Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  “Okay.” She slid her hand into his again. Then she asked about his classes and they returned to the house before either ran out of things to say.

  Linc stood outside her door and looked over her face, focusing on her lips.

  “Come inside?” she asked.

  “Better not. You...are still...with...” His words were broken and strained.

  “Not for long,” she said. “I might need someone to stand by me when I do. I’m really worried he’ll do something…violent. It would also be nice to know I have someone when he’s gone.”

  Linc seized her, pulling her curves against him. The stirring that started with thoughts of kissing her hardened. He was sure she would notice, but he didn't care. He kissed her fiercely, with fire, and she was gasping when he moved to her throat, feeling her through her jacket and under it to the back of her pants. Her rear was round like so much of her, and soft. His fingers seemed to dig right in.

  The zipper of her jacket eased open as he kissed down toward her breasts bound within the fabric.

  “Please, come in,” she begged.

  “I shouldn't. I won't be able to stop.”

  “I don't want you to.”

  Growling again, he reached past her to open the door. Locked.

  “Got it,” she said, pulling keys from her pocket. She bolted in and down the stairs, leaving Linc on the landing, confused.

  She returned without her jacket and put her foot on the bottom step.

  Linc jumped down four stairs at a time, nearly knocking her over. With a firm hand in the middle of her back, he walked her to the nearest door. She reached behind to fumble the handle.

  Her room reminded him of the forest, the faltering green replaced with red and orange as the sunset.

  “I told you I would devour you,” he warned. She trembled and sat on the edge of her bed as though her legs wouldn't hold her up. “You're done with him?”

  Zoe nodded. “Yes. Next time I see him, I'll tell him so. If I say it enough, maybe he’ll take the hint. Please,” she took a deep breath and swallowed. “Please don't leave me alone again. I don't want to be alone. I'll be your bitch, your fuck bud—”

  He clamped a hand over her mouth. “None of those. I won't leave until you ask me.”

  He leaned back as tears welled in her eyes. She hugged him close.

  “Thank you.”

  Her softness renewed the urgency in his pants, but that wasn't going to happen. Not today. Today was about her.

  He kissed her neck again, easing her shirt up.

  She pulled it off and reached for his.

  Linc grabbed her fingers to stop her. “Not yet.”

  “I don't want to wait.”

  The desperation in her voice hurt, lashing at his heart. “You won't,” he assured her, touching her fly but not opening it.

  She obliged, pulling her pants down while he kissed the slopes of her breasts. His nose snuck in between, just over her bra, and he inhaled deeply, memorizing her scent.

  “Oh, God, Linc.”

  He growled a bit at the way she said his name. It made him even hungrier for her. He continued to work his way down, over her belly and to the cotton of her panties. He could smell her through them and he sucked the fabric into his mouth.

  “No,” she said, her hands blocking him.

  “No?” he asked, standing up to look into her eyes. “What then?”

  “I've never...” She rubbed herself.

  “You've never been—”

  “No one has ever put their face...” She stopped talking, turning red.

  “Oh, Zoe,” he said, almost laughing. “You've never had oral sex?”

  “I've given. I mean, Elliot likes it when—”

  “No!” he growled, the rage back. “Not him. Never him.”

  He regretted his reaction as she slid up the bed, cowering. “I'm sorry, Zoe.” He moved to sit beside her, both their backs against the wall. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she relaxed, leaning into him.

  “Zoe, he”—Linc would never be able to say his name again—“shouldn't have expected something he didn't return.”

  Her eyes were moist and she covered her face. “No one wants to see my fat, hairy—”

  Linc twisted to pull her hands down. “I do. Fuck, I want to, Zoe. I want to see it. I want touch it, I want to... Please?” he asked, feeling like a jerk. She was so vulnerable and he was taking advantage. His mother would kill him if she knew. He groaned and slid to get off the bed.

  “I'm sorry,” he muttered.

  “You don't want to?” she asked.

  He turned to see she'd brought her knees up to her chest and slid the panties out from under her.

