Embrace the Night

by Crystal Jordan

  The distinct creaking pop of the bottle opening made her shiver in anticipation. He brushed his lips over hers, a brief kiss before he drizzled the cool oil over her hot skin. Her moan was a helpless sound and made his lips curl in a satisfied smile.

  Then his big hands stroked her.

  He took his time, worked the oil deep into her flesh, using hot little pleasure spells to make her gasp in shock or sigh in delight. He started at her feet, pressed his thumbs into her arches until her toes curled. Her ankles and calves were massaged, her knees kissed, her thighs opened so he could blow a breath on the puffy, wet folds of her pussy. A spell lit her sex; fire and ice had her shuddering with lust that made her heart rate rocket.

  But he didn’t touch her there, just left her aching, needing. Needing him. Always him. “Merek.”

  “Shh. Just relax, sweetheart.” His voice was as seductive as any magic ever dreamed up, sliding over her sensitive nerves like warm velvet. A little rough, a little soft, totally rich and decadent.

  More oil slicked her thighs, the curve of her belly, the softness of her breasts. He swirled his blunt nails over her nipples, coaxing them to tight points. His strong fingers worked her shoulders and arms before he rolled her over and kneed her thighs apart.

  “Close your eyes.” He bent forward to kiss the nape of her neck, between her shoulder blades, the small of her back, each globe of her buttocks.

  A purr was the only answer she could give as she obeyed him. For once, she wasn’t afraid of the darkness. Merek was there, and everything in her focused on him.

  Time drifted as she let herself float on a cloud of sensuality. There was nothing in the world except the magic of his hands and what they did to her body. Her muscles were pliant, warm and soft, all tension melting away as she turned herself over to him and anything he wanted to do to her. She knew he’d make it good for her.

  He kneaded her neck and shoulders and back, and her pulse picked up speed as he cupped her ass in his big palms. Slipping a hand under her belly, he lifted her hips and slid a pillow underneath her. She sucked in a deep breath when he knelt in the vee of her thighs, spreading her wider. Cooler oil trickled between her buttocks as he parted the cheeks, the liquid quickly heating when it touched her skin. Her breath seized at the sharp difference between her overheating flesh and the chilly oil. His slick fingers trailed down, teased the rim of her anus.

  Desire punched through her, and her body flexed as she arched herself higher for him. “Take me there, Merek.”

  “Here?” One finger probed at the tight ring of muscle, pressing just the tip into her ass.

  “Yes,” she gasped. She moaned and lifted herself into his hand as he began to stretch her anus for penetration, her arms jerking against the bindings. Her racing heart thudded against her ribcage, heat flowing through her veins.

  His finger worked deeper, massaging until he could slip in a second digit. He thrust slowly, the oil making the slide exquisite.

  “Merek, please,” she breathed. She twisted in her bonds. Even though she had no desire to escape, she couldn’t stop moving.

  “Pleasing you is part of my plan.” He brushed a kiss over her shoulder, nipped at the flesh.

  A choked laugh ended in a gasp as he added a third finger to her ass. “I like this plan.”

  His low chuckle made her grin into the pillow. “I had a feeling you would.”

  Those diabolical fingers pumped slowly in and out of her ass, widening her passage until she thought she’d die. Her hips undulated, her ultrasensitive nipples chafing on the smooth sheets. She whimpered and closed her eyes, turning herself over to the sensations she couldn’t control, didn’t want to control. She wanted to feel, wanted to experience every moment of Merek’s touch.

  She bit her pillow when his cock replaced his fingers, the head nudging into her anus. It stung, he was so big, but she breathed through the pleasure-pain. He gripped her waist, his heavy thighs forcing her legs even wider for him as he surged deeper into her ass. He froze when she cried out, bucking against the glowing bonds around her wrists.

  “Are you all right?” His grasp tightened when she didn’t answer. “Chloe?”

  “Give me a second.” She forced her body to loosen up, muscle by muscle, accepting the thick penetration of his cock. He shifted a little, and a ripple of pleasure went through her. Just that small movement, and more juices flooded her pussy. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  Torment roughened his tone. “I don’t want to hurt you. We can stop now, if—”

  “No.” She rolled her hips experimentally, using the spell ropes to gain some leverage. A gasp ripped from her as the slippery oil made the first few inches of his cock slide in and out of her ass, each stroke easier as she relaxed.

