Shifting Hearts

Wiccan Haus: Shifting Hearts

A

Shifting Hearts The Wiccan Haus Book One BY

Dominique Eastwick

Musa Publishing An Imprint of

Shifting Hearts, The Wiccan Haus Book One, Copyright © Dominique Eastwick, 2011 All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental. Musa Publishing 633 Edgewood Ave Lancaster, oh 43130 www.MusaPublishing.com

Published by Musa Publishing, November, 2011

This e-Book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. No part of this ebook can be reproduced or sold by any person or business without the express permission of the publisher. isbn: 978-1-61937-014-2 Published in the United States of America Editor: Elizabeth Silver Cover Design: Kelly Shorten Interior Book Design: Coreen Montagna

Warning This e-book contains adult language and scenes. This story is meant only for adults as defined by the laws of the country where you made your purchase. Store your e-books carefully where they cannot be accessed by younger readers.

To my husband, for allowing me to follow my dream. I love you.

Chapter One

M

ountains rose from their foggy curtain as the ferry approached its destination. Dana’s gasp was drowned out by the gasps of the others on the small ferryboat. She knew there were small islands all up the coast of Maine, but never had she expected this; an island that had appeared small in the brochure now looked immense, seeming to materialize out of nowhere. Odd; while most places used trick photography to make their resorts look bigger, this one had done the opposite.

There were twelve of them aboard the ferry — seven women and five men. Before they had boarded, twelve other very relaxed people had disembarked at the mainland. The only thing, other than Jessie, that kept Dana from leaving and going home was the memory of those twelve people coming back after a week at the mysterious resort, content and stress-free. The ferry docked with a small nudge against the wooden dock. Everyone was eager to disembark, except Dana. She stayed to the back, letting everyone get in front of her. Even the crew with boxes and coolers of supplies got off before her. In the end, she couldn’t wait any longer and took the gangplank down to the dock. Throwing her bag over her shoulder, she walked toward her friend waiting for her at the end of the pier. Dana looked up at the Bavarian-style building before her. Who would have thought there would be a German chalet off the coast of Maine? She wasn’t really sure that chalet was the right word, but this place looked as though it had stepped right out of a travel brochure for Oktoberfest. The large building with its white-washed walls, red-stained beams, and just-as-red shingles stood out along the rocky shoreline. The sign Wiccan Haus completed the Germanic image. Looking back as the ferry disappeared into the fog, it didn’t matter anymore if she wanted to leave; the ferry, with its silent crew, was gone. She was, in all

Dominique Eastwick

effect, stuck here unless she was willing to swim. Not being a great swimmer, it didn’t seem like that was a viable option. This was not where she was supposed to be. She and Frank were supposed to be in the Caribbean — married, happy, and horny. Just the two of them, spending the next week naked. Instead she was here with Jessie, her best friend in the whole wide world but not who she should be spending her honeymoon with. Deep down, Dana knew she could have been married if she had really wanted it, but she would not have been happy and certainly not horny. To add to the insult, she would have probably been trying everything she could not to get naked. What a mess she had gotten herself into — again. It seemed she could never quite get it right, at least in the eyes of her family. “Dana, come on,” Jessie said, grabbing one of Dana’s bags and slinging it over her shoulder. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” “Gorgeous.” “Would a little enthusiasm kill you? You can either pout or you can relax and enjoy. It’s not like you can get your money back for the trip, and you agreed that going to the Caribbean was a bad idea and you didn’t want to go to any of the other places that still had openings.” “Did you want to go to the dude ranch?” “Depends on the dudes I’d be riding — I mean ranching — with.” And there it was; Jessie was out to find someone to be her vacation lay. Why shouldn’t she? She was young, beautiful, and had curves in all the right places. Dana had yet to meet a man who wasn’t bowled over by her friend’s attributes. This trip was a vacation to Jessie. Last night, at the last minute, Jessie had agreed to buy Frank’s ticket and come with Dana. Jessie’s job at the small Vermont newspaper could always wait another week, as not much of interest happened anyway from day to day and she was sure no one would scream if her report on the school bake sale didn’t go into the paper right away. Yet for Dana, this trip was a time to regroup. She needed to find out who she was, what she wanted in life, and what life had to offer for the future. She had no job, having quit two weeks prior to become Mrs. Frank Green. She had no place to live, since she had left her apartment to move in with her husband. At the end of the week she had no real place to go, nowhere to call home. “Look over there,” Jessie said with a whistle, pointing toward a tall, muscular man dressed all in black. “Look at the way the T-shirt just grips those biceps. It makes me want to…” She looked. How could she not? After all he did fill out that T-shirt excessively well. “He’s an employee of the resort, Jess.” “And you are a snob.” 2

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“I am not; I’m just not ready to look at other men. I only called off my wedding last night. I think I deserve a little time.” Jessie rolled her eyes before turning back to the resort and walking away from Dana. Maybe bringing Jessie hadn’t been such a good idea after all. She had the sensitivity of a goat, and Dana was pretty sure goats weren’t at all sensitive to anything but their own need to eat. And Jessie’s only sensitivity was to her own need for men. Her sigh must have been out loud, because Jessie stopped dead in her tracks. “It’s not like you wanted to marry Frank. In fact, you both agreed in front of three hundred of your parents’ closest friends that you didn’t want to get married. So why are you so glum? As far as I can see, you dodged a bullet.” “Just because someone knows they shouldn’t be with someone doesn’t stop them from mourning the loss any less,” a tall, blond man with a voice soft as the wind said. He came from out of nowhere and grabbed Dana’s bag from off her shoulder and placed it on his. “Come, Dana, and let’s see what we can do to speed your healing.” “How did you know who I was?” The man shrugged. “Process of elimination, really. The other guests have all made it up to the Haus. You two have not. Looking at the two of you — one with a skip to her step and the other dragging — it doesn’t take a mind reader to know which one of you just called off a wedding.” “That obvious?” “Only to someone empathic. My name is Cemil Rowan. I’m part owner of the Wiccan Haus. Please — ” He spread his hand and arm in the directions of the lobby door “ — come in and let’s get you situated. You appear tired, both emotionally and physically.” Dana decided not to question Cemil’s assessment. He was right. Anyone could see she was about to fall where she stood. She hadn’t slept in days, not since before she walked down the aisle, and certainly not last night. Her mind wandered to Frank, and she wondered what he was doing today. She hoped he had fared better than she had with his family. “I’m sure your ex-fiancé is doing much the same as you are. He’s mourning what should never have gone so far.” Cemil gave her a kind smile then directed his attention to the woman at the front desk. “This is Myron. She’ll get you your keys. I’m sure I’ll see you both at dinner.” “Ms. Stone, we have your rooms ready.” “Rooms? I only ordered one room with two beds.”

