by V. Vaughn
I place my hand at the hollow of my neck as I think about what he might dream, and my pulse pounds beneath my fingers. Marcel watches me as I say, “Kimi thinks the spell should be out of your system in a week. How long has it been since you had the powder?”
“Two days ago.” Marcel’s gaze is heavy on me as he tugs at the neck of his T-shirt as if it’s too tight.
“Oh.” I move my hand lower on my chest and pull at the opening of my blouse as my breathing gets shallow. I want to rip his shirt off and lick the dampness of his skin that is clearly overheating with desire right now. My voice is raspy as I say, “So five days then.”
Marcel rakes his fingers though his hair as his lips part and his tongue darts out to wet them. I imagine he’s licking somewhere else on me as moisture pools between my legs. His voice is gravelly as he says, “This is torture.”
I move my hands to lift up the hair off the back of my neck as I say, “Uh-huh.”
A grin covers his face as his eyes twinkle with mischief. “I asked Jace not to let anyone interrupt us.”
Jean Luc still has guards on me, and I raise my eyebrows. “Yeah?”
The lock on my door clicks shut as he turns it and he steps toward me. “How close can I get?”
I squirm a little as I say, “Six feet.”
Marcel’s footsteps echo in my head until he stops moving. He says, “I can smell you want me, Tally.” He reaches behind his head and grabs his shirt. It comes off in one quick movement to reveal his bare chest, and my core quivers at the sight of his cut abs.
“I don’t need werebear senses to know you want me too,” I say as my gaze follows the trail of hair that leads downward below his navel. His erection bulges in his pants, and I imagine the weight of it in my hand as I clench my fingers.
He waggles his eyebrows and tosses his shirt toward me. It lands at my feet, and a waft of his musky scent rises as he asks, “Is it a witch thing?”
A button on my shirt is slippery in my shaking fingers as I unfasten it. “I don’t know. I might need to see more of you to be sure.”
“Hmmm.” Marcel scowls as if he’s considering it, but his hands go to the waistband of his pants. “I seem to be ahead of you.”
I finish with the last button and slither out of my blouse to let it fall. I’m wearing a thin silk bra, and my nipples are tender as air hits them. He lets out a low moan and says, “Touch your breasts for me.” I cup one with my hand and slide my thumb over a hardened nub. A current of pleasure runs through me, and I inhale sharply. “Take off your bra,” he says.
I reach back and the hooks are warm in my fingers as I undo them. Marcel is rubbing a hand over his jean-clad cock, and a low rumble comes from his chest. I grab my ample breasts and squeeze them together as I let out a small moan. I say, “I wish you were doing this.”
“I know, baby.” He jerks his hips as he rubs himself harder. “But this is kind of hot.”
“Kind of?” I let out a whoosh of air before I say, “Take off your pants.” I slide my hands down my belly to my leggings and hook my thumbs into the waistband.
Worn denim thumps softly on the floor, and Marcel steps out of his jeans as I stare at his cock. It’s big, and thick, and glorious. I lick my lips before I bite my lower one. “Damn it. I want to touch you.”
Marcel grabs on to himself and says, “We’ll do it for each other. Take those pants off, Tally. I want you to finger yourself for me.”
I’m trembling with need as my leggings scrape against my thighs when I pull them down. Marcel is stroking his dick, and while I can’t believe I’m about to pleasure myself in front of him, I’m too turned on to care. I reach between my legs to rub my clit with two fingers.
“Are you wet, baby?”
I let out a small noise from the back of my throat. “So wet for you, Marcel.”
“Imagine my mouth on you. I’m sucking that sweet clit of yours. Do you feel it?”
I press harder, “Yes.”
He lets out a low growl and says, “Put your fingers in yourself and imagine they’re mine. Push them deep.”
I do as he asks, and a shudder runs through me. I watch Marcel and decide to help him along too. “Lick your palm and get it really wet.” He stares at me with a gaze so heated it practically sears me as he does what I asked. “Now grip your succulent cock and pretend that moisture is my mouth. I’m sucking you, baby, the way you like it.” Marcel strokes fast and squeezes himself in an almost brutal way as he begins to groan. I say, “You taste so good and you’re so big my lips are stretching around you. I’m not letting go either. I want you to come down my throat.”