  “I shouldn't,” he said, closing his eyes and fighting his body. The mind had to be stronger, didn't it?

  “Okay,” she said, her voice quiet. The mattress shifted and he opened his eyes to see her head on her pillow, tears falling.

  He stretched out beside her, his hand stroking her back. Her hands were between them and she slid one down. “You're still hard,” she said.

  “Yes, but that's not important. You are important. I don't want to fuck up and hurt you, or make you think I'm only here for sex.”

  “I don't think that.” She plucked his collar pulling him closer.

  “Zoe, I won't—”

  “Don't.” She pressed herself against him, working open his fly.

  He grabbed her hand to stop her, then slid down. “If you've never been...” he trailed off, his fingers opening her furry lips to reveal the bright red skin between. It shone with moisture, glistening. He wanted to be gentle to tease her open, but his mouth latched on, his tongue licking up. She filled his mouth and nose, her thighs pressing in and burying him for a moment.

  He pushed one of her knees and both fell away, letting him hear and see her clearly.

  “Oh my God. That feels so good. What are you doing? Ieee!” Her shriek as he sucked hard on her clit made his blood sing.

  He'd lapped lower, but she was already moaning and starting to writhe. He kept his tongue on her clit and slid two fingers inside her.

  “Fu-uck,” she groaned, grinding on him. He kept rubbing his jaw into her, thrusting with his fingers.

  “Stop, stop,” she begged, her hand in his hair, pushing him away.

  He lifted his head to see she'd removed her bra and her breasts heaved with her heavy breath. She was pink to her navel but most rosy in her cheeks.

  “I-I don't think…I've ever come like that,” she said, her words broken by gasps.

  Linc just stared at her pink nipples, her plump lips, her warm brown eyes and hair. Her ponytail was barely in place with the result tangled on her pillow. Best of all, she was smiling. Not the tiny shy smile he'd seen before; a bright, full, teeth flashing smile.

  “You are beautiful.” To make his point, he traced her upturned nose.

  Her eyes drooped sleepily. “You're just saying that.”

  His glow went out like a snuffed candle. “You are,” he insisted.

  “Yeah, really sexy,” she said with unveiled sarcasm, patting at the ring of flesh around her middle.

  Linc ran his fingers down her side, over her belly, under her breasts, and over her breasts. He imagined drawing on her skin, shading all the curves to give them depth.

  “I am just saying it,” he said at last and her eyes went wide in his peripheral vision. He continued to follow his finger, dark, on her pale marble skin. “I'm saying it without promises, without strings, without my own reasons. Just saying it.”

  He gazed into her eyes again and she looked away.

  “You still don't believe me,” he said. “Well, I'll keep saying it until you do. You're beautiful, Zoe.” He traced her navel. “You're beautiful, Zoe.” He traced a breast. “You're beautiful, Zoe.” He drew a line straight down her middle and into her pubic hair. He cupped her sex, feeling its heat and dampness.

  Her eyes rolled back and closed. He put his lips to her ear. “Y
ou are sexy, Zoe.” He licked the shell of her ear and bit the lobe lightly, his hand still clasped over her. Her hips twitched in his grasp. “You are sexy and you make me crazy. I think I can't take another minute without being buried in you.”

  “You can,” she said, but he silenced her with a kiss.

  “But I have to take another minute, days, to show that I don't want to fuck you.”

  Her smile slipped a little and he moved to brace himself over her. His legs fell between her thighs and his crotch rubbed up against hers. He moved carefully, knowing the denim could be too rough. Her eyes fluttered and he finished his thought.

  “I want to worship you.”

  “You... I dont—” She covered her face again and sniffed.

  He moved, sliding alongside her again. “Don't, Zoe. Please don't cry.”

  “No one has ever made me feel this good.”

  “Then they're all idiots.” He kissed her again, gently this time, his hand stroking her back.

  She didn't say anything else and leaned into his shoulder, huddled against him.

  His hold tightened slightly, protective again. “Don't worry, Zoe. I'm not leaving. Not unless you want me to.”