3

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Myron smiled and pushed the two keys forward toward her. “You’ll find that in the Wiccan Haus, while you don’t always get what you asked for, we strive to give you what you need.” Dana and Jessie were led to the farthest of three elevators and up to the third floor. The building seemed much larger on the inside than it had appeared on the outside. Walking down the long hallway, the bellhop smiled as he opened up the door to the left. As Dana moved to go inside, the bellhop shook his head. “This is Ms. Ranata’s room; yours is over here.” Dana walked through the door now open for her. The breathtaking room calmed her inner being with cream walls, bare of all art except a few dried branches arranged on the wall, and the aroma of herbs filled her nostrils, somehow making her feel lighter. The light wooden floors gleamed from the light of candles lit throughout the room. A simple bed, cupboard, and chaise were the only other things occupying the room. No clutter. No fuss. Just plain simplicity. Something she had never known. Her life had always been filled with many family members, family friends, large parties, and huge garish houses. It had been filled with too much chaos and too much noise. She had never thought or known that what she needed was this simplicity, this emptiness. “Oh. I’m so sorry.” A pixie-like woman with long blonde hair that fell to her waist came out of the bathroom. “I’d meant to be long gone before you made it up here.” The woman laughed and placed the dried herbs in her hands into a linen bag draped over her neck and across her chest. She looked about the room, assessing, before wiping her hands on her long flowing skirt. Her blue eyes twinkled, reminding Dana of Cemil. “Yes. Cemil is my brother…and no, I don’t have mind reading ability.” She held out her hand to Dana. “Everyone one who sees our eyes puts two and two together. I’m Sage. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dana.” Dana took her proffered hand. “If the room isn’t done, I can go back.” “Don’t be silly. I just needed to change a few items to make your stay better. I think I have the right soap and candles, but I had to work so quickly this time I wasn’t sure if the ingredients were strong enough.” She shrugged, went to the door, and lit what looked like a large joint, but Dana knew couldn’t be. She watched Sage blow the flame out and waft smoke over the door and through the room. “Yes, I think that does it.” “Does what?” “Captures the essence of who you are, not what you have been, or what your parents have molded you into becoming.”

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Tears burned the back of her eyes at the thought of her parents. They had declared, in front of all of the wedding guests, that Dana was no longer any daughter of theirs. A killing blow for a woman who had had to fight for every ounce of acceptance and love they had doled out. Dana watched Sage float out and decided not to question the sanity of the woman who had just left. Dana was pretty sure that “Wiccan” meant white witch, but for the first time she wondered if perhaps the owners truly believed they were witches and maybe this wasn’t a tourist gag to get more people to come. She felt increasingly weary and wanted nothing more than to close her eyes. She felt a need to escape life for a moment — escape the worry, guilt, fear, and regret she harbored deep inside.

Rekkas walked into the main office, and then quickly turned on his heel to walk back out. The Dark Ones, as most of the staff referred to Cyrus and Sarka, were metaphorically at each other’s throats again, and this was only the first day of a new week. Unlike Sage and Cemil, who never fought, it seemed that was all Sarka and Cyrus did. Two siblings who brought peace to everything they touched, two who brought chaos; the perfect yin and yang of family rivalry. The humans were due to settle in for a nap, thanks to the herbs Sage had left in their rooms. The Paras were all due to arrive within the hour. That gave Rekkus just a few minutes to relax before the portals opened and hell began anew. “Where the hell do you think you are going?” Sarka’s husky voice rumbled through him. He turned to meet her stare as she twisted her long black hair up into a bun with a pencil. She always put her hair up when she was annoyed, and now he was stuck dealing with her bad attitude. “Funny you should mention that. I’m trying to decide which hell I would rather deal with.” “Did you know the vamps were coming this week?” Rekkus let his head drop. So this was all about the vampires and Sarka’s hatred for them. Rekkus knew when he had no escape, so he sat next to Cyrus. “Did you know, Cy?” “No. Not that she believes me.” “You want me to believe that no one on security knew that we had a coven of vamps coming here this week and that neither Sage nor Cemil informed you?” 5

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“I have the complete guest list here. I also have Myron’s tentative room assignments for every guest. Nowhere does it say race: vampire on it. Sorry, luv.” It would seem that Sage and Cemil — the Light Ones, as the staff called the blond siblings — had, in fact, left that information out. Though he hated to take sides in this silly family feud that erupted every week, this time Sarka was correct. He should know when their blood-sucking guests made reservations. Whenever vampires were on the property, a contingency plan had to be put into effect; willing humans looking to be fed upon were a necessity. At the moment, he could think of only two and that was no way enough for the four vampires coming. And Hell would freeze over before he became vamp chow. “Do you think that’s an excuse?” Cyrus threw his notepad on the desk that separated him from his sister. “Sarka, for the love of the goddess, do you honestly think we would just spring vamps on you like this for fun? I assure you, we would rather you know. I would rather bathe with the piranha than deal with you like this.” “You should know who the hell is in this building!” “How? Neither of us is psychic.” Having had enough of the sibling squabble, Rekkus got to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of the dining issue before our guests arrive.” “Wait for me,” Cyrus said, following on his heels. Once safely out of hearing range of Sarka, Rekkus mumbled, “Coward.” “You better believe it. The only person on this planet I’m scared of is my big sister.” “With good reason.” Rekkus agreed. Not many could make a grown man run, but she could. Rekkus had been head of security at the Wiccan Haus since it had opened its doors five years ago — four years before the first human stepped foot on the island. About a year ago, after taking a vacation of their own, the Light Ones had come back with the brilliant idea to offer the same services to the human race as they did to the paranormals: helping to heal and center those in need. Un-centered Paras were more of a concern than humans. A Para who could not control their powers was a danger to themselves, others, and the secrecy of the Para-Pact. But humans were the ones that Cemil and Sage most connected with. It was for them that Cemil would worry and fret. As an empath, he could not live knowing another person was hurting. So they had convinced Sarka that it would work. They could heal both humans and Paras together, and in Sage’s rose-colored world, they would all be happy friends. In truth, this new arrangement was a pain in Rekkus’s ass. He now had to worry about the effect Paras had on humans and what these humans would do if they found out the true nature of the beasts they shared the same roof with. 6

Wiccan Haus: Shifting Hearts

In order for the arrangement to work, keeping the humans on a separate floor from the Paras had been the first step. The third elevator was the only elevator that went to the human floor, and it only stopped on that floor. Sarka had transmuted the metal on the lift buttons so only Paras could activate elevator two and only the humans would be able to use the third. If Rekkus wanted or needed to get to the human floor, he had to use a key. The human elevator wouldn’t let him up any other way. The second step was establishing the dining hall to feed both races. Sage set herbs about the dining hall in an attempt to separate the two species, but so far they hadn’t managed it successfully all of the time. Again, in Sage and Cemil’s golden world, everyone would get along. Combining the groups at meals and in classes seemed no big deal to them. To Rekkus and his staff this was an eternal logistics nightmare. Their efforts to keep the two groups apart were not successful and could possibly be deemed a failure. With all the work they put in to keeping the humans and Paras apart, it never failed that they still managed to find their way together. There appeared to be a great deal of coupling going on between the two every week. But thus far, nobody had gone back to the mainland with tales of ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties. As long as no one was telling tales about the place, then Sarka wasn’t coming down on him, and Rekkus didn’t care about who fucked whom. “Was there a reason you were looking for me, Rekkus?” “Yeah, actually, but had I known Sarka was in there I wouldn’t have come within a mile of that room.” “What did you need?” As if anticipating the reason, Cyrus removed the glove from his right hand and put out his hand palm side up. Rekkus handed him the antique watch he had found on the path leading from the docks. Cyrus palmed it before handing it back to Rekkus. “It belongs to Dana Stone, she just recently called off her wedding and came from a — ” “Really, Cyrus, the name is all I need. I don’t give a bloody damn about the human’s issues.” “Look, you use me as a lost and fucking found, you get the information I get.” Rekkus chuckled and waved Cyrus away. Of all the siblings, Cyrus was the least happy with his gift. As a retrocog, he had the ability to see things about the owner of an object that not even he wanted to know. His powers were what had originally caused the siblings to open the healing resort. Cyrus had spent too many years touching items to find out who killed whom, who stole what, and who cheated on whom. From the age of thirteen, when his powers had come to notice of the Para Syndicate, Cyrus had been in demand. By twenty-one, he was famous; not one Para didn’t know his name. By twenty-seven, he was a wreck. 7

