“So this is where you’re staying?” she asked, looking all around. “This is very nice, but the bee boxes sort of freak me out. I’m not a fan of those little stingers.”
“I suppose it’s a bear thing, but yeah, this is where I’m staying. Just a forewarning, Benson didn’t do the decorating, his mother did.”
She shot him a strange look, but when she got a glimpse of the pastel nightmare inside, she would thank him for the warning.
They were coming up the porch steps when Benson opened the front door for them. “You two are just in time. Dinner is finished and I just set the table.”
Taking a deep breath to gird himself, Luke followed Ashe inside, and came to a screeching halt. Everything was different! Polished wood floors gleamed, cream walls and beige trim were set off by dark brown sofas with a scattering of cream and red pillows. Gone were the frilly curtains, replaced by crimson panels that stretched to the floors.
The place no longer resembled the inside of a dollhouse, instead looking like something out of an interior design magazine, and Luke gaped at Benson. “What the hell happened in here?”
“Mom fixed it. Apparently she was drunk when she decorated originally. She reamed my ass for not telling her to change it sooner, but I wasn’t about to insult her. Now she’s enjoying the fact that her son, who’s a damn sight larger than she is, is afraid of her.” Benson sighed. “It’s going to be a long night.”
Luke chuckled at his friend, then his nose began to twitch. “Why do I smell a cat?”
Right on cue a sleek black and white cat came sauntering into the room, sat primly on its rear end, regarded each person, and said, “Dinner is waiting.” It then strolled right back out of the room with its tail in the air.
Ashe’s wide eyes met his, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she managed, “That fucking cat just talked!”
Benson groaned. “Mom, can we cut it with the theatrics? Ashe isn’t used to our kind and you’re going to freak her out.” He looked over at Ashe. “I’m sorry, she likes to use her familiar to relay messages. She claims it’s more reliable than any piece of technology out there.”
Luke rolled his eyes. This was sure to be a very interesting meal. “So what’s on the menu tonight?” His nose was telling him meatloaf, but he wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was a trick, just like the cat.
“I did tell you my mother is a little…different, didn’t I?” Benson asked in a hushed tone.
“Ashe mentioned she was a witch, and not a grizzly. You could have brought that up at some point.”
“Well, I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. Most people are scared shitless of her kind. Besides, she’s all but retired now,” he shrugged.
“What the hell does that mean? Does she live in some witchy retirement coven?”
“Um, no, she was kicked out of her coven.” Benson stepped over to Ashe and slung his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go eat, shall we?”
“What the hell?” Luke hissed. Now he wanted to know just what she had to do to get herself kicked out of her coven. From what he knew of witches, they were pretty close-knit, so it would have to be something bad.
Since they were wandering to the kitchen, he was left with no choice but to follow. Still holding Lilly, it shouldn’t have been a surprise when Benson’s mother came flying in his direction, all soft coos and wild red curls.
She was a fairly small woman, not much past five foot tall, but her presence was huge. She was a whirlwind, and looked like a flower child. Flame red curls bounced around her round face, long skirt swishing with every step, and large silver bracelets clinking on her wrists.
A snap of her fingers and the straps holding Lilly in the seat were gone and she was lifting the grinning baby up. “Aren’t you a beauty?” Luke watched as her eyes flashed bright, a captivating violet that glowed while she seemed to be looking inside little Lilly, and the thought had him ready to pounce. “Oh, yes. You’re going to grow up to be a woman of beauty and strength, but men will be a problem.” Her eyes snapped to Luke. “She needs a brother, a protector that will be with her throughout her life. He needs to be close in age. Get on that already.”
Benson coughed, rubbing his neck. “Did I mention my mom could be pretty direct?”
No shit, Luke thought. “Sorry, ma’am, but Ashe and I are still getting to know each other, so I’m not so sure any more kids will be happening too soon.”
“My name is Cretia,” she said, introducing herself. “And you’ll be making babies sooner than you think, young man.” She moved over to where Ashe was standing next to Benson. “The two of you are going to have an amazing life together dear, you’re a very lucky girl.”