  Goose bumps broke out across her skin as he began to rock with her, tiny plunges that made ecstasy streak through her. His palms skimmed up her back, down again, gentling her. His voice was a deep growl that urged her onward.

  “Faster,” she breathed, writhing in the bespelled cage of her bonds.

  He obeyed her, his thrusts picking up speed and force until his muscled stomach spanked against her backside. Her sex fisted each time he entered her ass, and need sliced through her like a werewolf’s claws. She moaned, bowing her back until the bonds snapped tight. He kissed the nape of her neck, his breath whispering against her hot, damp skin. “You feel so good, Chloe. Amazing.”

  I love you. The words were there, hovering on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back. “More. Please, more.”

  He rotated his pelvis against her, and she cried out at the pleasure that flooded her. He gave her more, just not as much as she needed. She tightened her muscles around his cock, and he groaned, the helpless sound vibrating against her back. “Yes, Chloe. More. Give me more.”

  The ropes glowed brighter as their passion built, blinding her until she had to close her eyes to escape the light, but that only focused her more on the physical: the glide of their oil-slicked and sweat-dampened skin; the rough hair at his groin that stimulated her; the groans between each gasping breath; the flex and release of muscles as they moved together.

  It was pure magic, no pleasure spells required.

  He slid his hand between her body and the pillow he’d placed under her hips, forcing her to arch her ass higher into his thrusts. She sobbed and then screamed when his hand dipped between her thighs and rubbed over her wet folds. Every deep thrust rubbed her clit against his stroking fingers. “Merek! I need . . . I can’t . . . please!”

  She knew she made no sense, but somehow he knew what she was begging for. His hips bucked faster, driving his cock even deeper than he’d ever been before. His fingers pressed down directly on her clit, and she exploded into an orgasm that left her shrieking, sobbing, and heaving under him.

  A rough groan from him told her she’d dragged him along with her, and soon he filled her ass with hot fluids. Great shudders racked his body, and he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close.

  “Gods,” he gasped. “That was . . . amazing.”

  “Amazing.” She echoed the word at the same time, a bubble of sweet laughter slipping from her. “Yeah. It really was.”

  Moments later, her arms went slack as he released her from the spell binding. She collapsed against the bed, cooing in delight when his long fingers worked any remaining tension from her muscles. He tugged up the covers and settled beside her, tucking her into his warm body.

  Her hands fisted in the covers when he flipped off the lamp on the bedside table. Then she grinned. One of his truly hideous night-lights shone from a wall socket. The seashell light. From the glow in the room, she’d guess he’d plugged one into every available socket. She sighed and leaned back into him, relaxing.

  “Not too dark?” He kissed her temple.

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  He’d noticed. Of course he had. This was Merek. Her smile widened.

  No wonder she loved him.

  12

 
; Something was wrong.

  Every hair on the back of Merek’s neck rose, his instincts shivering to life. In the three weeks since they’d left Arizona, he hadn’t had a hint of suspicion that anything was amiss, but he stood looking at the woman behind the ticket counter at the Portland airport, and he knew. The way her eyes widened slightly when she entered his information into the computer, the way her bored expression flattened to emptiness.

  They’d been blown.

  “You know what? I need to make a call before I check in.” He gave the lady a grin he hoped looked genuine, swept his falsified passport out of her hand, and stepped back to let the next impatient traveler buy him a few seconds before she called security. From the corner of his eye, he noted when she picked up a phone.

  Alex and Chloe were occupying a few of the uncomfortable chairs grouped near the ticketing area. They hadn’t checked in yet. Merek insisted they switch things around when they flew. Sometimes they paired off; sometimes they all traveled separately. Same plane, but they didn’t sit together, didn’t acknowledge each other. Nothing would link them.

  This time, Merek had been alone, the others together. He thanked the gods he’d gotten in line first. Digging through his duffle for a cell phone he didn’t need, he pretended to lose his grip and scatter the contents on the floor near their chairs.