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Cyrus had become unable to sleep or eat. He was haunted by the memories he held in his head. Every murder played in his mind’s eye when he held a murder weapon. Every wrong deed came to life as if he lived it whenever he touched an object. He had started wearing gloves so that only the items he needed to focus on would enter his brain, but that made it worse. Now the only items he tended to touch were evil ones. He no longer got to touch a baby’s blanket when it dropped to the floor. He no longer got to feel the mother’s love and the child’s happiness. His world had become dark and morbid. Rekkus had been hired as Cyrus’s personal bodyguard when it became obvious that not everyone was pleased with Cyrus’s gift. Strange accidents began to happen at an ever-growing and alarming rate. One night, a rogue group of Paras attacked and killed members of the coven. Cyrus’s three middle sisters had been amongst the dead. An attack in retribution for information Cyrus had given to the Syndicate. Rekkus, by making a split decision to not allow the four siblings to get out of the car that fateful night, had saved their lives. After that, Cyrus had shut down. Nothing and no one could get Cyrus to open up. So when the Syndicate had offered him the island as compensation, the siblings took it with all four set of hands. Not only would it allow for the healing Cyrus needed, but it also allowed them to mourn the death of their three sisters. More importantly, the island was protected by more power than anyone could imagine, and Cyrus needed to know his remaining family was safe. He had begged Rekkus to come and head the security. Rekkus couldn’t deny his friend the one lifeline to sanity he had left. While Rekkus had secured the island, using every magical ability at his disposal through the Syndicate, the three siblings had focused all of the next year into healing Cyrus. One day, at the end of that year, Cyrus suggested they do this for others. Now as long as he kept his hands gloved, he lived a relatively normal life. But it remained Rekkus’s job to keep the four safe and secure from the factions still intent on revenge. Having been Cyrus’s best friend since they were still riding tricycles, he hadn’t seen Cyrus this comfortable or at ease since he was twelve. Only that knowledge kept Rekkus on the island taking care of silly humans and weak Paras. Weak Paras he secretly thought unworthy of being Paras since they needed a spa, but if Cyrus could find the peace that he so desperately needed by helping them, who was Rekkus to argue? As Rekkus approached the front desk, Myron said, “Room Seven.” “Not my room. I need the room — ” “Room Seven for Ms. Stone.” Rekkus nodded, headed to the elevator, inserted the key, and rode up to the third floor. With any luck, Dana Stone would not be napping yet. They still had forty-five minutes until the portal opened, and that meant the herbs hadn’t fully 8

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fused the room. He wasn’t keen on drugging the humans to get the Paras on the island, but the portal was loud, and it shook the buildings when it first opened. So, it was better to get the humans in their rooms and resting before the portal opened. Unfortunately, the portal could only open at certain times. Although he had tried again and again to work out the timing, they never were able to get the ferry to arrive after the portal opened and still have time to get everyone checked in. Arriving at the room at the end of the hall, he knocked gently. If she was asleep, he would just leave the watch on the door knob. About to do just that, the door opened to a bleary-eyed, disheveled woman, whose skin looked to be the softest he had ever seen. His inner animal roared to life, and he felt like someone had hit him square in the solar plexus. She was small compared to his six-foot, five-inch frame. Every inch of him wanted to take her curvaceous body hard and fast and make her his. “Can I help you?” she asked, lifting her hand to stifle the yawn. Taking a deep breath to control his inner beast, focused on the watch in his hand. “Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Stone, but I found your watch on the path coming from the ferry. I wanted to return it to you.” She looked at the watch, looking confused for a minute, before taking it from him. Her fingers barely grazed his hand, but it felt like she had burned him. “Thank you. I don’t know how I could have lost it.” Unable to say anything after her brief touch, Rekkus nodded in what he assumed made him look like a complete moron. She looked at him for a minute, her deep chocolate eyes cleared and his breath hitched. “Thank you. My grandmother willed me this watch. It’s very special to me; I don’t know how I can repay you.” “Fuck me,” he thought looking at her lips and wondering if they were as soft as they seemed and how they would feel on his body. “Excuse me?” she asked clearly offended. Before he could say anything more, she closed the door with him still standing there staring at the brass number seven. “‘Fuck me’? Rekkus, you are a right idiot.” Not only had he said those words aloud, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he hadn’t come across that watch by accident. He also suspected that the watch wasn’t simply a watch. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something in the watch hummed with magic. He had long ago stopped believing in happenstance. Walking back down the hall, he let out a growl loud enough to shake the pictures on the beautifully decorated wall. Damn the Fates.

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Chapter Two

D

ana ate her meal in silence; though the food was fantastic, she still didn’t have much of an appetite. She didn’t think anyone would really notice she was just pushing her food around the plate. Jessie, who had come to get her for dinner, was eating as if it were her last meal. Every bite she savored, and when they came back asking if she would like more, she jumped on it.

The hotel employee who had come to her door earlier to return her watch kept coming to the front of her mind; his chiseled face, Anglican nose, and the rough stubble on his face — evidence that he had shaved that morning — burned into her brain. Dana was tall, five nine, but he made her feel petite. No one had ever made her feel petite, ever. And he had looked like he wanted to eat her alive, and there was no denying he wanted to, as he put it, fuck her. Even though she wasn’t engaged anymore, the feeling of attraction to the barbaric man made her feel guilty and hot all at once. Smiling at the right times in the conversation, Dana managed to answer the best she could when asked questions by the sweet older couple from Pennsylvania. She really would have been happier just to eat in her room, but the rules stated that every member must be in the dining room for dinner. Sage had mentioned it was for a head check to make sure no guests were wondering the island lost after dark. Since tall, dark, and blunt wasn’t in the room, it seemed the staff were exempt from the “everyone eats dinner” rule. Jessie looked around the room following Dana’s view. “What are you looking for?” “No one — I mean nothing.” Glancing away, Dana looked over the list of activities she could choose from for that night. She wished that heading to bed and pulling the covers over her head were on that list.