  She closed her eyes and her breathing evened out. She didn't sleep, but they lay like that until his stomach complained at not having anything since breakfast.

  Zoe giggled. “Let's see what I have to eat.”

  ***

  Zoe was surprised at the knock on her door. She knew who it must be when the knock turned to pounding.

  “Elliot,” she said, surprised as well as disappointed. She’d planned to break up with him during the week, but he’d avoided her as well as she managed to avoid him before. She didn’t want to do it here, with no one to temper his reaction. So she improvised. “I thought I was meeting you at Pi Beta Psi. I was just about to change.”

  “You look fine,” he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her out the door.

  “Wait. At least let me get my coat.”

  “You should have thought of that before you tried to stand me up.” He didn’t ease up and pushed her into the front seat of her car. She started to climb out again, but he pushed her again. “Look, bitch, you are my tail and I want you at this party in case I need it during the night. You belong to me. Got it?”

  “I’m not your anything,” she spat. “I’m definitely not your bitch and you aren’t getting anything more from me.”

  “Is that right?” he said, looking her over. He reached out and grabbed one of her breasts, squeezing hard. She winced and whimpered. “You are coming with me tonight. If you think you can walk away after, we’ll just see how that goes for you.” He grabbed the other breast, squeezing just as hard. “And if you don’t come with me, it will be that much harder to walk.”

  Zoe shrank back into the car and he slammed the door. It was a short drive and Elliot grabbed her to drag into the sorority house. He dumped her on one of the couches. “Stay there,” he commanded, storming away.

  She tried to block out the music, the laughing, the crush of people, wishing Linc were here. He had never said if he was coming or not.

  “Hey,” a guy said, flopping onto the couch next to her.

  “Hey,” she said back. He was cute and not likely to waste his time on her.

  “You're Elliot's girlfriend, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cool. Want to go upstairs? There's a room—”

  “What?” she asked in confusion. “You just pointed out that I have a boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, and he says you put out. So, let’s go upstairs.”

  The jerk slid his hand around her arm, but she pulled away, standing. “No, thank you.” She headed to the back deck.

  There were girls dancing around in bikinis despite the fact that they could see their breath. Zoe didn't get it. What was sexy about a shivering, goose bumped girl? Without her coat, she would have goosebumps of her own. She edged past and toward the stairs down to the patio and yard.

  “Hey,” another guy said.

  “Oh, no,” she muttered. “I am not putting out,” she said angrily, shoving past him.

  “That's not what I hear,” he called after her.

  That fucking jerk. Was this some kind of pay back?

  “Hey, bitch, didn’t I tell you to stay on the couch. Well, we’ll just have to take you in the trees.”

  We? Zoe froze and turned slowly, her stomach churning in fear and dread. Bile burned the back of her throat and her head buzzed. Elliot wasn't alone. In fact he had four guys with him, all looking at her like something to use and abuse. They weren’t just going to hurt her, they were going to break her, rape her. She backed up until she tripped and fell, sliding in slippery frost-covered leaves.

  “You're going to give us all a ride now, bitch. If you think I'm going to be scared off by some tripped out, over grown—”

  A growl roared louder than his words. Zoe looked over her shoulder and found a pair of bright yellow eyes and the moonlight reflected off jagged teeth.

  The animal leaped over her toward Elliot, snapping its jaws. What was it? Was it going to attack her next?

  “Ow! Fuck! Run!”

  “What the hell kinda dog was that?” another shouted as they fled.

  Elliot lay a few yards away from Zoe, his leg a bloody mess. There was another growl from beside her. She found a second pair of eyes and heard yips and barks between the animals. Maybe they weren’t dogs. Coyotes? It was too dark to tell. They had definitely taken a chunk out of Elliot’s leg, and although she felt relief about that, she was terrified that they would attack her next.

  Elliot was crawling back to the party, leaving her alone in the trees of the river valley. The animal that had attacked circled around beside the one she was still staring at. What should she do? No sudden movements, she was sure of that. She shifted to her hands and knees instead, planning to rise and walk slowly back to the sorority house. She might have to fear Elliot and his friends, but at least there was light and people. From there she could go home.