He watched as Ashe blushed, pleased when she smiled brightly and looked towards him. “Thank you, I think so too.”
“Oh, I know so, dear. Now, let’s eat before all this food gets cold.”
They all gathered around the long wooden table in the kitchen, and the spread laid out looked delicious. The meatloaf was perfect, and even had the ketchup baked on top like his mother used to do. He took in the bowl of mashed potatoes, green beans, and buttery rolls and nearly groaned.
It was like flashing back to a family dinner growing up at home, only a lot less weird. At home there wasn’t a cat staring daggers at him. “Your familiar doesn’t seem to like me much,” Luke pointed out.
Cretia regarded the feline for a moment before turning back with a broad smile. “You got that right, pooch! Age old rivalry you two have going, the whole cat and dog thing.”
Ashe laughed, taking Lilly back from Cretia and getting a bottle from the diaper bag to feed her. She paused and gave the evil fleabag a scratch behind the ear and he heard the thing purr as it leaned into her touch. “Such a sweet kitty,” she praised.
He could have sworn the little bastard smirked at him when Ashe moved on to take her seat, and Luke bared his teeth. Fuck, am I really squaring off with a damn housecat?
“So what’s the special occasion?” Benson asked. “I mean, Luke’s been here for a few weeks now, so I know you didn’t come all this way just to check out who was taking up space here. Not to mention, this dinner smells amazing and you don’t usually cook. I’m just curious.”
“Can’t a mother stop by for a visit with her favorite son?”
“I’m your only son, and not usually without an agenda. You haven’t been here since I moved in.”
She merely waved him off. “Well, I felt like I needed to be here. I was drawn here and the spirits seemed to think my presence was needed rather urgently, so I plopped my ass in the car and came. There, are you happy?”
Benson’s eyes rolled and Luke saw Cretia’s narrow. “Mom, as you can see, everything is fine here. I’m not sure what the spirits are foreseeing, but there’s nothing happening around my home.”
“Oh, it’s not you I’m here for, it’s that little peanut and her mother.”
Luke’s gaze snapped to Ashe’s equally stunned face before swinging back to the violet-eyed witch currently fixing her plate. “Excuse me, what do you mean?”
She sighed, seemingly put out by having to answer more questions. “I mean, I’m here to look out for those two, and in turn you. Now these aren’t extremely accurate, so it could be any number of things, but don’t worry, I’ve got this covered. Butters and I will be keeping watch until the trouble has passed.”
“Butters?” Ashe spoke up, her pretty face pinched into a frown.
Cretia leaned forward as if to tell some big secret. “Damn cat is obsessed with the that southern woman’s cooking show. You know, the one that cooks everything in a pound of butter? Can’t get him to budge if it’s on the tube.” At that, she threw her head back and laughed. “So you see, the name fits. Now everybody hush and eat.”
Luke shook his head and went about fixing Ashe a plate, before setting it before her and scooping Lilly up to finish giving her the bottle. She looked up at him as she suckled, big brown eyes taking him in before she smiled, dribbl
ing milk down her chin.
It was official now. He was wrapped tight around this princess’s little finger.
Ashe smiled as she ate her meal, finishing up and taking Lilly back so she could be burped, and Luke went about fixing his plate. By the time dinner was done, Ashe and Cretia were busily clearing the table when the first rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.
Benson scowled, grumbling as he went to the mudroom by the back door. “I’ll be back in a few. I need to make sure all the bee boxes are secured before this storm moves in.”
“Good luck with that,” Luke called. “I’m not getting near those things.”
He remained at the table, Lilly in his lap as he played piggies with her toes. Even though he’d never envisioned himself in a fatherly role, it was crazy how quickly he’d adapted. Matt would have been a fantastic father too, and it pained him anew that he’d never get to see his beautiful daughter.
“You look like you could use a drink,” Cretia said from over his shoulder. “Here, try this, it’s imported and sweet enough to enjoy as a dessert.”