Wiccan Haus: Shifting Hearts

Wondering how much time she had before the activities began, she looked down at her watch and noticed it wasn’t there. Panicked, she got up, excused herself, and walked out of the room. She had lost her grandmother’s watch again. She needed to retrace her steps, hoping against hope that the watch was just still in her room. She vowed she would get it fixed as soon as they got back to the mainland, but for now she couldn’t go play bingo if she was worried that her grandmother’s favorite watch was missing again. It seemed bizarre that her watch, which in three years hadn’t left her wrist once, had managed to fall off unnoticed twice in one day. As she approached the elevators, Dana yelled for the woman entering the elevator to hold it for her. Running the last few feet, she thanked the beautiful, dark-haired woman and walked to the back of the elevator keeping her back to the wall. The two people in the elevator exuded sexuality from every pore. The woman slid in next to her, too close for Dana’s comfort. Dana was about to tell them that she wasn’t into women or ménage à trois when the elevator stopped. Frozen in place, Dana tried to move but for a brief second was unable. The two sets of dark eyes seemed to pierce her soul; she felt her blood race and sensed that this was not a situation she wanted to be in. It was more than sensuality that the man exuded as he licked his lips; it was hunger. The kind of hunger she had when she forgot to eat breakfast. Finally, the doors opened with a long, loud ding — far louder than she remembered the first time she rode the elevator. Without looking back, she left the elevator and tried not to run straight down to the last door on the left. She opened the door and slid inside her room before the two intimidating ones could follow her. She had never in her life been so scared. An energizing mix of adrenaline and fear pumped through her. Taking a moment to call herself a fool in every way possible, she moved into the room to search for the missing watch, which to her dismay was nowhere to be found. She looked under the bed, now remade and looking like she had never taken a nap on it. The staff were really on top of things, she thought, looking under the large cupboard in the corner of the room. She was just about to enter the bathroom when the door opened. Standing naked before her was all six foot plus of the man who had returned her watch to her earlier. What was he doing using her shower and coming out naked? She hadn’t a clue. He eyed her, surprise lighting up his golden eyes. She could have sworn she saw flames deep within them. Before Dana could demand to know why he was in her room, let alone naked, he had her lifted into his arms pinned against the wall, his mouth descending on hers. Her brain shut down to all around her; she could have sworn he was saying something that sounded like you felt it too, but the buzzing in her ears was drowning out everything. 11

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Too shocked at first to fight, she opened her mouth to question him, but his lips captured the words, and nothing else seemed possible in the next moments. She couldn’t think; she couldn’t do anything but kiss him back. His lips covered hers, and his tongue dove deep into the recesses of her mouth, waltzing with hers and demanding she meet his actions. Damn, this man could kiss! His hands cupped her buttocks, pressing her into intimate contact with his hard, impressive cock. She found herself grinding her hips against him at the urging of his hands. She wanted nothing more than to remove the barrier of clothing that rested between them. Her hands gripped his bare shoulders, first for support, then to prevent him from moving away from her. His lips left hers and nibbled their way down her neck, pushing the loose knit blouse to the side, giving him more access to her sensitive flesh. As he nibbled over her collarbone to her shoulder, some resemblance of sanity returned and she remembered where she was. She had no idea whatsoever who this naked, admittedly drop-dead gorgeous stranger was in her room. Just that he was about to ravish her. This man, who hadn’t even grunted as he lifted her larger frame up and against the wall, could probably take her right here without her consent. A moment of panic crept in. “Stop!” She pushed at him with all the strength she could muster. He looked up at her. His eyes filled with confusion and passion. “Put me down. Now!” Without pause, he lowered her, inch by tantalizing inch, until her toes finally reached the ground. She stumbled away from him, backing into the table, nearly knocking over the candle that sat upon it. “What are you doing in my room?” “Your room?” he asked in a voice still deep with passion. For the first time, she noticed the hint of an accent — Scottish or British she wasn’t sure which. He turned from her, giving her the perfect view of his ass and the most gorgeous tribal tattoo of a tiger on his shoulder. He moved into the bathroom, grabbing one of the folded towels. She looked away, giving him time to cover his muscular hips with the towel. A sense of relief washed over her. Although he could have overpowered her, he hadn’t. In fact, even as frustrated as he was, he had been gentle and complied with her demand. “Why do you think this is your room?” “Of course this is my room. How did you get in and why are you taking a shower in here?” To her own ears, her voice sounded shrewish. “Don’t you have your own room in the servant’s quarters?” “I am no one’s servant.” His voice came out as a growl. “And I have a room and you, lady, are standing in it.” “I’m not sharing a room with you.” 12

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“I didn’t ask you to.” He walked over to the cupboard, threw open the door, and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “As you can see this is my stuff, my clothes. This is my room.” “But I don’t understand. I thought…oh no. I am so sorry, but this room looks just like mine, and it’s at the end of the hall.” She stumbled toward the door hitting the side of the coffee table. Cursing as the corner scraped her leg, Dana knew that was going to leave a bruise in the morning. “Careful.” “Sorry, I really…I’ll just leave you — ” “What lift did you get into?” “What?” “Lift, elevator, the thing that brought you up to this floor?” “I don’t know. The second, maybe. Someone was holding it for me when I got there.” She could feel the blush start at the tip of her head and move downward. She had just made a colossal ass of herself. No wonder the man came on to her with such force. He must have thought she had searched him out to get laid. “I’m so sorry; I’ll just let myself out.” “No,” he barked, but then his features softened. “No, I’ll walk you back to your room. Just let me get my shoes on. Don’t go out into the hallway without me.” “I’m sure I’ll be safer out there than in here with you.” Another growl, this time it was a sound so deep with frustration and need that, had she not been so keen to exit the room, she would have laughed. “I’m simply worried about you causing a riot.” “Fine, if you really feel like I need an escort, you can escort me back to the dining hall. I’m sure my friend is wondering where I am.” An outright lie. The only thing Jessie was currently worried about was who she would be sharing her bed with this week, but Mr. Buff Muscles didn’t need to know that. Dana took a deep breath in, smelling him as he walked by. She couldn’t help it. He was like sex on very firm muscular legs. Her only disappointment was that she hadn’t seen more of his ass. She bet that would have been a picture to keep her hot on any winter night. “After you, Ms. Stone.” He opened the door and waited for her to exit before closing the door behind him. She noticed he didn’t lock the door this time either, but then locking the door might impede his secret liaisons. He jabbed the elevator button with such force she was sure it would crack under the pressure. “I’m sorry for the mix up and leading you to believe I was there for something else.” 13

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“Don’t ever apologize to me. I was out of line. The fault is completely mine.” “I won’t tell anyone. I don’t want to put your job in jeopardy.” “My job was never what was in jeopardy, Ms. Stone.” He entered the elevator and waited for her to come in when a short red-headed man and gorgeous blonde woman, whose barely-there dress left very little to the imagination, tried to get in with them. He stood in the door, blocking their entry. “Take the next one, Max.” “Oh come on, Rekkus. There is more than enough room.” The man was oblivious to the tension her tall security guard was broadcasting in his direction. “I said take the next one.” Placing both hands up in surrender, Max backed away from the elevator. “We’ll take the next one.” “They could have shared the elevator with us.” “No, they couldn’t.” The elevator ride seemed to take forever. As she stared at his back, she wondered what it would have been like to let him take her against that wall in his room. What if she hadn’t stopped him, what if…? Shaking her head, she focused on something else. “What kind of name is Rekkus?” “Welsh.” “Oh.” Rekkus took a deep breath, filling his broad chest and making her want to run her hands under his shirt to feel it again. As the door opened, he stood in the opening, preventing her from getting out, but also preventing the doors from closing again. “It’s a family name. We are Welsh.” “Okay.” “Um, Rekkus, are you going to stand in the elevator all day or are you going to let others use it?” Dana looked around Rekkus to see Sage standing in the hallway with a basket of what looked like more dried weeds in her hand. “Oh, hello, Ms. Stone. Whatever are you doing in this elevator?” “I got on the wrong one by mistake.” “Oh dear, well good thing you ran into Rekkus here. You will be in good hands.” You have no idea. “Yes, thank you.” “Rekkus, did you just growl at me?” Sage pushed him out of the way, as if he was a toddler not listening to a parent, and shooed Dana out. “Really, growling at me. As if. Make sure you take her to the meditation room. That’s where she needs to be tonight.” 14

