Lick of Frost

  Those brown eyes flashed amber. “Of course it is, Warlock. What do you take me for, a novice?"

  "Of course no'. But what I have tae say is to remain between us. Do you understand?"

  "Don't you mean what I have to say?” she countered, turning on heel and walking into the adjoining room. “Really, I thought you were smarter, Sheriff."

  "Damn it!” he snarled, stomping behind her. “I doona go by that title anymore! How many times do I have tae say it?"

  "The moment you called on the souls of your lost Judges to help Wolfe Trevlian save his mate, you assumed the mantle of a Sheriff once more. You don't have to go by the title, of course. But anyone with a touch of magic can feel and smell the power you emit. The lingering traces of the cloak you twined are still wreaking havoc on the fae down at the dock."

  "Let's just get tae it, shall we?” He walked to a vacant chair and slumped into the musty cushions, exhaling loudly. The fatigue was worse now and would only increase as Luke continued absorbing the energy necessary to shield himself through the connection he'd opened between them.

  "Certainly.” She took a seat across from him, pushing aside the velvet robe to reveal a killer pair of legs adorned with black patent leather high heels.

  When she didn't speak, he asked, “What was that business in the pub about?"

  "You don't want to know about that. You want to know about Onyx Blackthorn and Luke Trevlian.” She laughed at his shocked expression. “Sheriff, you have no idea of how much my ability to see has grown and flourished. Leaving the coven was the best thing that ever happened to me. Without their powers to muddle my propensity for divination, I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined."

  "Then tell me what I want tae know, witch. If you can see all, you know time is short."

  "Ah, yes.” She sighed wistfully. “Halloween is always a dangerous time, especially when a coven plans to perform a reformation of the body and soul."

  "They've done it, then?” His heart spiked, and adrenaline coursed through his system. “Alexander Clarisse has gained the favor necessary tae return to flesh and blood?"

  "Trevor, haven't you noticed what moon we are currently under? Tomorrow, Samhain will arrive, and that moon will still remain. A new moon, symbolizing new beginnings."

  "I know that,” he snapped. “I just did no’ think they'd managed tae achieve so much in two-hundred years. I figured they were here tae wrangle with a misgotten soul or two."

  "They've homed all their resources and magic into returning Alexander to flesh. He's got a bone to pick with the girl who snubbed him, and make no mistake, his new life will consist of nothing more than the need to make her suffer for the years he was forced to wander the mortal realm aimlessly."

  "She does no’ love him and is now mated tae Luke. He'll have tae suck it up and get the fuck over it."

  "Mated to Luke . . .” Her voice trailed, and comprehension dawned in her eyes. “You gave him a physical shield. That's why you're so exhausted."

  He didn't bother denying it. “I did, and I'd do it again. That girl has suffered for centuries because of a wizard's inflated ego, and it's high time he let it go. Once Luke mates her, she will become twined tae him through the vow of the Covenant and the bonds of a Lycae. Nothing can stand between a bond like that."

  "Now, Sheriff, when did you go and become a bleeding heart?"

  "Doona fuck with me, Helen. No’ tonight.” He brought a hand up and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I've got enough on my plate without a henpecking."

  "Don't worry, Trevor,” she said, eyes narrowing and lips going thin. “I want this just as much as you do."

  "And why is that?” he inquired casually.

  "When my coven cast me aside, I thought others would be willing to open their arms and accept me elsewhere. I didn't mean any harm when I summoned the rage demon. I was still young and impulsive, lured by the prospect of danger. But one mistake was all it took to earn me a place outside the inner sanctum. The opportunity to return the favor is too good to pass up. I've waited decades for this."

  He lowered his hand and sighed. “No better time than the present tae get even, is that it?"

  "Exactly.” She nodded, pursing her glossy red lips. “So, what do you plan to do about that nasty curse? Do you intend to loan Luke your power during the full moon when the mating heat falls upon them each month? Or have you got something better in mind? Even someone as powerful as you can't afford to share that much energy regularly."

