by Celeste Raye
“What’s to come?”
Jazz shrugged and told him to ask her himself. She wasn’t getting straight answers out of the old woman and hoped that maybe he would.
“I will, but for now, I was thinking that maybe we could travel to go see one of my favorite spots. Dahlia will be in soon, and then we can all sit down and figure out what is going to happen next. You’ll like Justin. He’s new to the pack, but they’ve been keeping to themselves. They were mated not too long ago and are still in the honeymoon stage.”
“How is he new to the pack?”
It wasn’t like there was an initiation. It was like being a witch. You were either born with it, or you weren’t.
“He came out of that orphanage that you have heard about. It’s a long story, and I will let him tell it tomorrow. Today, I was hoping that we could put all of that behind us for a little while. I just want to go out and enjoy the day.”
Cali came out of the kitchen and told Jazz that she should go.
“You have impeccable timing, Cali.”
“How could you expect less?”
Jazz just shrugged. She didn’t know if it was the universe or a meddling woman that was pushing her towards Dennis. Either way, she thought that his plan to enjoy the day sounded like a good one.
Chapter Fourteen
Dennis hadn’t been sure what he was going to do with himself. When he’d first woken up, the only thing he’d thought about was Jazz. It had taken him a while to figure out a reason to track her down.
When he’d gone up to her room and found her missing, all he wanted to do was see her, be with her. He’d panicked at first, as much as he didn’t want to. Dennis was usually a man of reason, but he didn’t have much when it came to Jazz.
He felt a little bit better, now that she was in front of him and agreeing to go with him, but the fleeting feeling that had come over him when she was discovered missing was what was holding onto him.
As soon as he got her out of Cali’s house, he pulled her up against the side and kissed her. It wasn’t a sweet and soft kiss like before. This was something different altogether. This was filled with passion, and before he could really think about it, he had pushed her up against the house and started to rub his body suggestively against hers.
There was a moan, and Dennis wasn’t sure who it was coming out of. He had a feeling that it was coming out of him. When it turned into a growl, he knew that it was him.
“Dennis?”
He growled again and pulled away from Jazz long enough to cut his eyes at Josh.
“What?”
He was frustrated, and it was easy enough to hear from his tone. Dennis didn’t care though. He wanted her, badly, and Josh should have gotten the hint by now.
“There is an emergency. We need the Alpha.”
Dennis cursed again.
“What’s happened?”
“There has been an attack. Looks like witches.”
Dennis was full of desire, but it was replaced quickly with rage. How was he supposed to take care of something serious, when his whole body was raging?
“Like right this second?”
Josh gave him a look, and he finally pulled back fully.
“I’m sorry to do this, really I am, but I have to go. As soon as it is done, I will be back to pick up where we left off.”
Jazz agreed and let him kiss her again before Dennis took off.
“This better be a damn emergency.”
“Chauncy is dead.”
That made Dennis stop in his tracks.
“What?”
“Yeah, that’s what I am trying to say. I didn’t want to get Jazz all upset, but it looks like witches to me. You know who it is then.”
Dennis was with it now. Marl Stein was the only one that would dare attack the pack. They weren’t friendly with the witches around by far, but they weren’t enemies either.
“We don’t know that yet, Josh.”
“Bury your head in the sand all you want, because it’s coming, and you know it. The fight is coming to us if we don’t go to it.”
Dennis stopped and wondered if that’s how he had sounded to Frank. He was always worried that things were going to go into the dumps, but Frank had told his brother that everything was going to be alright. Dennis felt at ease when maybe he shouldn’t.
“Well, damn, we will work this out, Josh. If it is meant to be, then it is meant to be. Cali seems to think the same thing. With another Stein witch on the right side, it won’t be long until this is taken care of for good.”
Dennis just hoped that it went that way. It could go the way that destroyed the pack, killed lots of people. He wasn’t going to think about that though. The community was still reeling from all of the losses at the orphanage.
The two men rushed over to the main house, and Dennis could see that there were already people gathering around. They weren’t just there to watch though. As he got closer, he could see that most of the people congregating were helping in some way or another. There were bandages being put on wounds, and water brought out. Everyone was trying to help, but Dennis hadn’t been prepared for the attack to be so large. There were five people being treated, plus he had been told that one was already dead.
“What the hell?”
Josh was surprised that Dennis was cursing. He never said anything like that, but Dennis couldn’t hold it in, no matter how badly he wanted to. It was just more than he’d imagined.
“Where did this happen?”
“I already sent out a couple of scouts. If the witches are anywhere in the area, we will be able to find them.”
Dennis wasn’t so sure of that. Marl Stein was one of the oldest and strongest witches alive. He didn’t think that she would be found if she didn’t want to be.