He lets out an expletive, and I move my hand faster now. I’m not shy about my moaning, and my insides begin to quake, as I pant out, “So close.”
“Me too, Tally. I’m shoving my cock into you fast now. You’re digging your nails into my ass and your legs are wrapped around me.”
My head falls back as I envision Marcel over me, driving himself deep. “Oh god.” Pleasure rises and a keening sound comes from me as my orgasm builds.
“That’s it baby, come for me,” Marcel says. I shatter and the edge of the counter is cold on my bottom as I fall back against it for support.
As my breathing slows I watch Marcel continue to stroke himself. I’ve recovered enough to say, “You’re taking me from behind now and driving in deep. God, I love how you fill me.”
His groans turn to a growl as he tenses, and he lets out a strangled roar when his release squirts out. “Damn, Tally.” He shudders as he forces more to come, and he takes a deep breath to blow it out. A shudder runs through him, and he sighs in satisfaction.
The kitchen towel is damp in my hand as I toss it to him so he can clean up. I say, “That’s not what I expected our first time would be like.”
Marcel gives me his cocky smile. “Me either. Imagine how that’s going to go when we can touch each other.”
“I did.” I offer him my own cocky smile as I pull on my pants. “And I will again.”
“Day-um. I’m your fantasy.” Marcel’s zipper hums as he fastens his jeans and puffs up his chest a little.
“You’ve had that role for a long time now.”
He winks at me. “Same.”
As I button my shirt, I watch the man I love finish getting dressed. I should have known he’d find a way for us to satisfy our need for each other even though we can’t touch. He’s as willing as I am to find a way for a werebear and witch to have a relationship, and it gives me hope we really can. “Marcel?”
“Yeah?”
I love you. “Thanks for stopping by.”
“My pleasure.” He tilts his head at me. “I think those cards are working. My dream girl is so close I can almost touch her.”
“Good, because she wants you to.” I wink at him. “I’m sure of it.”
Marcel bites his lower lip as he scans me with his gaze. “I can’t wait. Five days.”
“Five days.” I sigh in a combination of sexual satisfaction and anticipation of more. As he leaves, I watch him walk down the path and a tiny aftershock sends another rush of pleasure through me. I wrap my arms around myself and believe that I’ll finally get the man of my dreams.
27
Nadia
Caitlyn is being held in a small cabin in the woods. Because she’s human and we know the only reason she shifted before was because I was in her head, the security is in the form of guards only. As I approach the building to pick her up to go to the gym the television blares toward me. I nod at Jurgen, and he rolls his eyes. I stop to listen. A woman is screaming about what some man did with her sister. I frown in confusion. “What is that?”
“A ridiculous show where the host invites people to fight on screen. The crazier the better.”
“Why?”
He shrugs. “Maybe because their lives are always worse than your own.”
“Huh.” I guess it might make someone feel better to know that, but not me. I say, “I’ll text when we’re
on our way back but it should be about three hours.”
He nods at me before he leaves, and the door is hard under my knuckles when I knock loud enough for human ears to hear me over the television. I don’t wait for Caitlyn to answer and walk in.
Caitlyn is on the couch in her pajamas with a quart of ice cream in her lap and a large bag of chips on the coffee table. She doesn’t even glance at me as she licks her spoon. The remote is sticky in my hand when I grab it and click off the TV. I say, “Get up and get dressed.”
She glares at me. “I was watching that.”
“And now you’re not. Move.” I’m not into the pity party she’s got going on.
Caitlyn crosses her arms, “I’m not going.”
I let out a sigh and reach down to grab her shirt at the chest. I shift just the slightest bit to have more strength, and she squirms in the air as I yank her up above my head before I set her down to her feet with a thud. When I let go I tilt my head at her and say, “Of course you are.”