  He shook his head. “I'm going tae force the bastard tae absolve the hex. I just have no’ figured out the details yet.” He peered up at her. “I doona suppose you have any ideas you'd like tae share."

  "Maybe one or two.” She stood and walked to a curio against the wall, whispering quietly and evoking a spell. The double doors swung wide, revealing rows of potions and ingredients.

  * * * *

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  Chapter Six

  Her trembling fingers against his skin broke his heart, as did those beautiful silver eyes brimming with tears. Luke continued raining gentle kisses onto her face, whispering soothing nothings in Lycae to calm her. He fought back the guilt at not being truthful, knowing she believed that he was special in some way and that was why he could touch her.

  Must claim her so nothing can take her away.

  The need grew stronger, his body pulsating in a way he'd never known. His brother and cousin had told him how it would be when he mated, a hunger so intense he wouldn't be able to deny himself. The need to mate and claim would only build until he finally lost himself in the welcoming heat of her body.

  He had thought Adam and Wolfe were exaggerating.

  They weren't.

  He waited for resistance when he brought his hands to the waist of her leather pants, his mind listening intently to her thoughts and reactions. He worried she might stop him as each time he touched her, traces of Alexander's visits to her dreams came rushing back. The guilt she experienced at allowing him such intimacy both infuriated and shamed her, and Luke wanted to tear the wizard apart for torturing her all those years.

  "I want to touch every inch of you.” He darted his tongue out, tasting the sensitive skin of her throat. “Would you like that?"

  "Y-Yes,” she stammered and wriggled beneath him.

  He tugged the hem of her turtleneck free of her pants, and she arched her back, assisting him in removing the material from her torso. Dark curls surrounded her shoulders in a cascade of rippling silk when she relaxed into the pillows and studied him with eyes that held excitement and eagerness, but no fear. Creamy breasts pressed against the black lace bra, her rounded pink nipples visible through the thin material.

  Guilt hit him like a punch to the gut.

  He should be honest with his mate. She had the right to know that when the sun crested the sky, his body would no longer be able to bear the bitter contact of her skin.

  "Is something wrong?” She frowned, and when he slid into her mind, he knew she worried she wasn't beautiful or tempting enough.

  As if such a thing were possible.

  "Only that you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."

  She went soft beneath him, smiling shyly, and he lowered his head to lick and nip at her navel. Her soft gasp of pleasure nearly broke him, and he shifted his hips against the mattress to ease the growing pressure in his cock and the heaviness in his sack.

  Her tender fingers skimmed over the skin along his back and shoulders, sharp fingernails scraping lightly. Groaning and whimpering, Onyx arched her back with each lap of his tongue. He worked the button at her pants free and spanned the softness between her hips with his hand, envisioning the child that would grow there in the future—their child.

  The curse.

  If it weren't lifted, would he ever touch her again?

  He forced the thought aside, tugging at the sides of the leather at her waist and bringing it down. His own hands trembled when he cast asid
e her boots and clothing and left her pale body covered in scraps of black lace.

  Again, remembrances of Alexander came to her mind, marring the rightness of their mating, and he chose to replace them with new images of his own. He sent erotic flashes to her mind, of him sucking her nipples, tasting her sex with his tongue, and claiming her from behind. She groaned and her eyes slid closed, her perfectly rounded hips lifting and pressing against him.

  "Which would you like me to do first?” he asked huskily, returning to her body and urging her legs apart with his knee before placing his weight between her thighs.

  "Touch my breasts,” she answered without hesitation, lifting her back to reach around for the clasps of her bra. The thin lace went slack, and she slid her arms free before tossing the scrap of black to the floor.

  Slowly, he made his way from her belly button to her breasts. She trembled beneath him, and the hands on his shoulders squeezed and then relaxed. He bathed the sweetness of her flesh with his tongue while inhaling her scent into his lungs. The combined fragrance of lavender and rose petal assailed him, making his already erect cock diamond hard.

