by Unknown
Jo sat straight up, ignoring the way her stitches pulled. “When are you busting me out of this joint?”
“In about an hour. I’ll take you over to Annabelle’s once the paperwork goes through.” They’d decided to drop Zach off there to sleep off the effects of the spellcasting he’d done on the island. Annabelle had made her way from Chris’s house, Lana in tow, demanding that the Evans women be the ones to take care of him. No one had objected, least of all Jo.
Annabelle and Jo would have to make their peace, but she knew Annabelle loved Zach and would take good care of him.
“How’s Kerry?”
Daniel’s jaw clenched. “Stubborn.”
Jo bit her lip. The woman had bitched and griped at Daniel the entire time he’d held her, only giving up when she’d been given a sedative. Daniel, pissy at the best of times, had turned downright evil, but only after Kerry had passed out. He’d sat there and absorbed her barbs with an eerie calm that had Jo wondering just what retribution he had planned for the little blonde. Whatever it was, for some reason Jo was betting on the mundane girl.
Ari patted her knee. “Well, I’ll leave you here. Ro looked like he was up to something, and I want to know what.”
Me too. “Remember, keep him leashed.”
“I’ll try, but no guarantees.” Ari kissed Jo’s cheek. “See you soon.”
“’Bye.” Jo settled back down and tried not to worry about what Roland was up to. Too bad she didn’t succeed.
Zach lay on the sofa, ordered by both Lana and Annabelle to stay still or die. Zach, not being stupid, stayed still.
Besides, he was starving. They’d promised to order pizza if he rested. He’d lain down on the sofa and told them to order in two.
Lana had laughed, but Annabelle, shaking her head, had picked up the phone and dialed.
God, he loved the Evans women. Chris was one lucky son of a bitch.
“When did Daniel say he was bringing Jo?” He longed for the touch of his mate like nothing else. Not even the touch of the Goddess could compare.
He lifted his hand, the one that had been twisted, and stared at the image burned into his palm. He could move it now with no pain, the redness and swelling that had mocked his failures gone. Hecate’s Wheel now looked like a dark-inked tattoo, supple and flowing.
He knew it would glow with just a thought.
“As soon as the doctor signs the paperwork. He said he’d call when they were on their way.”
Zach nodded. “Good.” He needed Jo to see this, the proof that he was finally everything he’d been meant to be. He couldn’t wait to show it to Chris, Daniel and Gareth. Even Gen, if she’d stuck around. Poor Gen. He felt sorry for the Own. She’d been forced to be instrumental in destroying a member of her family, and Gareth… Well, he was told Gareth could barely look at her. It sounded like her prediction was correct. Gareth hated her.
Zach would have to see what he could do to fix that.
The doorbell rang, scattering the thought, for now at least. “Pizza!” After all, a man had to have priorities.
“I’ll get it,” Annabelle waved.
Zach settled back down, more tired than he was willing to admit. He heard the door open and his mouth watered. He hoped she’d remembered to get pepperoni.
“Oh. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Okay, that doesn’t sound like the pizza man. Zach sat up warily, wondering what would put that tone into Annabelle’s voice.
“I know. I need to speak with Zach.”
Zach winced. Fuck. Prince Roland Malinborn was on the front step.
Wait. He called me Zach? The entire time he’d been at court he’d either been Zachary or Beckett, never Zach. What the hell?
Prince Roland and Princess Arianna swept into the room. The man might be wearing jeans and a polo shirt, but he still managed to dominate the room. Not even the Princess had the same presence Roland did. Zach’s wolf sat up and took notice, just as it had the first day they’d met.
Zach might be an Own, but he was not the Prince. Instinct demanded obedience to the ruler he’d pledged himself too, even if the man could be an ass at times. He bowed his head in respect. “Roland. Arianna.”
Roland’s eyes widened a fraction as he took a seat across from Zach. “Zach.” He crossed his legs, looking casual. Zach wasn’t fooled for a moment.