  Alex hopped up to help him gather his belongings. Merek offered a thankful smile and kept his tone cheerful. “Our IDs have been flagged, and security is on the way. I’ll handle them.” He nodded an easy farewell to Alex and Chloe, as if he’d never met them before and never expected to see them again. He could only pray he did see them again. Soon. But he had to get them out of here now. “I want you to very casually walk away from me, get in a cab, and leave the airport. I’ll meet you in exactly two hours in the mystery section at Powell’s.” The bookstore was enormous, the size of a full city block, and had gobbled up the surrounding stores into a sprawling maze of interconnected buildings. It was packed with people and a warren of bookshelves easy to get lost in. The perfect place to disappear, if necessary. “If I’m not there on time, you know what to do.”

  Chloe gave him a dismissive wave before she set her purse in her lap and rooted around in it. She came up with a tube of gloss, slicked it on her lips, and dropped it back into the abyss of her bag.

  “Come on, honey. Let’s go.” She gave Alex an impatient glance as she stood, looped her purse over her shoulder, then picked up her suitcase and walked away.

  “I hate Oregon.” Alex shrugged into his backpack and followed her. Neither of them looked back, and they hopped into a cab. A relieved breath eased out of Merek’s lungs when they pulled away from the curb and sped away.

  They were safe. For now.

  The relief was short-lived. A uniformed guard slid into view. He wasn’t Normal. Elf, maybe. Senses Merek had honed as a cop made that conclusion register before he’d even given the question his full attention.

  A shimmer formed before his eyes, visions of how this could play out. Now that Alex and Chloe were out of the picture, he could see again. Possibilities, chances, probabilities. Some were uglier than others. He discarded those, making a snap decision, which made still more potentials dance before him, overlaying the reality of the bustling airport. Reflex kept the two pictures sharp, allowed him to react to what was true and interpret what was possible.

  Adrenaline ripped through his system as his heart picked up speed, but he controlled the need to run, to fight, to hunt those who hunted him. Pulling in a deep breath, he let it ease out. Before it had completely left his lungs, he’d shifted his duffle to his left shoulder, leaving his right hand free if he needed to grab the weapon tucked into the small of his back, concealed by his jacket.

  Ducking into a men’s room, he used a pocketknife to jimmy the door to a janitor’s closet and shut it behind him. No spells, nothing for another Magickal to detect.

  The restroom door opened, and the elf stepped in. Merek froze, unsure how developed the elf’s senses were. He might be able to detect a life-form in here, but Merek’s visions showed that wasn’t likely.

  Another possibility sliced into his mind, crystal clear and certain. A second security guard would walk in behind the first, helping with the search for Merek. The second man was the greater danger, and more likely to find what he was looking for. The two of them together could take Merek. If that happened, he was on an unstoppable collision course with Smith. As much as he’d like a piece of that bastard, it would leave no one to protect Chloe and Alex.

  Fuck.

  Slapping open the door, he grabbed the passing elf from behind. The swift squeak of the bathroom door behind him told Merek the second man had entered. Struggling with the elf, Merek felt a nightstick slam into the back of his skull. There was heavy magic to power the blow. Dark spots exploded before his eyes, and he felt himself falling. The breath blasted from his lungs when he made impact with the tile floor, and he choked when the elf landed on top of him. Sucking in air, he swung out, a quick snap of fist meeting jaw and the first security guard slumped against Merek’s chest. He blinked hard, trying to clear the cartwheeling stars, and heard the baton whistling toward his head again. He jolted, heaved out from under the unconscious elf, who took the blow instead.

  The world spun in sickening circles before him, a kaleidoscope of colors. He lifted a hand, shot out a spell, and it collided midair with one launched by the second guard. The burst of light made his stomach lurch, and he let himself collapse flat to the tile, narrowly missing being hit by another spell. He flicked his fingers, took the guard out at the knees. He’d meant to go higher, hit the chest, but his aim wasn’t quite straight.

