by Ruby Raine
Lizzy had bitten over his scar—the one left by Eva Jordan when she'd bitten him over ten years ago. Because fuck that bitch, this wolf belonged to Lizzy Deane and she was staking her claim by retaking what had been stolen from him. Reclaiming it for the two of them.
But when her werewolf venom flooded into the muscle she'd bitten into, sealing the mating, completing the bond—the world both stopped and exploded all at once. They were locked in a fusion of thoughts and movements that cried out for more of everything. To get closer. Deeper. Tighter. Like somehow, they were inside of each other.
But it was the them scent that drove them both mad with thirst. The longer they were connected, physically, their minds and emotions merged, the honey and bourbon that was so very Lizzy, and the spicy musk and rugged earthiness of Charlie, blended together, their souls creating a new mating scent that belonged just to them. A scent no one else would ever recognize.
Lizzy withdrew her teeth and cried out as the fire spread in their shared mind—like it was burning up what was left of each of them and reforming it into something new. Something them. A permanent and unbreakable bond. It was pure Lizzy and Charlie. The smell of them. Of home. Of two souls forever bound together.
Lizzy held onto Charlie as if she might fly away into space if she let go. Charlie gripped Lizzy right back as if she was the only thing anchoring him to earth. They stayed just like that for a good long while as the bond affixed itself on their souls and the raging fire slowly died, leaving them boneless and trembling, their minds locked in a single-minded bliss.
Mated.
Mine.
Forever.
When Charlie was confident he could move his jellied legs without dropping Lizzy or falling himself, he deepened his hold on her and moved them to the bed.
The lay facing each other, lips almost touching. There was no need for words, it was all in their minds. Their shared mid. Their shared life. No matter what insanity came their way, they'd survive it, together. They'd live it together.
"I want to give you everything you ever wanted," Charlie whispered.
"There's only one thing I haven't gotten." She sent the image into his mind of her belly thick with his child.
He smiled and growled against her lips. "Don't worry. Give me two minutes and we'll get to work on that one again. And again. And again." Did he say two minutes? He flipped them so Lizzy was straddling his midsection.
He was ready to go now. But he wanted to revel in the raw beauty of his mate. He needed to take a moment to appreciate every moment that had led them here. And bask in the future they'd make together.
His hand drew up to his new bite mark. Her mate claim. His fingers loving every new indent that would permanently mark him as hers. Completely hers as she'd reclaimed this one part of him that had been marked by another. But no more. Now he bore the mark of his true mate.
His adoring thoughts were like strokes of his fingers against her most sensitive nerves and she tugged at her lips with her teeth, her core already swollen and needy and wanting to feel him fill her up again.
But instead of watching her ride him, he rolled them over and stretched out over her with intentions of tasting and kissing every inch of her. And as much as Lizzy longed for that, she longed for something else too.
"Everything you ever want," he whispered against her lips. He pushed himself up to his knees and onto his feet next to the bed and lifted her into his arms and carried her up to the deck where they made love under the rising sun and the thinning fog. Their bodies and minds merged together was like pure, raw chemistry that didn't require words or questions or directions and made it easy to get lost in each other and forget the outside world even existed.
Morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon to night, with a new moon and bright stars. They'd taken a break long enough to jump into the ocean for a quick, cooling swim—which had only led to making love against the side of the boat in the water.
They'd eaten. Shared a few shots of tequila. Stolen long and languid kisses.
And now, they were on the floor of the upper deck, underneath a blanket since the night air on the ocean had decided to cool off, even for the always ran hot wolves. And they were just lying there staring up at the stars, sated, happy, and blissfully together.
Lizzy whined and pouted when Charlie moved and her skin already missed his touch. He chuckled, but wasn't away for more than a few seconds while he grabbed something from his shorts pocket, which he'd hung off the back of a chair just out of reach.
She got the distinct impression he was excited about something. But he was trying very hard to block it all from her—a surprise, she guessed. Lizzy sat up and waited for him to explain.
"Should I get up?" she asked him.
"No. I'm coming back down in a sec." But he was staring so intently at her she almost dragged him back down for another long, languid kiss. His nerves bristled in his mind and she backed off that idea, because now he was the Charlie she recognized—busy overthinking something.
"Am not," he argued. "It's just, a big deal and I don't want to fuck it up."
Lizzy smiled at his adorable nervousness, but she couldn't imagine what had him all worked up—not after everything they'd done in the last twenty-four hours. That got a frustrated groan out of him.
"Lizzy—" he cut himself off and she pinched her eyes inward. "Lizzy, you're my mate, the love of my life, the future mother of our children, but—" he blew out a breath and Lizzy sat up a little straighter, because she didn't like the but part.
"Just spit it out, Charlie."
He could sense he was making her nervous which was not his point at all.
"Lizzy, I want to connect myself to you in every way possible. Not just as wolves, but as humans, too." He sank down to one knee boring his gaze into hers and opened the tiny velvet box he'd kept hidden in his pocket.
Her eyes got watery and she shook her head with a disbelieving smile.
"Is that a no?" he asked, confused.