The sick feeling was back, but it wasn’t all for his people. It was also in fear of keeping Jazz safe. He’d left her behind; he wanted to go to her. It wasn’t like him to be held back by emotions or to put another before his own family.
He went to action, barking orders and getting everything done more efficiently. The men were brought inside, and everyone was put on a rotation for lookout. They had been discovered before at one of their other villages, with disastrous consequences.
It was late in the afternoon before Dennis could pull himself away from everything that was going on with the attacks. The witches weren’t found in the woods, but he had a feeling that there would be an attack soon enough. He could feel it in his bones, and that made Dennis want to keep her close.
He found her talking with Connie on the porch, but Connie excused herself not long after he walked up.
“Well, you scared her off.”
“Why is that?”
“She thinks that you don’t like her, and I think she was giving us some space.”
Dennis reminded himself to thank her later. He wanted some alone time with Jazz, and it was a lot easier when he didn’t have to pull her away. Jazz asked about what Josh had run up about.
It occurred to him then that she didn’t even know what was going on. He had taken off with Josh, and that had been the end of it.
“A few people were attacked by a witch or witches. We’re not sure yet. One person is dead, and they are going to do a memorial service in the morning. Chauncy. I don’t know if you remember him or not.”
Jazz agreed that she did. “I am sorry to hear that.”
“Me too. There is nothing we can do tonight. There are people watching all corners of this place. We’ve been burned out before. I am not saying this to alarm you, but to let you know that we’re taking care of it. I’m taking care of it, Jazz. I am going to keep you safe if it’s the last thing that I do.”
“Do you think that it was my aunt?”
“We have beef with no one else, so I would think that Marl has something to do with it. Dahlia was talking about a couple of protection spells that can help. Would you want to join in to make it stronger? Connie will be getting involved as well.”
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br /> Jazz did not want to get involved in something that was surely going to leave everyone broken in the end. She did not want to kill her family, even if everyone thought Marl was evil. But how could she explain that without making herself look like the bad one?
Short answer: she couldn’t. Not when there were people already dead and dying. She was just going to have to help as far as she could. Jazz would help protect the people she’d grown up with for many years.
“I don't mind helping with a protection spell.”
He looked at her a little funny, and Jazz hoped that he could not read between the lines.
Everyone had been talking about her evil aunt, and although Jazz believed them, there was a part of her that wanted to hear Marl’s side of the story. Jazz had hoped that maybe they could just let it go and forget about it. She did not have the power for immortality any longer, so she would die eventually. Now that more shifters had been attacked, though, there was no way that Jazz was going to be able to talk anybody into anything.
“Just tell me what you need me to do, and I will make sure that this place is protected.”
He brought her to the other two witches and the three of them put a spell together. Jazz had a lot more power nowadays. She could feel it coursing through her body, and it was intoxicating. It was also new, and she had to stop twice to tone down her powers. She was overriding the other two witches, and Jazz had to stop a lot. She finally was able to control herself enough to finish the magical forcefield.
Dahlia and Connie were looking at her a little strange. She had all the power that Connie did, but she also had her whole life to practice. There was a little bit of a hitch because of the new powers that took some getting used to, but Jazz was by far the strongest of the three.
It took quite a bit out of her, and she went to sit down on the porch. Dennis brought her what she thought was tea. It turned out to be something altogether different.
The first drink came out in a sputter, and it made the man chuckle at her.
“It takes some getting used to, but everyone here loves it.”
“What is it?”
“Bon-bon juice.”
It took a couple sips to get used to the taste of it. It took a little longer to realize the effects.
Chapter Fifteen
Dennis tried his best to ignore advances that were coming his way. He knew that it was the bon-bon juice more than it was him. It wasn't something that he wanted to admit, but that was the truth of it. Jazz was getting closer and flirting with her eyes because every fiber of her was telling her to do so. While Dennis told himself that he gave her some because he wanted her to try it, it was pretty plain to see what the reason was.
Feeling guilty, though, he knew that he didn't want their first time to be under the influence. His people were used to the drink, had built up a tolerance. He felt good, but it was clear to him that Jazz was feeling a whole lot better than he was.
“I don't understand why you're telling me no. I know that you want me. I can tell by the way you kiss me.”
“It's wrong, though. We should not be doing this. Not right now. Trust me, tomorrow, when you don’t have any juice in your system, I will give you everything you say you want now.”
He hoped that would be enough, but Dennis realized very quickly that it wasn't. It was only going to be enough when she had gotten her way. Dennis had been on the bon-bon juice many times. He knew the exact feelings that were going through her.
“I don't want it tomorrow; I want it now.”
He disengaged her from his neck. She was pressing her lips against his throat and the side of his face. He was afraid if he got a solid kiss, Dennis would not care any longer why she had a sudden interest to finish what they had started a few times before.
Dennis stopped with a kiss because he didn’t want to lose himself. He didn’t need an excuse to do something bad.