  Still on her hands and knees, she found herself nose to nose with the canine. It couldn't be a coyote; it was massive, more like a pony than a dog. She shrieked when its tongue came out to lick her nose.

  ***

  Franklin was collecting Wash tonight, leaving Linc to make his way into the treeline from his parents' yard. He hadn't felt quite right all night. It wasn't the moon, although that didn't help. It was a sense of foreboding. Something bad was going to happen.

  Once the change had finished, he found his cousins. Before they’d gone far, he turned back toward the university, to the houses on frat row.

  “Lincoln, where are you going?” Adam asked.

  “Party at Pi Beta Psi.”

  Adam barked a laugh. “You can't go.”

  “I know, but my bitch is.” He howled. That wasn't what he'd meant to say. He'd said Zoe, but he heard it, and so did Adam, as bitch. “No. No, no, no. She not my bitch. She's my bitch.”

  Adam laughed again.

  “Fuck off, Adam,” Franklin said, catching up to them, Wash in tow. “Go play with Washington.”

  Adam didn't bother arguing and ran to nip Wash's tail.

  “She's not my bitch,” he told Franklin in confusion.

  “I know. My bitch is safe at home tonight. It's not the same, Lincoln. How else would a wolf say it?”

  When he said, “my bitch,” Lincoln new he meant Celeste.

  “Your bitch is at this party. She'll be fine.” And again, when he said, your bitch, he knew he meant Zoe.

  “Wolf vocabulary sucks.” That didn't come out right either. It sounded more like, “Wolf no words.” The point came through. Linc didn’t stop running and would be outside the party in seconds.

  “Can you see her from here?” Franklin asked, getting closer.

  “No. Wait, yes.” He yipped and saw her on the deck. She climbed down and was walking straight toward him. He smiled, his tongue lolling, thinking she was c
oming to him.

  “Lincoln, my bitch knows about me. Did you tell your bitch?”

  Linc growled, hating that sound. “No.” A second later he said, “No, so why is she coming here?” He saw Elliot punching one of his friends in the arm and coming to loom over Zoe. Linc's muscles coiled, ready to spring, save her, and kill him.

  “Stay.” Franklin told him. “They're still in the light of the yard.”

  Linc understood, but it took all his concentration not to lunge. When he heard what Elliot said, though, he couldn't hold back. His teeth sunk into the asshole's calf and his blood was tastier than the moose last month. He started to go for another chunk, but Franklin barked.

  “Don't be stupid. He's hurt and she's fine. Let it go.”

  But Linc couldn't let it go. She was so scared, trembling. She stared at him, but didn't scream or run. She rolled slowly onto hands and knees.

  He took a step closer, examining her face, her upturned nose. She gasped, and he realized he was way too close. He didn't care. He loved her. She shrieked and covered her nose.

  “Lincoln. Enough.” Franklin wasn't much older than Linc, but enough to have command.

  Linc whined but turned to follow Franklin to the others. “Can't I watch until she gets home?”

  “Not if you can't keep away from the edges, no. You're going to get all of us killed.”

  Linc hung his head. It was true, but he hated it.

  “Fine. I'm going to go wait at home.” He meant Auntie Norm's, but that didn't come out right either.

  Franklin dropped his head in agreement and then ran off to join Adam and Wash.

  Linc waited in the trees, watching Grampa Ike's bench. He remembered seeing her here last moon, when he'd been dripping from the creek and stuffed with moose. He remembered her crying and let out a howl.

  “Who's there?” Zoe asked. She was at the side door but walked in the direction of the howl. “I don't know what you are, but thank you, for scaring them.” She moved to sit on the bench. “Now I'm talking to monsters in the woods. This day just keeps getting better,” she complained. “Oh, Linc. Where are you?” They only met up a couple of times over the week, mostly on campus. It had been enough, barely, but he was looking forward to knocking on her door in the morning and continuing what they had started.