She reached out and gently grasped his head in her hands.
"You're ridiculously romantic when you want to be, and still full of surprises."
"But I speak the truth, Lizzy. We've only ever talked about mating. We got pretty wrapped up in that part of things. But if you'll have me, I'd like to be your husband, too. Lisbeth Eugenia Dean, will you marry me?"
"Yes, Charlie. Of course, yes." They shared a sloppy wet kiss since Lizzy was suddenly unable to stop the giddy tears from falling. Charlie slid the ring onto her finger and she didn't think it was possible to feel more complete and whole. Her entire long life flashed before her eyes. All the hellish years had led her here, to this moment. She'd never been so certain that she was exactly where she belonged. And the ring was perfect, not just in fit, but the exact ring she'd have picked out for herself.
"Because I cheated," Charlie admitted. "I saw you ogling it in a window downtown."
"That wasn't cheating, Charlie. I ogled on purpose." But the fact that he'd noticed and remembered, was what made it so damned perfect. "Let's just hope our wedding day isn't a repeat of my first full moon."
"Shit. Let’s not think about that part."
"Mmmmm, you’re right. I don't need you overthinking." Nope, she had much dirtier thoughts on her mind that he agreed with perfectly, starting with making love out under the stars.
Newly mated.
Newly engaged.
A whole new life.
Happily ever after had seemed merely a distant hope for such a long time. And there were sure to be a few bumps along the way—hopefully way more big ass baby bumps and not so many magical ones. But either way, they'd meet and overcome these bumps together.
Lizzy chuckled. Well—they would, but only if they survived planning a wedding, first. Which had Charlie wondering just how long before he'd be forced to use his Alpha status to—he laughed off the thought because who was he kidding?
"Whatever you want," he promised.
She smiled up at him.
"I'll be the werewolf in white."
"And I'll be the luckiest man alive."
Charlie had never believed he'd find his happily ever after, but now that she'd come from the past to be his future, he'd spend every minute of every day in the present, loving the hell out of Lizzy Deane.
WICKED GOOD WITCHES BOOK 13
##
Sing a Song of Sixth- Sense
Supernatural Protectors: A Legacy of Magic
CHAPTER 1
NEARLY A WEEK HAD PASSED since the Demon Slayer, Raeana, had been birthed into the world and the battle scars left at the Howard Mansion were still in the midst of chaotic disrepair. Josh, the Isle's supernatural cleaner, along with an unfamiliar not-from-the-Isle carpentry crew, was working hard at getting all the repairs done as quickly as possible.
And today, William was overseeing the work there with Annie alongside to help make sure nosy not-in-the-know carpenters didn't come across anything they shouldn't—aka witchy business—that the Howard's preferred to keep to themselves. Or with the locals already in the know. They hadn't been surrounded by so many strangers at the mansion in more years than even William could count from recent memory, so it had them on edge and counting down the hours to the job finished, and their home back to normal again.
They might reside on a supernatural hotspot that attracted unsavory types, and the locals might be in the know and use the supernatural to their advantage in the Isle being supernatural vacationland, but they didn't realize how much their home was their sanctuary, their safe place, until it was overrun with damage and strangers. Even with the occasional break in or attack, the Howard Mansion was the base of their witchy operation and where they didn't ever have to hide who they were.
Worse, was all the distrusting side glances and stares or shudders at the vampires who were putting off some serious don't fuck with me vibes—vibes normal humans took to heart as stay out of my way, predator alert. At face value, the vampires simply looked paler than normal, but this was not an uncommon look in Maine as tanning was optional on the best of summer days here.
Mainly, they'd all be happy as kings once they got the privacy of their home back and Josh was doing all within his power to see it done right, and quick, and get the Howards back in action.
Meanwhile, across the Isle, Melinda and Courtney assisted in a much harder task—helping Michael, Emily, and her Aunt Lucy pack up the family home—the one Emily had shared with her father on The Demon Isle until his untimely murder at the hands of Eva Jordan.
Charlie and Lizzy were still out on their boat celebrating their mating and expected home soon. While Lucas, Riley, Mathew, and Rae were away visiting the Guardians.
Other than the chaos at the mansion, things on the Isle were pleasantly quiet—in the supernatural department, anyway. The short reprieve wasn't a subject any of them brought up seeing as when they did, trouble inevitably seemed to follow.
Emily, along with the ghost of her dead mother Lily and her sister Lucy were still taking up residence at the Deane Manor seeing as Emily could not fathom sleeping in her old home and the Howard's home was in complete disarray. Although, they did manage to take stock of belongings and whatnot, and it did not appear that their attackers managed to get away with anything.
Michael chose to stay with Emily at the manor, although he'd not been sleeping well. Between not being in his own bed, dozing off to wake with the need to confirm Emily was with him for real, topped with sleeping in the Deane Manor—until months ago, unfathomable—he was a mess, nerves, exhaustion, and doubt. Something that made only frustrating nonsense seeing as he should be happy to be back with Emily again, no matter where they slept at night.