Arianna pressed a kiss on top of her husband’s head. “I’m going to go talk to Annabelle. You boys play nice.”
Roland rolled his eyes as the two women left the room. “We can’t stay long, but I wanted to check in on you.”
Zach pushed himself to a sitting position, ignoring the way his head swam. The women were right, he wasn’t ready to get in a pissing contest with a mouse, let alone the Prince of Witches. “I’ll be fine.”
Roland nodded. “Good.” He leaned forward, and Zach got the feeling that for the first time he was seeing the man, not the prince. “Jo is, next to my wife, my best friend.”
Zach tilted his head, curious where Roland was going with this.
“She means almost as much to me as Ari does.” Roland’s hands clasped, and Zach could see the tension in them. “And you’ve mated her.”
Zach’s jaw clenched. Prince or not, exhausted or not, he’d obliterate anyone who tried to take Jo from him.
“Which is why I’m here to ask for a truce.”
Zach blinked. “What?”
Roland’s expression turned suspiciously innocent. “There she was, ass hanging out of one of those stupid floral hospital gowns—”
“You saw Jo’s ass?” Someone’s eyes needed to be ripped out.
“No.”
“Then why did you say it was hanging out?”
“Because she always wears thongs.”
Zach growled, the wolf reacting to the Roland’s knowledge of Jo’s underwear. Hell, Zach wasn’t thrilled about it either.
Roland’s hands went up in the air. “I love my wife, Zach, so I get it. I’d be pissed too if some guy I barely knew mentioned her underwear. But Jo and I are like brother and sister. And you make her happy.”
Zach felt his wolf slowly settle down. “She’s mine.”
Roland sighed. “I know. Jackass.” Zach was amused, but something inside him relaxed at his Prince’s show of acceptance, unusual though it was. “Just do me a favor. When you return to court, and you will return to court, buy some damn M&M’s. Okay?”
Zach snorted a laugh. “You know what I am, right?”
Roland nodded. “I can barely believe it, but yes, I know.”
Zach held out his palm and allowed his connection to the Goddess to enter his full awareness. It was always there in the back of his mind, but he wanted Roland to see exactly what he was inviting back to court. “Are you sure about that?”
Roland stared at the Hecate’s wheel glowing in the center of Zach’s palm. “Yeah, I am.” He actually looked relieved. “You’ll take good care of her.”
And that settled that, as far as Zach was concerned. The man cared about Jo enough to face off with him. In a way, Zach understood now why Roland had given him such a hard time. He was giving up one of his girls, and that couldn’t be easy for someone with enough protective instincts to be the Prince. He gave the best peace offering he could at the moment and hoped like hell Roland understood. “We ordered pizza.”
Roland’s eyes lit up. “Pepperoni?”
“Dude. Wolf, remember? I’m not about to get the veggie special.” He lay back down, almost all of his worries gone. Now he needed his mate and everything would be right with the world. He waved hello to the openmouthed princess now standing next to Roland’s chair. He smiled when she gave her husband a huge, sloppy kiss. “Get a room.”
When Roland flipped him off and pulled his wife onto his lap, Zach knew they’d be just fine.
Jo hobbled up the front steps of Annabelle Evan’s home. Her foot was stitched and bandaged. The long cuts on her arms and legs were sutured together. Her bruises had turned green and
yellow. She looked like something Dr. Frankenstein would love to get his hands on. “Are you sure Annabelle said we could stay the night?”
Daniel snorted. “Please. She said you could stay as long as you liked. She was laughing when she said it, but still. Annabelle Evans doesn’t say anything she doesn’t mean.”
Jo nodded. “All right then.” She blew out her breath and rang the doorbell, more nervous than she could ever imagine. Annabelle freaked her the fuck out, and the witch knew it.
The door opened. “Oh good. You’re here.”
Annabelle had the weirdest look on her face. One she’d seen before. “What did Zach do?”
Annabelle glared at her for a second before she sighed, wicked humor lighting her face. “Come on in and see.”