  A scream from the guard as he collapsed to the floor beside his companion rang in Merek’s ears, jabbing into his brain. He jackknifed in reaction, but the movement made him sicker. He saw the guard with both hands locked around his leg, writhing in agony. Merek wheezed, sent a final spell, and left the second guard drooling beside the first.

  Rolling to his hands and knees, Merek grabbed for one of the porcelain sinks to drag himself slowly to his feet. Then he bent forward and vomited his guts up.

  Even with his skull ringing, the future still played out before his eyes. Only now the overlapping layers of vision made him gag on whatever was left in his stomach. The paths he needed to take to make it back to the welcoming blankness of his people rooted in his thoughts. He rinsed his mouth, wiped the sweat from his forehead, staggered to the janitor’s closet to pick up his duffle, and escaped.

  The red and white marquee sign that read POWELL’S BOOKS—USED & NEW BOOKS was the most welcome thing Merek had ever seen. The drizzling rain felt like a hammer blow every time a drop landed on his skin, and he wanted to get out of it. His gaze swept the street one last time before he crossed toward the mammoth bookstore.

  His movements were slower than he liked, his step careful. He was on autopilot. Just make sure no one followed him. Just get to Alex and Chloe. Just be certain they were safe.

  The lights inside the store blinded him when he walked in, and he shuddered, fighting a wave of nausea. He paused for a long moment, trying to remember where he was going. Mystery. The mystery section at Powell’s. Where he’d told them to meet him.

  Reading the signs to get to the right area hurt his eyes, the words blurring and streaking, a halo of light forming around every person he passed.

  And there they were. Two dark heads of hair bent together, one so deep a brown it was almost black, one a shining blue-black like a raven’s wing. Chloe. She looked up at him, pushing that raven hair from her face. Her relieved smile made his heart skip a beat, but then her grin faded when she got a good look at him.

  “Merek, what happened?”

  “Took . . .” Somehow his tongue didn’t want to shape the words correctly, but he forced himself to speak distinctly. “Took a knock to the head from an airport security guard.”

  Alex’s hand closed around his shoulder, and Merek
startled because he hadn’t seen the wolf move. The quick motion was like an anvil slamming into him, and his view tilted sideways.

  “I’ve got you, Merek.” It was Alex’s voice, but he sounded like he’d spoken from a great distance. Hadn’t the boy just been next to him? Merek thought so, but he wasn’t quite sure. He blinked a few times, but couldn’t see clearly, couldn’t think clearly.

  He blinked again, and things had changed. What, he wasn’t sure, but he felt a shift in space and time. A soft rocking motion told him he was in a moving vehicle. It was disorienting, and he didn’t like that, but when he pulled in a breath, he smelled his lover’s sweet scent. “Chloe.”

  “Yes, Merek. I’m here.” Her hand stroked his forehead, and it felt good. He felt good, energized, but that wasn’t right either.

  “I got hit by a police baton.” He frowned up at the gray fabric that covered the ceiling of the car. He was in a tilted back passenger seat. Chloe perched in the backseat behind him. Turning his head, he saw Alex behind the wheel.

  Alex’s green eyes left the road for a moment, and they reflected a deep concern. “Yeah, you had a pretty nasty concussion. Chloe put you under a healing spell, so you’d sleep until you were completely better.”

  “I didn’t want to try to do any kind of quick healing on you. The brain can be so delicate to work with, and I just don’t have the skills to rush it.” Her fingers brushed through Merek’s hair, and he felt her testing him with her magic. “This was the best I could do.”

  He reached up and caught her hand. “You did good, sweetheart. I feel fine. Great, in fact.”

  Groping under his seat, he felt for the lever so he could sit up. The sun was setting, its light breaking through the overcast clouds. There were trees and a few houses along the road, but nothing else to indicate their location. A prickle of unease ran down his spine. “Where are we?”

  This vehicle wasn’t a rental, of that Merek was certain. Someone’s graduation tassel hung from the rearview mirror, and his shoes stuck to the soda on the floorboards. Whoever owned this car was a total slob. The long silence made him glance around. Chloe was wedged into the middle of a nonexistent backseat. Ophelia sat beside her, using the back of Alex’s seat as a scratching post.