So why wasn't he sleeping? And why did he feel nearly as tired and anxious as before Emily had come home? Questions he wasn't ready to face, but needed to soon before his heart imploded under the pressure and decided to call it quits!
It was strange, though, taking up refuge in the Deane Manor, most especially when none of the Deane's were even home. Still, it was gracious of them to offer up their home so freely even in their absence.
Before they'd left for the Guardians, however, Mathew had one more surprise for the Deane brothers—a special guest would be waiting for them upon their arrival. Mathew had thought long and hard about whether to tell them or let them be surprised instead. But considering all they'd been through and needed to accept already, he'd opted for a gentler warning of what was to come.
When he explained, he thought for a minute the brothers might pass out from sheer shock. Yup, warning them was the right choice. One simply didn't throw in the surprise of seeing a dead relative standing in front of you—well, in the supernatural world, many things were possible. But Mathew's gut was telling him the brothers might need a little time to adjust to the news that their mother was also a Guardian.
Their mother! Who'd been dead for over five years.
It was something that hadn't even crossed their minds in the newness of learning what they were—the last two living humans from the Garudian bloodline, which was passed on from a parent, of course. In this case, their mother.
The two men had sat in shock and disbelief, soaking up this realization for hours before their departure. Mathew decided he'd done right in telling them beforehand, after seeing the shock sinking in on top of all they'd learned about themselves. Plus, Mathew had hoped the knowledge of their mother's impending appearance back in their lives would ease the tension both brothers were drowning in over visiting the Guardians. He hoped knowing their mother would be there with them would make it feel more like home. A place they wanted to be.
And seeing as the long-held Guardian rules had pretty much been thrown out after the birth of Rae, as well as the declaration by the Demon King that the longtime truce between the Demons and Guardians was over, the Deane brothers' mother was permitted to make herself known to her sons. Whereas until now, that was forbidden as it might interfere with the brother's choices in life and where they ended up after they were dead.
And while everyone wished the Lucas, Riley, Mathew, and Rae well on their adventure, today was about helping Emily, and in some ways even her deceased mother, help get closure on the family home and Emily's father's death. It was time to move on...
Which meant packing up the house and putting it up for sale.
And apparently, it also meant Emily and Michael suddenly being totally weird around each other. The entire morning so far had been Emily trying to be extra chipper and totally okay with being in the murder house as she'd slipped and called it. Or Michael hovering and then trying to disappear for fear he might not be giving Emily what she needed—him being close and there for her or needing space.
He cowered from asking and his empathy was all over the place because so was hers. And even when he was sure his empathy was picking up one thing, he didn't trust it. He didn't know what to trust when it came to Emily and that was his biggest problem.
Melinda had no doubt they'd work things out and get back in sync with each other. However, seeing them so awkward around each other was opposite of the Emily and Michael she loved so much, and it hurt to see them hurting. Knowing they loved each other but not being sure how to fit back into each other's lives left them out of step.
A feeling she was all too familiar with as she and William were suffering this too. They loved each other and had sworn to figure out how to make their relationship work, but day to day it wasn't always so clear cut.
And if Courtney rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to spout something probably not all that helpful about the Emily and Michael situation, Melinda was going to order her home. Although that was a bad idea seeing as the mansion was filled with humans—aka vampire food—and there was no reason to give Courtney the extra temptation. Vampires worked up equaled way too easy to lose control.
Annie suggested the newer vampire help out away from the mansion today after catching Courtney unconsciously licking her lips and growling under her br
eath at a construction worker whose blood did smell sweetly enticing. And the worker was far too keen to notice and give Courtney an eager smile—of course, if he'd known all she wanted was his blood, he'd have run away screaming. Or not. Sometimes the thrall of the vampire was too enticing for some.
But it also wasn't real.
As the day went on and progress on packing up the Morgan house continued, even Lucy exchanged a few worried glances in Melinda's direction, having assumed the worst was over between Michael and Emily. But nearing late afternoon, the tension was becoming hard to breathe through, so Melinda, in a moment of determination, took Emily aside into her old bedroom.
"You're holding up better than I thought you would," Melinda said, meaning for it to be a compliment. "I meant, it's not easy, being here."
Emily moaned in frustration. "It's not. It sucks. All I can see is that moment when my father died, and everything changed."
Melinda rubbed her friends' shoulder in support. "We're nearly done. If you wanted to leave none of us would hold it against you."
Emily shook her head defiantly. "I want to finish. I need to see this done." She ran her hands over her old bedframe. "I want to see this house happy again. It needs new memories. They just can't be mine."
Things got uncomfortably quiet and as Melinda was about to bring up the Michael subject, her brother stepped through the door and tossed them a weak smile.
"Movers just got here and are loading up the truck," he announced.
Melinda bound off the bed hoping her brother and Emily would talk things out.
"I'll go help. You two can finish up in here," she offered, and left before they could argue.
Emily shook her head with a telling sigh, Melinda's silent offering clear. She patted the seat next to her and Michael slid onto the bed, but rather than next to her, he sat crosslegged in front of her. He grabbed her hands and kissed each one.