Jo limped in, careful of the crutches they’d given her to use to stay off her damaged foot. Male laughter echoed through the room. “What’s going on?” Some of that laughter sounded suspiciously familiar.
“Jo!” Arianna swooped out of the chair she’d nested in and grabbed Jo’s hand. She looked a little wild-eyed. “You’re not going to believe this.”
Ari was right. Jo didn’t believe it. Zach and Roland sat together on the sofa, hooting and hollering at the television in Annabelle’s living room. “What the hell are they watching?”
“America’s Next Top Model.” Annabelle swirled past them, humor lighting her voice. “Lana and I are hiding in the kitchen. Care to join us?”
“Yup.” Jo went past the sofa, trying to ignore the way Zach and Roland leaned into each other. They were laughing so hard Roland had tears streaming down his face. “When did my fiancé get replaced by a pod person?”
“I know!” Ari took the crutches Jo held out to her and propped them against the wall.
“Do I want to know what they find so funny?” Jo settled into one of the chairs with a sigh. Walking on crutches when both arms and both legs had stitches was a royal pain in the ass.
Lana, eyes wide, shook her head. “No. You don’t.”
Hell. Now the curiosity was going to eat her alive. “Hmph.” She leaned over to sneak a peek, only to find Daniel, sides heaving, draped over the back of the sofa. If he laughed any harder he was going to break something.
Jo turned back around. “You’re right. I do not want to know.”
Annabelle handed her a glass of milk. “Amen.”
The two women clinked glasses, for once in perfect accord.
Chapter Nineteen
“Is that the last of it?”
Zach lifted his head and turned. His mate stood behind him, her shorts exposing the long length of her legs. Her tank top was matted with sweat and dust. That long dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail, exposing the graceful line of her neck. The gold, winged-pig pendant he’d had made for her nestled between her breasts. The sight of the faint scars running up and down her body never failed to arouse the possessive side of him. No one would lay a hand on his mate ever again. “Hmm?”
She cocked her hip. “Zach. You’re getting growly.”
He smiled. She knew. She knew exactly how he felt, and she was learning to deal with it. She’d moved into his apartment just outside Pittsburgh to recover, because Zach wanted his family close by. His mother loved the dark-haired, strong-willed witch. His father had just sighed and asked if just one of his sons could settle down with a nice wizard, but his eyes had been twinkling when he’d said it. Both had done everything in their power to make Jo feel safe, but it didn’t help. He still had to be near her, especially at night when the dreams hit them both so hard they woke up sweating and crying. Then his brave mate would curl up in his arms and shake until dawn.
If he could resurrect Davis Godwin just to kill him all over again, he would.
Zach rarely left her side these days. Soon, he knew, she’d boot him in the ass and take her life back. But not yet. She also knew he, and his wolf, needed to know she was safe. He wouldn’t truly relax until they were back at court and she was fully protected by her family and Roland.
“Oh. The boxes? Yeah, I think so.” He sighed, staring around the empty apartment. It had been home up until two weeks ago, when Jo and Roland both decided it was time. Time for Zach and Jo to return to Cleveland. Time for Jo to resume her duties, physically if not mentally healed from the attack of the Godwins.
Time for Zach to face the court. His fingers automatically went to the leather thong around his neck. Jo had taken his twisted amulet, punched a hole in it, and made a necklace for him. It was supposed to act as a reminder of everything he was, and wasn’t. He might be an Own, but he wasn’t invincible.
Zach didn’t tell her that he’d sort of figured that out all on his own. He used the amulet to remind him that some prices were worth paying. He had the feeling Jo’s nightmares wouldn’t truly stop until Hugh and Arthur Godwin were taken care of. Zach was willing to pay almost any price to see to it that happened in spades.
“What about that?” She pointed to a dingy leather recliner, an expression of deep distaste on her face.
“What’s wrong with it?” They’d had this argument more times than he cared to count. He was taking his recliner and that was that. It would be something he treasured in his mate’s home. Besides his mate, that was.
“I’m going to have it fumigated.” Jo tried to stomp past him, her little nose up in the air.