She tugs her pajama shirt down as she backs away from me in fear. It’s not usually how I like to do things, but I think that’s all Caitlyn knows right now, and it’s clearly effective. It takes her less than a minute to emerge from the bedroom dressed to work out, and I smile to myself as I imagine the stomach ache she’s going to have when I make her jump rope for twenty minutes. I bet her breakfast tomorrow won’t be junk food.
I walk quickly toward my new truck. Even though I’m in my take-no-crap mood I smile, because René got me a cherry-red pickup that’s almost as huge as his. I love the way I look down on everyone else on the road as I drive, and the fact my vehicle has a growl of it’s own fits me. Caitlyn groans as she finds a way to hoist herself up into the cab. We don’t talk, and as my tires rumble over the asphalt I steal a glance at my passenger to see she’s scowling and has her arms crossed over her chest. I take it as a good sign, because to me it means she’s a fighter. Since she can’t shift on her own Caitlyn can’t be a warrior, but the training should be a great outlet for the anger she’s got eating her up inside. I flip on the radio to cover up the silence and soft rock plays as I let her stew for a while. She won’t be able to wallow in her self pity once we get to the gym, because I plan to work her hard.
Jake’s Gym is a no-frills place, and we enter into a large warehouse-like space with concrete floors. The scent of sweat that never goes away greets us along with the clanging of metal weights, loud music, and occasional shouts. Caitlyn’s eyes are wide as she takes in the scene. The majority of werebear working out are male, and compared to the human population they’re huge. With an average height of over six feet and bodies that are broad and built, I suppose it’s overwhelming after living with human men.
I greet my usual crew of warrior friends as we walk by. I notice Xavier isn’t with them, but, it’s not unusual for one of us to be missing due to an assignment. I recall how he was attracted to Caitlyn before he discovered she was a hunter and I know she found him just as hot from the short time I was in her head. I had hoped he’d be here to help take the edge off for her.
When we get to the mats, I explain we’ll warm up with cardio before we move to the punching bags. Jump rope handles scrape across a shelf as I grab them, and I toss one to Caitlyn. “Try to mimic me.”
I begin straight jumping to gauge her level of fitness. It’s not bad, so I switch to agility moves. Caitlyn manages to keep a steady pace, but the grimace on her face makes me think she’s regretting the contents of her stomach. I’ll give her credit though, she doesn’t complain, so when I see her swallow hard as if she’s trying not to vomit I take pity on her. I stop and point to the nearest bathroom.
I follow behind Caitlyn and her retching echoes off the concrete walls of the restroom to carry out to me as I stand outside the door. I grin when I see Marcel, and he comes over to ask, “Did you push her too hard?”
“Just hard enough. Bet she rethinks her breakfast choices.”
He chuckles. “You’re evil.”
“Hey, where’s Xavier? I thought he might like to help me train Cat with a C.”
“He would.” He tries to hide his laughter when Caitlyn emerges from the bathroom. But he doesn’t hide his smirk when he says, “I’ll let him know what he missed.”
I punch his arm before he walks away and then ask Caitlyn, “Feeling better?” She nods, and I say, “Good. Let’s hit the bags.”
Word has gotten around that Caitlyn is back, and the gossip mills also informed everyone she’s human and was a hunter, so we get a few looks and even a few glares from people who recognize her. I know what it’s like to feel like an outcast, because when I arrived in Maine and discovered my husband had found his true mate, I didn’t handle it well and attacked the girl. Werebear hold true mate status high, and my jealousy was frowned upon.
I do my best to help Caitlyn ignore it. As her feet slap the leather bag I hold for her, I also recall the way the Eradicator trainers treated her, and how it made her shut down. So when Caitlyn needs a move corrected, I explain it calmly and offer her positive feedback when she improves.
After three hours of working out we return to the mats to stretch. My hamstrings are relishing the relaxation of my pose when a young woman with a chestnut shade of red hair comes over to us. I don’t recognize her as a warrior, but it’s not surprising since every clan member is encouraged to work out and be in shape in order to protect themselves. “Caitlyn?” she asks, “It’s Emma.”