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“As you wish.” Rekkus bent over in a mock bow as the doors closed, and he placed his large hand on her lower back, sending tingles all the way down her spine. “You heard the lady. Meditation room for you.” They walked the rest of the way in silence, but she could tell he was bristling about something. “You said something about feeling it too, earlier when we, well you…I mean us.” He grabbed her hand, and his golden eyes searched her face as if to memorize it. “It would be best, I think, if you forgot anything I said and just forgot you ever met me.” “But — ” “This is the meditation room. I’m sure they will be able to help you relax again. Enjoy your stay and please remember for your own safety, you are only to take the third elevator.” Before she could call him back or say a word, he turned on his heel and walked back down the beige hallway. He reminded her of a caged animal at the zoo. Shaking that thought — but not the images of him naked — from her brain, she did as she was told and entered the mediation room. Something about this place just wasn’t adding up, and didn’t need a mate quite frankly, Dana felt too drained to try to figure it out. She was here to heal, not here to get laid. She feared turning him down might be a mistake to haunt her later on, but now she needed to find peace with herself. Rekkus would only muddy things up. Even as she thought it, she didn’t really believe that.

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Chapter Three

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ekkus stomped into the office, not caring that three sets of eyes stared at him with icy blue crispness. “I’m going for a swim.”

“Now? There are still guests roaming the grounds,” Sarka demanded. “You can’t yet; you need to wait until the humans are in bed at least.” “Now. And I’ll be discreet, as I always am.” “We also need to deal with the diet issues for the vamps.”

“You know what? Let the kitchen deal with it. I don’t give a shit.” About to leave, he stopped when Cemil made one of those noises he was so fond of when he found something interesting. “What?” “No matter how hard you run tonight, you can’t run from your destiny.” “I’m not running from anything.” “Did he just growl at Cemil?” Sarka asked. “He did.” Cyrus put down the paper he was reading, and looked at his friend. A twinkle lit Sarka’s blue eyes. “Interesting.” “Sage said he growled at her too,” Cyrus added. “Really.” “I am right fucking here, you prats.” Cemil, who remained quiet during his siblings’ exchange, closed his eyes and grabbed Rekkus’s hand before gasping and letting it go. “His mate is on the island.” “What?” “She is not my mate.” “Who?” the Dark Ones asked in unison. If they thought he had growled before, they hadn’t heard anything yet. “Cemil!” “I didn’t think one could growl out the name ‘Cemil.’”

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“Neither did I, Sarka, but he just did.” “Swim. Gonna. Go. Swim. Before I do something to all three of you I might not regret in the morning.” He turned on Cemil just as he got up. “Don’t say another fucking word.” “So you think one of us should go after him?” Sarka asked before he had barely crossed the threshold of her office. “Not on your life,” Cyrus said. As he walked out the door past Myron, who was placing cards on the reception desk, he stopped and placed a hand on the cards and demanded, “Why did you put Dana Stone in the room you did?” She looked up at him, not intimidated in the least. “I ran the numbers when she made the initial reservation. Room six came up, but for some reason when I saw her coming up the path this afternoon, I sensed I needed to run the numbers again and seven came up. So I pinged Sage and asked her if we could change the rooms.” That was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that it was a coincidence, that the room she was put into was just the last one available, or that someone else didn’t like it so she volunteered to take it. He did not want to hear that the numbers, which in an indirect way meant the Fates, had placed her in the room that was the mirror image of his. The Fates had placed her there so that when she made the mistake of getting on the wrong elevator, it would never occur to her that she was in the wrong room, until it was too late. He had six days to get through before she left the island. Then his life would go back to normal. Six days to hold off this need he had. The need to take that beautiful, voluptuous woman into his arms and fuck her until she begged him to never stop was becoming unbearable. Worse, he had six days in which to ignore Dana’s presence, knowing even then his life would never be the same again. Running out the front door, he ignored everyone, even the vampire leering at a strolling human couple as they came close. All he could think of was to get away. He headed directly for the wooded area near the Haus. His shoes were the first to come off his body and were followed by his shirt, discarded and left to fall where it landed. He stripped off his pants and kicked them to side, where they landed on a bush. Once naked, he looked to the moon, not completely full, but full enough to increase his powers. He growled one last time and allowed the shift to take place. He shifted from full human into Black Tiger, the largest of were-cats. The last of his kind, last of the great Black Tiger streak. Only his golden eyes showed any resemblance to his human likeness. Large paws crushed the dead leaves below his massive tiger frame. Lumbering through the forest, Rekkus pushed his body, allowing the animal within him to release the pent up rage, the inner frustration. The Fates were not just cruel, they 17

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had a sense of humor. Not only did they leave him alone as the sole remaining Black Tiger, but when they finally did send him a mate, she was a human. Not one ounce of Para blood ran through her veins. Letting out a loud hiss in frustration, Rekkus paced the side of the lake. He knew that unless he left the island, it would be almost impossible to avoid Dana, but damned if he needed to avoid her, needed her gone. He didn’t need a mate, and he didn’t want one. Convinced that he could control this, he dove into the water, letting it wash through his short fur. Coming up for air, he let the human side of him resurface and strolled out of the lake. Wishing, not for the first time, that he had followed through on his plan and left a box of clothes nearby, he went to retrace his steps and find his clothes. “Just the man I was looking for,” said Serena, the woman from the elevator, coming around the lake and holding his pants with one finger. “Serena,” he greeted her, moving further out of the water. He wasn’t stupid. Serena was the last person he wanted to be in the water with. The siren could go from seductress to killer in a second. This was her second consecutive week at the resort, and not the first time she had found his pants before he had. “I so love coming across your pants and knowing you aren’t in them.” She moved closer, allowing her breasts to press against his wet chest. Her lips brushed against his collarbone, and her hand reached down to cup his cock. He wondered why she, a woman designed to seduce men, left him unaffected. Not even a spark. Just a few days ago she had both turned him on and elevated his needs. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pushed her away. “Sing, Siren.” “Excuse me?” “Sing.” “But you yourself made me sign a pact that stated I would sing for no one.” “I’m allowing you to sing now, for me. I need you to entice me.” Serena looked at Rekkus as if he had lost his marbles, and maybe he had. “Very well.” She took a step back so her feet could touch the water. The pool shimmered with life as she did. Her eyes normally a brilliant blue churned with the colors of the oceans. She licked her lips, opened her mouth, and sang. Come, men of the land, Come and meet me on the strand. Your hearts they grown weary and my eyes are all teary For the man I need is away on the sea. Come, men of the land, Come walk in the sand. Your soul is now mine and like the fish on your line The man that I need is now one with the Sea. 18

