leaned a hip against the marble-topped counter and crossed his arms over his chest as Sophia paced the length of the kitchen. Finally, she snapped her cell phone closed and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. “You let Mona know of our plans?”
“Yeah. She’ll meet us at the festival.” She lifted an eyebrow. A slideshow of emotions crossed her face, but the last one clouded her strawberries and cream complexion. Resignation. “Once you lift the curse, I…” She dropped her gaze. “I want you to forget about me. Find someone else to spend your life with, someone who won’t turn to stone when times get rough.”
“Sophia.” He pushed off from the counter in order to close the distance between them. “What does your paranormal status have to do with anything?” He lifted her chin with a hand. “I love you, not your rocky alter ego, not the evil tyrant you work for, not your house full of supernatural beings, you. Only you, and nothing will change that.” He held her gaze, wishing he could impart confidence to her. “Why would you think I’d change my mind?”
“Because…” She turned away, her head bowed. “Because eventually you’ll want kids, and from all I’ve heard, giving birth is a traumatic, painful process. What the hell do you think would happen if I turned to stone right there in the delivery room? You’d hate me. No matter that we’re a mated pair, if I can’t give you all you want—all you deserve—you’d resent me. It’s a natural, human reaction.”
His heart squeezed at the raw pain in her voice. “I’d never think that.” Xavier maneuvered around until she faced him once more. “If you cannot physically bear children, we’ll adopt, or we can just be childless, with a houseful of dogs and cats or cows, it doesn’t matter.” He captured her face between his palms. “I have you. Anything else in life is extra, but our love will always burn true.”
Blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears behind her glasses, Sophia blinked and set fat drops of moisture rolling onto her cheeks. “Really?”
“Have you known me to ever lie to you?” The moisture that clung to her long lashes fascinated him. He leaned in, kissing away the salty tears that lingered on her cheeks. “I couldn’t ask for a more fitting mate. You have fire, courage, and enough attitude that even the Portal Master is annoyed when he sees you.” He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I constantly wonder what you’ll do or say next.” He put his lips to the shell of her ear. “And I cannot wait to see those curves again.”
“You don’t have to try so hard to get me into bed.” Sophia smiled up at him, and Xavier felt the strength of that grin all the way through his body. “One good kiss should do the trick.” She rubbed her hips against his. “So, where is it?”
“Where is what?” He couldn’t think beyond her eyes that had darkened to the hue of deep sapphires or her faint floral-vanilla scent that teased his nose and wrapped around his brain.
“My kiss. I thought you wanted me, now I’m standing here waiting and you’re not doing anything to convince
me.” Her lips pushed into a pout. She heaved an exaggerated sigh and moved a few steps away from him. “Since we’re going to be heading into an evening fraught will unknown endings and certain terror, you could at least make me happy right now.”
“Minx.” Anticipation clenched his gut. He grabbed her hand and tugged her into his arms as his lips found hers. What he intended as a gentle kiss in response to her teasing grew into an urgent embrace as tongues met and danced in a quest to assuage an all-consuming hunger.
He slanted his mouth over hers, devoured her lips, and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth until she made soft sounds of acceptance and encouragement. His blood turned to molten heat when she pushed his thin sweater up and tugged his shirt from his waistband. She stroked eager fingers over his skin to tangle in his chest hair, but he wrenched away. “Is that good enough?”
As soon as she nodded, Xavier pinned her against the kitchen counter, fumbling at the buttons on her shirt. When it wouldn’t cooperate with his goal fast enough, he growled and ripped the shirt open. White buttons pinged about the room, bouncing off appliances. His objective became easier. He lightly ran his fingers over her breasts, grinning when the rose-hued tips hardened under his touch. “You’re mine, Sophia. Never doubt it.” Her sharp inhalation was the only indication she heard him. He closed his teeth over one nipple then he circled it with his tongue. The lace of her bra scratched him, only heightening his awareness of her.
“Xavier.” Sophia shrugged out of her torn shirt. It fell to the floor with a whisper as she interrupted his fondling long enough to press her mouth to his. She outlined his lips, laughed as he shivered. The light touch sent razor sharp tingles straight to his groin. “I don’t doubt you, werewolf, but I’m in charge now.”
Charmed by the Werewolf Page 24