Caitlyn stiffens a bit as if she’s expecting Emma to ream her out. “Hi.” She grabs her water bottle and it gurgles when Caitlyn sips.
“I just wanted to come over and welcome you back,” says Emma. “When you ran away we were all so worried about you, and I’m glad to see you’re okay.”
“Thanks.”
Emma offers a cautious smile. “Sure.” She shuffles her feet as if she wants to say more. “Um.” She stops moving and says, “Maybe we could get coffee or something. It’d be nice to catch up.”
Caitlyn relaxes a bit, “Yeah. Okay.”
“Okay.” Emma gives her a small wave. “Good to see you.” And she walks away.
I say, “You should. Not everyone hates you, and with time things will get easier.”
Her face hardens as she squints at me. I’m tempted to tell her I understand, but I wouldn’t have wanted to hear it back when I was in this position, so I jump up to my feet. “C’mon. Let’s go get you some real food. Good job today.”
Caitlyn grimaces as she stands, and while she doesn’t look at me, I claim a small victory when she says, “Thanks.”
28
Kelsey
I’ve been in Canada for about two months, but so much has happened to me it feels like it’s been forever. I came here with the intention of making myself so indispensable to my new boss that he’d want to hire me after the summer ends. But my plans have changed. While my career is still important to me, I’ve got other reasons to stick around, like Val and Henri, and my step-siblings. And now I’m about to meet my twin.
I have the window open, and the ocean breeze is damp on my skin. I’ve been warned she might not be as excited about this as I am, so I try to get my nervous energy reined in as I drive over to Jean Luc’s house. Henri has already reconnected with Caitlyn, and he’ll also be there along with Grace and Izzy. I notice how green the trees have become as I recall the boy and woman in the gas station the day I first arrived. She knew who I was, and now that I know it was Julie, I think she feared her world was about to crumble down around her. The boy who looked so much like me is my half-brother, and he probably thought he’d seen a ghost when he saw what his sister would look like grown up. It’s no wonder I startled him. Hopefully in time I’ll get to meet him too, and I smile to myself as I imagine having siblings. It’s a pretty common fantasy for only children to have, but not many actually get to realize it.
My blinker ticks as I slow down to make the turn onto Jean Luc’s road, and I take a deep breath to ground myself. I
need to be prepared for hostility, and I suppose I’d be angry too if I were Caitlyn. Val told me she was sent away by her mother when it was discovered she couldn’t shift. She was then recruited into the Eradicators to learn to kill the very species she is. I shudder at the thought of being put in that position. Her life had to have been hell for the last ten years.
When I get out of my car, I begin to get nervous in a different way. My excitement has been replaced with something similar to terror, and my palms are clammy as I push my door shut. I was raised by a loving mother and two doting grandparents. Nothing bad has ever happened to me, and I’m about to meet a girl who has every right to resent me for it. I’m tempted to turn around and leave, and a couple of months ago the Kelsey I was might have. But I’m not that woman any longer. I have a bond with Caitlyn, and this is something I need to do. I knock on the door with confidence I hope I can keep.
Grace answers and smiles at me. “Great to see you again, Kelsey. We’re out on the deck having lemonade and enjoying the sunshine.” I follow the kind woman and glance over to where I was kicked around only a couple of days ago. I let the memory give me strength, because if I can survive a beating like that, surely I can handle talking to someone who most likely hates me.
The French doors are open and Grace pushes a screen door for us to go through. It’s on a spring and slams shut behind us as we approach a patio table and chairs. I notice my sister as she looks my way, and even though I knew we’d look alike it still startles me when I see how much. Right down to the same cowlick that makes the hair at the center of our foreheads rise up. She doesn’t hide her assessment of me, and when she catches my eye she tilts her head and offers me a smile I imagine is the one I give when I’m being tolerant. I suppose I should be happy she’s going to try to be civil. I say, “Hi, Caitlyn.”
Henri says, “We were just talking about how I took you out on the boat to pull traps like we used to do when Caitlyn was little.”