He pulled her off of him, and she pouted again.
“I'm sure that I can find someone else to take care of my needs if you don't want to, Dennis. You’re leaving me no choice.”
That made Dennis look at her a little harder. He realized that it was definitely affecting her more than it affected the shifters. He took the glass from her and told her that she’d had enough.
“Why don't we get you something else to drink?”
She smiled and pulled him closer. “Why don't you give me what we both want? I don't want anyone else, Dennis, but if someone doesn't touch me soon, I think I'm going to explode.”
Dennis knew that she was not just making idle threats. She probably felt like she would explode if he didn't touch her, and he felt the same way. Dennis started to consider how he could make her feel good without breaking the natural trust between them. How far could you go and not go all the way?
“What if I offered to make you feel good?”
“That's all I want. Just make me feel good, Dennis. I know that you can.”
Dennis tried his best to be nonchalant about it. He knew that it was going to be hard for him to pleasure her and not let it go to his head. Just looking at her made his desire grow.
Before he could think about it a little bit more, Dennis pushed it back. He couldn’t let her leave, so he was going to have to handle it himself. He planted his lips on hers.
The kiss that followed was just like the other two, and it was even harder for Dennis to remember that he could only go so far with it. He was only doing this for her pleasure, not his own. His own would have to come later.
As soon as his hand started to move over her body, Jazz was wiggling around and making sure that he knew exactly what to do and where to be. She cried out when she felt his hand tracing all of her body. He glanced over at her reaction and continued in the same manner. Touch was heightened, and even the smallest flick of his fingers was making it impossible for him to focus. She was going wild and driving him crazy.
“Is that what you need?” His voice was heavy.
She answered with a nod of her head, so quick that there was no denying her desires. Jazz wanted it just as badly as he did. It was that simple, and his hand gripped the area that he had been rubbing. Jazz made a painful sound and then he felt wetness against his hands.
He watched the different emotions go over her face. Then he watched as she had her first orgasm seconds after he started to rub her. He still had not even felt how wet and hot she was bare, but he didn't need to. Dennis brought her to several completions with just a little bit of movement of his hand. That was all it took.
She dozed off after the fourth or fifth one. Dennis did not leave her side, though. He just wanted to play with her, show her what he’d wanted to do since meeting her.
It was also impossible for him to go. While he had made her feel good, his actions had made him feel worse. Dennis had never been so horny in all of his life, and there was nothing that he could do about it. All he could do was watch her sleep and wait for the bon-bon juice to wear off. Then he would know if she still wanted him or if it was just the aphrodisiac talking. Dennis was really hoping that it was the former.
Jazz finally did wake up, and she had a smile on her face. It was beamed at him, and it took his breath away.
“Good morning.”
She repeated it back to him, but there was a smile tugging on her lips. “I slept really well, thanks to you.”
“Whatever I can do to be of assistance. I hear that I am good at starting the day off as well.”
Jazz looked away for a moment, and he could see her face turning red. Half the time, she acted like she had never been touched by a man, but he knew better than that. The innocence was what drew him in, even though she wasn’t untouched. There was just something about the way she looked at him and the way she sounded when she reached climax. Dennis would never be able to get that out of his mind.
“I think I am going to be good for the day, thank you.”
“The whole day?”
“You did a really good job last night.”
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“Maybe too good of a job.”
She giggled a little bit and then sat up; the sheet held against her to cover her body. Jazz did not have much on to begin with.
“Are you sure you don't want to feel a little better?”
Jazz immediately shook her head that she did not. She started to say something, but then stopped and got up instead. He could see that there was a lot going on with her, but maybe it was too soon to say anything.
He had to let her go, even if he didn't want to. There was a part of him that wanted to make her stay, but he knew that he had to give her some space. He had to let her go and let her come back to him. It wouldn't work if he had to push it.
Dennis watched her get dressed, and she put a lot of effort into him not seeing any of her body. It would have been easier if she would have just gotten dressed regularly. It's not like he hadn’t seen all of it the night before anyway, but he let her have her modesty. Or at least the feeling of it. Dennis was just going to have to wait, plays his cards right, because it would only be a matter of time before she was back in his arms.
“So, what was that stuff last night?”
Her face was beet red when she finally met his gaze. Dennis waited to answer the question because he wanted to really look at her when he did. He wanted to see her reaction, and it surpassed anything he could have hoped for.
“It is bon-bon juice. I've never made it myself, but it has been in the pack and in shifter history for hundreds of years. It is usually given at mating ceremonies. It gets the crowd going and makes the festivities a little better.
“I bet. I don't think I've ever felt like that before in my life.”
“Did you like the feel of it?”
Her eyes flitted away from his, and Dennis knew that he was getting too personal. That innocence that drew him in was coming back out, and he wanted to press it a little further. He wanted to hear more.