Zach grabbed her, twirling her around until her body was flush to his, her delectable ass cradled in his hands. “We talked about this.”
She blew her bangs out of her eyes.
“You promised.” She grumbled something uncomplimentary under her breath. He didn’t quite catch it, but he caught enough. “Don’t talk about my mother that way.”
He could tell she was trying not to laugh. “I’m afraid of what we’ll find in the bottom when we move it. Jimmy Hoffa, maybe?”
“It’s not that bad.”
“I’ve seen you eat Cheetos in that thing.” She shuddered.
“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a real chair.”
She eyed him from under her bangs. “It’s bad enough I’m going to have dog hair on the upholstery.”
“Hey!”
“But that chair?”
“I promise that chair will be the only one with fur on it.”
He could practically see the wheels turning. “If I find one animal hair on my brocade sofa I will take your chair and turn it into kindling.”
He thought about that for a moment. “Then we’d better come down here to visit my family.” Because no way was he giving up his chair.
He flopped down onto the seat and patted his lap. “Come sit with Daddy.”
When she turned her back on him and started to walk away he knew she’d remembered the last time they’d played in his chair. “No way, Zach. We still need to finish packing.”
“Jo?”
She paused, a quiver running through her body. “No.”
“C’mere, little girl.” He crooked his finger at her, laughing when she squealed. He’d pulled her toward him using his powers. Her socked feet slid on the hardwood floor with ease. “Daddy wants to play.”
“That’s just fucking creepy, Zach.” She landed in his lap with a giggle. “No daddies. Yuck.”
He couldn’t keep the smile off his face, but that was normal now that Jo lived with him. He felt like his whole body smiled whenever she was near. “No daddies.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “How about little red and the big—” he licked her neck, “—bad,” he muttered against her neck, “wolf?” He thrust his erection up against her ass.
Lord and Lady, she loved it when Zach wanted to play. From the grin on his face her clothes would be on the floor before she could say “woof”.
Sure enough, he began tugging on her tank top, pulling it over her head and dropping it to the floor. Hell, she wasn’t going to fight him. She wanted this just as much as he did, if not more.
She’d learned that Zach’s appetite wasn’t confined to t
he kitchen. He’d devour her whenever, wherever she let him. Honestly, she rarely wanted to deny him. Zach made each new encounter a game between them, made the lovemaking fun. She laughed, she came, she screamed and she sighed.
He was damn near perfect. Now if only she could convince him to get rid of his ratty chair.
“I know that look. You’re thinking of chairicide.”
Jo looked up at the ceiling and wondered how badly the leather would stink when it burned.
“You know what? I’m going to make you love this chair.” She bit back a startled cry when he picked her up and plunked her down on the seat. He knelt in front of her, a wicked expression on his face. “Do you know what the big, bad wolf really wanted to do with little red?”
Her insides clenched in anticipation. She had a feeling she knew where he was going, and damn, but the boy had a talented tongue. She was positive when he dragged her ass to the edge of the chair. “What?”
“Sure you want to know?” Her shorts hit the floor, along with her panties.
Her legs were spread and draped over the leather arms of the chair. She was completely exposed to his hungry gaze. “Zach.”
“He wanted to eat her aaaall up.” Zach buried his face between her thighs and proceeded to do just that. He licked her like she was a melting ice-cream cone, eagerly from bottom to top, stroking her clit over and over until she was humping up against him. Her toes curled in her socks. Her hands went to her breasts, frowning when she encountered her bra. She ripped it off and began plucking at her nipples, the sensation joining with the feel of her mate’s mouth on her pussy.
Nobody had ever eaten her the way Zachary Beckett did. Nobody else ever could.
It took everything she had to keep her legs where Zach had placed them. She could feel the pleasure building, the urge to wrap herself around his head and keep him right there so strong she trembled with it. But she kept her legs over the arms, kept her hands on her breasts and her eyes on her mate. She watched his pleasure as he devoured her, as he moaned at her taste.