She offered him a plastic cup that he couldn’t see the contents of, when Ashe came to sit next to him. “So this is a wine?” he asked cautiously.
“Yup, from my private cellar,” she boasted. “Very hard to come by.”
“It’s really good,” Ashe admitted taking another sip. “I’d love to order a bottle to have at the house from time to time.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Meanwhile, you two enjoy that and I’ll see if Benson needs any help. My bones are telling me this storm will be a doozy.”
Surprisingly, her cat followed her out the door, and Luke and Ashe were left alone. She looked relaxed, like she was truly enjoying herself, and he was glad the evening hadn’t sent her running for the hills.
Humans in general preferred to stay ignorant of the fact paranormal beings existed. Witches, werewolves, shifters, vampires, they all lived amongst the general population, yet went largely undetected. People nowadays were so wrapped up in their smartphones and such, they rarely looked at their surroundings anymore, and therefore made it even easier for his kind to roam about freely.
Luke sniffed his cup before taking a tentative sip. It was fruity and sweet and he found it rather refreshing. In his experience, most wines were bitter and he could never manage to choke them down, no matter what the occasion. This, however, went down smooth as silk, and it wasn’t long before he and Ashe were on their second helping, talking and chatting away.
They’d moved to the sofa while Cretia and Benson were still in the backyard. Sitting side-by-side, they were getting quite snuggly, Luke’s arm around her shoulders and her head resting on his while they watched Lilly play with her toes.
The wine was sitting warm in his belly and Luke was feeling a bit on edge. If he was honest, he was getting pretty damn horny. He was trying to figure out what was going on, when he noticed Ashe was doing a good deal of squirming where she was sitting.
“You okay over there?” he asked, noting the subtle scent of arousal filling the air around them. It would seem his sweet Ashe was suffering the same predicament as him, but how was that possible? He’d made no move to seduce her, kiss her, or anything of the sort. They were at Benson’s house for crying out loud.
Then it hit him like a ton of brinks. That psycho witch put something in the wine! His wolf snarled, pacing in his mind, yet sniffing occasionally, enjoying the heady aroma of Ashe as she continued to grow more aroused.
“Something’s wrong, Luke,” she rasped. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
Concerned for her wellbeing, Luke placed Lilly in her carrier and strapped her in before turning to Ashe again. He took her shoulders, waiting until she faced him, and noted how her eyes were dilated and her cheeks were flushed. There was no doubt she was feeling the same intense need as him.
“Sweetheart, I think there was something in the wine the witch served us,” he told her, hoping she could remain calm. He remembered something being said about witch’s potions and how they usually didn’t harm the individual, as long as the person went along with what it was intended to do…and this time it looked like Benson’s mother was playing one hell of a game of matchmaker.
He’d have to make sure that she and Barbara Wolfe never crossed paths.
“Hello boys and girls! How are we doing in here? More wine?” Cretia quipped, practically skipping into the room.
Luke uncoiled from the couch and prowled over to where the woman stood, looking way to proud of herself. “What in the hell was in that wine?” he growled.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on here,” Benson demanded, coming in the back door and tromping into the living room with muddy boots.
“Your mother put something in the wine she served us.” Luke’s accusation saw Benson’s eyes widening as he inhaled deeply.
“Mother, please tell me you didn’t.”
“So I gave them a little Fairy wine? It was only a little, so I don’t see the harm.” She crossed her arms and her eyes sparked. “I’m doing them a favor, son. They’ll thank me later.”
“I doubt that,” he snarled. “Listen, Luke, I can’t apologize enough for this, but now it’s got to run its course.”
“What exactly is it?” Ashe asked.
“Fucking Fairy wine. It’s harmless to witches, but it’s like the ultimate aphrodisiac to anyone else in the paranormal community.”
Luke didn’t like the sound of that. “What is it to humans, Benson?”
“Like ecstasy on speed. She’s going to need you to get her through this, Luke. If you don’t, it could be bad.” His tone was apologetic, but Luke had a feeling he was still holding back.