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Rekkus listened to her voice. It was so pure it had dragged men to the murky depths of the sea and to their deaths. This was same voice that had made him hard with want and need just five days before, when he had caught her bathing naked at the hot spring on the other end of the island. Yet here she stood, willing to give him a sexual escape that would leave most Paras sated and most humans dead, and he felt nothing. Not a twinge of interest left in him for her. The only image in his mind was Dana and her soft curves. Damn the Fates to hell. “So it’s true what they are saying?” Serena’s hand touched his bare shoulder in a soft gesture of support. “Only a man who has found his mate, no matter Para or human, could resist my song.” “But she is human.” “So? You can spend all of your time fighting it, or you can give into what, from all I have heard, is beautiful and wondrous. But your time is ticking. You only have six days to convince her to stay, because once she is off the island, you’ll have a hard time courting her long distance. And everyone knows you will never leave here, not so long as there is any threat to Cyrus.” “It’s better if she leaves. She isn’t our kind.” “Think on this, Tiger: once she leaves and you relinquish any hold on her, there will be a long line of Paras who will go after her. There has to be something in her for the Fates to give the Black Tiger Prince a human princess.” The siren went to sing again, but Rekkus placed a silencing finger on her lips. “The pact is reinstated, no singing.” She shrugged, throwing the pants back at him before diving into the deepest part of the pond and disappearing with a splash of a beautiful, shimmering tail.

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Chapter Four

M

editation, though nice, did nothing to release her frustration. The hot herbal bath relaxed her, but still didn’t get to the root of the issue. Dana was horny as hell, and it was the hot security guy she wanted; she wanted him with a fever she had never felt before. She woke up twice in the middle of the night, sweat pouring off her body, and she cursed the erotic dreams that wouldn’t leave her be. If her plans to reunite with her family when she got home were going to happen, she needed to make sure she wasn’t coming back involved with a security guard. Her family, never one to look kindly on blue collar workers in the best of situations, would see this as yet another act of defiance from Dana and follow through with the threat to disown her. The problem was her hormones didn’t seem to give a damn what her head was telling them was right for her. Now after a shower and a quick in-room breakfast of grapefruit and granola, Dana knew what she had to do. If she was going to get on with the healing, she needed to get rid of this need she had for Rekkus. She would take a page from Jessie’s book and just go for it. She would enjoy the moment, enjoy the man, and when she left here, she would have a great memory of an evening she would never forget. And no one would know anything about her fling. Except her — Dana suspected she would remember it for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, following through with her plan was proving harder to put into action than she had expected. For one, Rekkus was nowhere to be found. Second, although she knew the second elevator took her to his floor, she wasn’t sure why hers didn’t. The second elevator wouldn’t work for her. She pushed the button and nothing happened. After camping out in front of the elevator for two hours, hoping someone would use it, she finally gave up. It appeared the other floor liked to sleep in.

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Myron at the front desk was of no help. She just said the numbers weren’t in Dana’s favor. The Rowan siblings were absolutely nowhere to be found. So Dana wandered the island in hopes to find him out and about. No luck. She wandered back to the Haus, way past lunch and close to dinner, deflated and still just as horny as before, only now she was starving on top of everything else. Myron shook her head before she could even ask her question. Finally, she accepted the inevitable. She was not meant to find him, and she was really starving. The rumbling in her stomach far outweighed the ache at the apex of her thighs. She was almost through her salad when Jessie strolled in with a glow about her that made Dana want to punch her. “Isn’t this place fantastic?” Jessie asked, throwing herself into the vacant seat across from Dana. “I had the most wonderful massage and mud soak. You don’t look so good. Didn’t you get any sleep last night?” “No, not really.” “You might think about asking that Sage chick if she can give you something to help you sleep. I mean you went days before the wedding not sleeping, then you didn’t sleep at all the night of, and now not last night, either.” Dana shrugged. She wasn’t about to tell Jessie that she couldn’t sleep because she was obsessing about the hot hotel employee they had seen as they got off the boat and then later she almost let fuck her brains out before even knowing his name. But she certainly wasn’t going to admit she had pushed him away and told him to stop. “I’m sure tonight will be better. “ “If you say so. By the way did you find your watch?” Dana looked at her friend for a moment, perplexed, and then it all came back. The whole reason she had gone up to the room the night before was to find her watch. She still didn’t know where it was. “No, I’ve no idea where it is. I’ve had that watch for years, and now I’ve lost it not once, but twice in a day.” “I’m sure it’ll turn up. Maybe you should talk to the woman at the front desk. You know, the one always playing cards. Can you imagine playing solitaire all day long? I walked by this morning, and the owners were there. They didn’t say a word. If I did that at work I would have been fired so quick, and we go days where there is nothing at all to report.” Dana tuned out whatever else she might have said. Jessie had a way of going on about things as if her life were so very hard. Neither Jessie nor Dana had had a hard life at all. Both had been born with a silver spoon, and both had been privileged. And Dana was in such a mood that she might just say something nasty about how Jessie wasn’t likely to lose her job since Daddy had bought the paper to allow her to have a job somewhere writing when no one else would hire her. But who was Dana to say anything, when Dana had been able to walk right into a PR job right out of college because the owner knew her father? 21

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Dana suddenly felt a chill go down her spine. She could feel eyes looking at her from across the dining room, people whispering as they came in. “Are you even listening to me, Dana?” “Sorry.” “What are you looking at?” Jessie twisted her neck around and frowned. “Why are they all staring at you as if you’re a freak at a carnival?” “Geeze, thanks, Jess.” “Sorry, but they are. And have you noticed that only the pretty people, and I mean the ultra-perfect people, sit over on that side of the dining hall? I noticed it at lunch. Something strange is going on here.” “Yes, Jessie. It’s a conspiracy against the average people.” “Did you do something today to make them all stare like that? You know falling in the hallway, spilling something on one of their pristine beings?” “No, I’ve no idea. And I’m getting creeped out by the attention. I think I’ll head out and find Sage. Maybe you’re right; I just need some sleep.” She bid her friend goodbye, grabbed the plum off her plate, and walked through the wandering corridors to the front desk. Sitting there, as always, was Myron, and as always, she was playing what looked to be solitaire. “Hi, Myron,” Dana said, glancing at the name badge that read Celeste. “Oh sorry. I thought your name was Myron.” “It is. I just seem to lose my real one all the time, so I just took Celeste’s.” She picked up her cards and laid them in a fashion that was unfamiliar to Dana as a solitaire game. “Whatever you are looking for is at the lake to the east of here. Follow the path and walk about ten minutes; you can’t miss it.” “I didn’t tell you I was missing anything.” “You didn’t have to. Your numbers told me where you were supposed to be. You must hurry if you will make it in time.” Baffled by the flaky lady behind the counter, Dana didn’t move. She just stared at the cards that looked to her to be a king of hearts, over the queen of spades, next to a seven of diamonds, and a card faced down to the side. Really? That said go to the lake and you will find your watch? So maybe this nutty group really did believe in magic after all — to each their own. “You must hurry.” “So you said.” Shaking her head, Dana walked out of the lobby into the cool New England — at least she thought they were still in New England — air. Though a big part of her wanted to take her damned time walking the path, a small part thought, what if crazy card lady is right, what if…? 22