  He brought both hands to her chest to cup the small globes, using his thumbs to create light circles around the soft pink areola. Her gasp of pleasure made him growl contentedly, and he encouraged her by claiming one of the hardened peaks between his lips.

  "Oh, god.” She whimpered, releasing his shoulders and cradling his head. Her fingers twined into his hair, tugging and caressing ever so softly.

  Her released the taut nipple and moved for the other. “Your skin tastes as good as it smells, sweet and silky as honey."

  "And your mouth feels amazing,” she moaned, pulling him closer. “It's so hot and wet."

  Each flick of his tongue increased her arousal, until he was mad with the desire to taste that slick heat between her legs. He released the pebbled nipple from his mouth and pressed a kiss against it before making his way back down, toward the scent that compelled him. He cupped the wet mound between her thighs before his lips passed her navel, and she gasped, muscles going tight.

  "Easy.” He breathed the word. “I'm going to taste the rest of you."

  Sharing another image of him licking her sex was all it took. Her mirror-tinted eyes went wide, and her lips parted.

  "Y-You really want to do that?"

  "You have no idea,” he growled thickly, lowering his head and brushing his nose against her silken belly. “Smelling you without tasting you would be nothing short of torment. You don't want to torment me, Onyx. Do you?” Swallowing loudly, she shook her head, and he smiled. “Then lie back, sweetheart. You'll enjoy it as much as I do. I promise you."

  As he pulled the underwear from her hips, she began to wriggle and squirm. Her hands darted out several times as she sought to touch him, but found empty air as he moved lower. A soft groan of frustration slipped past her lips before she placed her hands on either side of her body, knuckles going white as she clenched the sheets.

  "Enjoy it. Let it wash over you,” he instructed, peeling the lace from her thighs. “Rushing something this special only spoils how good it can be."

  The tiny black triangle of hair between her thighs matched the strands on her head, and he groaned when he saw the glistening folds of her sex just beneath. Her scent was stronger and lured him to sample what belonged to him and him alone. A heavy growl remained trapped in his chest as he struggled not to lose control and frighten her.

  "You're so beautiful,” he whispered, meeting her eyes.

  Her breath caught, and her bottom lip quivered.

  The temptation to claim her lips was overwhelming, so much so that he quickly averted his eyes and slid his large, tanned hands beneath her ass, cupping gently as he guided her down the bed until he rested on his knees on the floor. When she was braced against the end of the mattress, he placed her legs over his shoulders, opening her deliciously pink core to his hungry gaze.

  Reverently, he ran his palms along her inner thighs, taking pleasure in the way the muscles beneath corded. She was in incredible shape, almost too lean, but he was sure good food and the company of ever-ravenous Lycae would see an end to that.

  "Please,” she pleaded, writhing once more.

  "Tell me what you need, darlin',” he said, bringing his hands within inches of her sex.

  "I don't know, something more."

  "This?” He leaned forward and flicked his tongue across the enlarged clit protruding from the soft hood above the pink folds below.

  Her answer was a high-pitched cry of want, her frantic little mewls and pleas impossible to decipher. Shamelessly, he turned to her thoughts, finding what it was she wanted, and reacted. She needed to know this was real, to feel grounded.

  Grasping a rounded cheek in each hand, he swiped his tongue along the slit along the center, tasting and savoring her response. Gentleness was replaced with the desire to please her, to give her anything and everything she wanted and needed, and right now, that was his entire presence. She wanted to be consumed, to believe this was real.

  He squeezed her soft ass roughly as a reminder that the skin on his palms held and touched her, short fingernails barely digging into the surface of the skin. He lapped and devoured her with his tongue, each swipe intentional and every taste deliberate.

  Fear swamped her as she approached orgasm, and she fought the desire sending fire raging throughout her body. He continued, unable to think about anything less than the bliss she would experience when she came to climax.