Despite the massive hard-on he was sporting, he stalked over to Benson and got right in his face. “Tell me what the fuck could go wrong Benson. Right fucking now!”
“The need can drive her crazy. She’ll be aching, to the point of actual physical pain. You need to keep her relieved, or it could get so bad her mind could actually fracture from the torture happening in her body.”
“But, Lilly…” Ashe gasped, clenching her thighs together with a moan.
“I’ll keep her,” Benson promised.
“Nonsense, I’ll watch after the little darling,” Cretia announced.
“Over my dead body!” Luke snarled, leaping in her path. “Lady, you’ve endangered my mate, and if I didn’t need to focus all my energies on keeping her safe right now, I’d be shredding you limb from limb.”
“Be careful, wolf. I am helping you more than you know. Take your mate downstairs. The basement is soundproof so you won’t be waking anyone, and you need not worry about the baby. She’s safer here than anywhere else tonight.” And just what the hell she meant by that he had no clue. “Go tend to your mate. And because I like her, I’ll let you know that if properly mated, her discomfort will diminish down to the level of yours. Her fate this evening is entirely up to you.”
The bitch had the audacity to wink at him, but luckily it was Benson who plucked up Lilly. When Luke looked back to Ashe, she was doubled over on the sofa, panting, her eyes wild yet glazed.
Shit, I need to hurry, he thought frantically, lifting her into his arms and hurrying in the direction Benson indicated. He maneuvered the stairs with care, her whimpering hitting him in the gut. He hated that she was in any kind of pain, but he knew he could help her, he only hoped she could forgive him in the morning.
Once he reached the bottom, he noted an open doorway to the left and a bedroom beyond. It appeared to be set up like an apartment down there, but he didn’t have time to explore anything past where the bed was located.
Setting her down, he made quick work of his clothes, then began to remove hers as gently as possible. He could have shredded them with his claws, but then what would she do the next day?
Ashe was curled in on herself, clearly hurting. He refused to mate her without her permission, but to gain that he’d need to take the edge
off, enough that she could understand what he was telling her.
He climbed onto the bed, spooning her and gave a few soft kisses on her neck. His hands traced up her thigh, over her hip to where her waist dipped in before continuing up, his fingertips teasing the underside of her breast. That was all it took to have her unfurling, rubbing against him, seeking physical contact of any kind, and he was ready to deliver.
Carefully rolling her to her back, Luke took her lips in a demanding kiss as his hands explored her body, every soft curve a delight. He ate at her mouth like a man starved, because that’s exactly how he felt. His entire being was craving Ashe, needing her like a drug.
Brushing a thumb over her erect nipple, he marveled when she arched her back with a throaty purr. The woman was a goddess, and Luke was going to worship each and every inch of her before the night was through.
Her face pinched, her hand going to her lower abdomen as she groaned, “It hurts. Oh, God, make it stop.”
“I will sweetheart. I’ve got you, just relax.”
He put his hand on hers and was surprised when she gripped his wrist and directed his touch to her core. She was so hot, so wet already, opening to his questing fingers. He grazed over her clit and her hips flew up off the bed.
The woman was set to detonate, and Luke wanted nothing more than to see her fly. Slipping two fingers inside her, he ground the heel of his hand into her little nub and was rewarded with a keening wail as her channel milked his digits, yet he continued to finger fuck her until she came again, screaming his name and leaving him feeling ten feet tall.
What he wouldn’t give to sink into her warmth and make love to her properly, but with the Fairy wine so potent in their systems, there would be nothing gentle about what transpired between them tonight. No, this would be a night of fucking, of seeking the relief that could only be found with release.
“Ashe? How are you doing now?” he asked, still determined to get her permission. He’d masturbate until he was raw if he had to before he mated her. It was the one thing there was no going back from, and his wolf was riding him hard. If he allowed his teeth to get too close to her shoulder, it would be game over for sure.
Sassy Ever After: Kiss My Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 10