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Shaking off the thought, Dana walked the path. She hadn’t remembered it being so long to the lake, and as she turned the corner she saw what she thought was a large black and gray beast. Tiger-like, but that would be impossible. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, what she saw was just as insane as a tiger. There before her stood, in all his naked glory, Rekkus. He was naked, wet, and hard. Oh, so very hard. Again! The look of hunger in his eyes nearly caused her to run in the other directions. He looked primal. No man had ever looked at her with such need before. Instead of the heady rush she thought she would feel, that rush all the romance novels said the heroine would feel, she felt nervous and on edge. She knew she was pretty and, although she was large, she had great curves that drew men to her. However, she couldn’t figure out what it was about her that had this godlike man looking at her with such blatant desire and longing. He paced in the shallow water. He ran his hand through his hair in a show of frustration. Just as her nerves didn’t think they could take anymore, he said, “Why are you here?” “Myron told me to come here.” He stopped pacing, glared in the direction of where Myron would be, then began to pace again. “Damn her. I spent all day avoiding you and she sends you right to me. You need to leave now.” “Why?” “It’s not safe for you here with me. I left you alone last night; if you stay I am not sure I can honor that request a second time.” “I felt it too,” she blurted out, unable to keep it to herself any longer. He moved so fast she never saw him actually take a step. All of a sudden she was wrapped in his wet arms, her breast pressed against his chest, making her now damp shirt cling to her body. His eyes searched hers. He must have seen what he was looking for, the desire she felt. Before she could form another thought, his lips were on hers in a feverous need, demanding she open for him, and no part of her thought for a second to deny him anything. Butterflies churned in her stomach, making her shake. In all the years she had been with Frank — and it had been a great many — she had never felt this, this fire that threatened to engulf her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his wet hair, and deepened the kiss. His moan was all she needed to gather the nerve and strength to push him forward. She knew what he wanted. Knew what he most desired, because she wanted it too. She wanted him, all of him, every naked inch, right here, next to this lake not a ten-minute walk from the Haus. Anyone 23

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could stumble across them, and she didn’t care. It almost added to the allure of everything. What she needed it to be. It was something more than she ever knew she needed. He was pushing her past her comfort zone, forcing her to accept there was a sexy seductress screaming to be let out. Dana pulled away from the kiss that left her breathless; she wanted to see what she was touching, wanted to watch the effect her touch had on him. Not an ounce of fat graced his body, but her touch was making his muscles contract in beautiful ways. As her hand reached the lower part of his stomach and descended further, she heard his breath hitch, causing her to look up at him and lock eyes. When her hand wrapped around him, he hissed, throwing his head back. She couldn’t breathe at the magnificence of him in full display under the glow of the full moon. She moved her hand up and over the head of his cock, feeling it jerk into her palm and fingertips. Wet droplets formed on the tip, and she brought her fingers up to taste him, to savor his essence, before moving her hand back down to his hard-on. She stood transfixed, watching her hand work the long, hard member. When she looked up, he was watching her. His face was tense, and she was sure he was holding back. She wasn’t sure if it was out of care for her, or worries that his eagerness would scare her off. There was no way to tell and no time to think on it. His mouth and hands descended back on her lips and body. Rekkus’s scent was heady, his kiss awe-inspiring. His hands moved over her clothed body. She franticly worked the shorts down her hips, kicking them to the side. Her underwear soon followed. Rekkus grabbed her ass and lifted her so that her legs straddled his hips and moved them into the lake until their bodies were half submerged. His hands gripped her hips, pressing her against his erection. He stopped and pulled back from the kiss. “You have to be very sure, once we do this there is no going back.” “I’m sure.” “I don’t think I can stop again if you don’t stop this now.” “I don’t care.” “You must care, because I won’t be able to let you go once we go through this.” “I just want to be with you.” She practically begged, kissing her way up his neck to the soft spot just before his ear. When she kissed him, she could have sworn she heard him purr. Smiling, she moved her hips just enough to put the tip of his cock at her entrance. “I need you.” “Dana, if we mate tonight, I — ” “Mate, fuck, make love, I don’t care. Please, I need you.” This time, she grabbed his hips tight between her thighs; finally all those years of horseback riding lessons were paying off. She leaned back in the security of his arms and into the water 24

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then pushed against him using her heels against his buttocks as leverage until he was fully inside her. “Yes!” She looked up at Rekkus, neither of them moving. Both of them just watched the other for the moment. For the rest of her life this image of him would be the one burned into her mind. His hands held her in place, making sure he stayed firmly inside her body, but he allowed her to float. He watched her as the cool water washed over her breasts and her stomach, still confined within her blouse. One hand held her hips tight against his body while he spread the fingers of his other hand wide over her soft belly and up to her breasts. He rubbed his rough palm over her hardened nipples one at a time, before lightly pinching each through the fabric. He released her hip with his other hand and reached behind her and up her back, taking hold of her shoulders, pulling her back up to him, forcing him deeper still into her. She wrapped one arm around his shoulder while the other one reached around to grab his ass. She rode him and held onto him with her thighs, as if afraid he would buck her off. He met each of her thrusts, moving slowly at first, but within seconds the rhythm picked up. Before she knew it, he was ravaging her body like nothing she had experienced. Every long stroke filled Dana until she thought he would rip her in two. She arched back, exposing her dark nipples, visible to him through her wet cotton blouse, and she knew that under the full moon his eyes were soaking in every inch of her that they could. She felt the first quakes form deep within her and fought to keep them at bay, but when he pulled her back up into his arms, forcing contact of their chests, she knew she was done. His lips covered hers to catch and hold the scream of pleasure that would have shook the forest to the ground. As his orgasm raked through his body, she could only hold on and ride it out with him. Every quake sent a stronger one through her until she no longer knew where her orgasm ended and his began. The shaking gradually subsided, and she was able to open her eyes once more. He held her close for what seemed like hours, his body heat keeping her warm in the cool night. His heart beat fast, far faster than she thought was normal, but all she could do was hold onto him and relish the feel of his body, strong and hard, holding her like she weighed nothing at all. How could a man who she had known for less than twenty-four hours make her feel safer and more cherished than a man who she had grown up with? When finally able to string a sentence together, she asked the first thing that came to mind. Without lifting her head from his chest she asked, “Why are you always naked when I find you?” “Perhaps I am waiting for you.” “Mmm.” 25