  "Come for me,” he stopped long enough to order before returning to his task.

  Her thighs quivered and shook violently as she fought the need to come, as if she were afraid to let go. Determined, he slid a finger up and worked it into her sex, marveling at the tight sleekness that surrounded his finger and clenched.

  "Luke!"

  His name on her lips made his pulsating erection jerk and swell. He bumped the engorged head of his cock against the comforter, shuddering in agony and pleasure. Tasting his mate was everything he thought it would be and more.

  Can't wait to be inside her.

  Her breathing was stinted, inhales of oxygen no more than ragged pants and groans. He worked another finger alongside the first, thrusting in and out in smooth motions. When he felt her try to stave her orgasm, he latched onto her clit and bit down gently.

  The scream that escaped when she climaxed was a garbled wail of disbelief, ecstasy, and wonder, as if she feared she would never return from those glorious arms that carried her. He stilled his fingers as she came down, panting loudly.

  "That . . . you . . . that was . . ."

  "Delicious?” he answered and carefully removed his fingers. He met her cloudy eyes as he brought his drenched fingers to his mouth and licked her cream clean.

  Her cheeks flushed, and he thought it suited her perfectly.

  For a moment, he considered rising above her, but he quickly decided against it. He knew from listening to her thoughts that this was entirely new to her, that she was a virgin who had saved this moment for the one person intended for her.

  Even at the cost of her freedom years before.

  The Lycae bristled proudly at her sacrifice and strength of will. She may not have known it at the time, but she had saved herself for him. No male could have ever been so fortunate or honored.

  He felt the weight of her stare and glanced up. She was studying him as if he were an anomaly, something she had seen before but didn't understand. Knowing she wanted to touch him, he lifted onto his knees, climbing over her while keeping his erection temporarily hidden.

  "How do you seem to know what I'm thinking?” She grasped his shoulders, clutching him as if he might vanish.

  "Because I can,” he answered honestly.

  "You can read my mind?"

  He nodded. “I know it's considered rude to listen in, but I can't help it. It's the way of mates. After we make love, you'll be able to hear me in your mind as well."

  "I
will?"

  She sounded breathless, and he perceived her excitement. “Yes.” He moved up until his mouth was at the vulnerable hollow of her throat. “You will."

  "How can you be so sure I'm your mate?"

  "How can you be so sure that I'm yours?” he asked, teasing the skin at her nape. “It's ingrained in each of us, sweetheart. An attraction to one another that cannot be explained or denied. For Lycae, the knowledge comes from a simple touch."

  Her fingers swept away from his arms and went lower, then lower. The pads of her fingers followed the indentions along his stomach and stilled when she found the hair that started below his belly button.

  "Can I see you?” she whispered, gazing up at him with big doelike eyes and a curious expression.

  "I don't want to frighten you."

  She smiled shyly. “I've seen the men in the coven nude. They do the moonlit vows for the New Year unclothed."

  "Sweetheart, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not made like the men in the coven."

  "I know.” Her voice went alluring and deep, her fingers becoming bolder. “You are built like the elder warriors I trained with—large and strong—but you're far taller. I don't believe I've seen anything aside from an ogre or Chimera that equals your height."

  "I'm shorter than Adam and Wolfe."

  Her fingers stilled when she asked curiously, “Adam and Wolfe?"

  "My brother and cousin."

  "Oh."

  Her fingers resumed their tentative trek, but he felt her sadness. Her own family was long gone, killed at some point during the Civil War. Many preternatural creatures were lost during that time, including his own. The difference was she never even had the opportunity to say good-bye, saddled with the responsibility of caring for Alexander's coven.

  "How could they let you go to him?” he couldn't help but ask, furious at her family for betraying her so easily. “You were only a child."

  Her eyes flashed silver as she defended her lost relatives. “They didn't have a choice. I became an active member of the Covenant when I turned eighteen. I was fortunate to have a year of freedom before I was contracted."