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“Are you all right?” His voice was soft against her wet hair. “I’m not sure.” He pulled away from her just enough to see her face. “Did I hurt you?” “No, I think you healed me.” She wasn’t sure where those words came from, but once they were out she knew she meant them. She felt like a woman, not frigid or asexual. This was what Jessie must fell when she had sex and what Dana had never understood because she had never felt this mix of need and lust before. She had never felt an orgasm like that before, one that made her want to have sex again. Immediately. “I’m no healer,” he said moving them toward the edge of the lake. Only then did he leave her body and put her back on her feet. He moved over to the rock where he had thrown his clothes, and handed her his T-shirt. “This should cover you.” Instinct was to tell him it wouldn’t fit, but she so wanted to feel his shirt against her and be wrapped in his unique scent. She removed the wet blouse and bra, now as naked as he was, and suddenly the old familiar feeling of insecurity crept over her. She knew what her body looked like and could only imagine what someone like Rekkus, with abs that Michelangelo could have chiseled, was used to having in a woman. She covered her front with his T-shirt, afraid for a moment to try the shirt on in case it wouldn’t fit her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, moving over to her, placing his palm against her cheek and searching her eyes for some answer. Biting her lower lip, she shook her head, and turned around knowing how silly she was. Now he could see her full, naked hips and fuller ass. She couldn’t watch him as she put on the shirt. Worse, she didn’t have a choice, because she couldn’t go back to her old clothes. Slipping his shirt over her head, she felt his fingers help work the T-shirt down her damp back and over her ass. Although it was snug, it covered her. When she turned to face him, he had the same look he had when she had arrived earlier. “You are so sexy. You have no idea what seeing you in my shirt does to my baser need to make you mine forever.” Her breath caught; he didn’t see her as overweight? How could this man want her so much? “I could get — what the hell is that?”

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Rekkus turned away from her in just enough time to see a young gray werewolf coming out of the wooded grove. The were’s eyes were alight with the power of the moon, crazed in his inability to control his baser needs. “Damn it! Telly, you were supposed to lock yourself in the kennel tonight.” But his words fell on deaf ears, as the wolf was focused on the yet-unmated female before him. Rekkus moved his body between the young wolf and the woman he now hoped would mate with him before week’s end. Putting his hand behind him, he forced her against his back. He wanted to know where she was when the young cub attacked. A newly-shifted shifter was a danger to everyone around them. Many Para parents who lived in the modern world with humans had begun sending their adolescent shifters to the resort during the full moon. They stayed on the other side of the island, where a kennel had been erected to both house and hold the young men until the moon phase waned and it was safe to go home again. For a few days every month, Telly came to visit. During the day, he was like any normal Para teen, active and showboating, but when the moon rose, he became aggressive and downright mean. He had attacked one of the handlers last month, and had Rekkus been in a state of mind to pay attention, he would have remembered that Telly needed Rekkus to control him this moon cycle. “Whatever you do, stay behind me, until I tell you to run. Then you run and don’t look back. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes.” “Good.” Rekkus kept one hand before him to block any attack that might come his way and the other hand on Dana because, if he needed to, he would throw her into the lake. He could sense Serena was near, not close, but near. She was singing in the distance, something he would deal with later. He knew though that if he called, she would come; he had no doubt. The siren might have a thing about hurting men, but she had a soft spot when it came to women. It was then that he saw a second wolf in the distance. “Damn it!” The second wolf lunged at the same time Telly did, giving Rekkus a split second to make the decision to shift. He could handle one adolescent shifter in human form no problem, even the second posed little danger, but he could not control them and protect Dana. In tiger form, he could take on the whole pack, while still protecting his mate. He knocked the pouncing wolf away, and before the second attack came, he was shifting into the large seven-hundred-pound Black Tiger. He was larger than most shifters and had more power than these two cubs could handle. With a hiss that quickly followed a growl, he let them see his large teeth. He laid his ears back and leaned back on his haunches then lunged. 27

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Normally, Rekkus would play with the young cubs to teach them a lesson, beginning to come but they had put his mate in danger and that was something he could not afford to let happen. He heard Dana yell and felt her back away. Only then did he attack the wolves head on, batting one away with a large paw, while still keeping his body between them and Dana. He heard the first pup yelp as his claws raked the side of the wolf ’s body, rolling him away. The second one howled and jumped, trying to gain leverage against his massive opponent. Rekkus pinned the gray wolf to the ground, and just as the need to rip its throat out came over him, he heard the familiar sound of Cyrus’s voice behind him. Cyrus, who now had the first wolf by the scruff of its neck, reached out and grabbed the second wounded pup by his. “Cemil, take one of these please.” Cemil fought with the wolf pup for a minute before subduing the young animal. Rekkus took a deep breath, released the tension, and let the shift take him back into his human form. The sound of the game keepers in the distance did little to ease the anger he felt. He had put himself before the safety of the island. When the game keepers approached, one look at the fury on Rekkus face was enough to have them stammering their apologies. Assured they would be dealing with him in the morning, they took the animals from the Rowan brothers and left. “That should never have happened,” Rekkus said, lowering his face in an act of repentance. He had never acted like this before. Cemil did not approach Rekkus, as would normally have been his way; Rekkus could only assume that something in his demeanor told the other man that it was not yet safe to come in close. “This isn’t your fault. Your main priority has to be Ms. Stone. I think she might need you about…now.” Rekkus turned just as Dana’s face went from tan to pale, and her eyes rolled back as she passed out, forcing both Cyrus and Rekkus to grab for her. When Cyrus got to her first, fury like nothing Rekkus had ever felt washed over him. “It’s okay, Rek, just helping out.” Though Cyrus had a lightness to his tone, he still had the good sense to back off once Rekkus had her in his arms. “You need to complete the bonding ceremony before you rip off someone’s head.” Rekkus lifted her with ease into his arms. “I’ll not force her to mate with me.” “I didn’t say you would.” Of everyone, Cyrus was the only one to understand why Rekkus would never force any woman to be his mate against their will. He nodded and began the walk back to the main building. Cemil picked up her discarded clothes and followed a safe distance behind them. “You do know you are naked.” “Yes.” “Just checking,” 28

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That was not how he envisioned telling or showing Dana what he was. He had hoped to do it slowly over time. He had planned to convince her to stay on for more than a week, then work up to the big reveal. Instead, she had seen the worst of him and of the shifting species as a whole. Damned full moon and pups who had no idea how to control their baser urges. Honestly, he had no idea how he had planned to tell her, but that had not been the plan. Walking past one of the hot tubs, Rekkus grabbed a towel to better cover Dana. The thought of anyone seeing her bare legs was enough to send his loosely leashed beast into another rage. The best thing for everyone would be to get her back to his room and shut the world out until they could deal with this issue, or at least until he could deal with this possessive streak that threatened to overtake him. “You might want another towel.” Cyrus laughed, with a pointed look at Rekkus’s bare ass. Rekkus ignored him and continued walking. He didn’t care who saw him naked, but he didn’t want Dana waking up and freaking out in public — for her own sake. She was bound to be furious, upset, and confused. He didn’t want to add embarrassed to the list. He nestled her against him, hoping she could feel the protective energy he was sending out to her. Walking into the bright lights of the reception area, he was relieved to see it not full of people at this time of the evening. He walked past the wide-eyed, open-mouthed Myron. In any other situation, he would have enjoyed the look of shock in the unshakable witch, but now he just walked to the elevators. “He’s naked,” she said in a whisper louder than a yell. “He knows,” Cyrus said. “Does he want a blanket?” “Apparently not.” Cyrus pushed the elevator button for his friend, and when a couple of Paras approached, turned to them in his normal charming way. “I would suggest taking the next lift.” Rekkus moved to the back of the open elevator and rested against the wall. Dana was beginning to come to, and he was getting edgy. “Do you need me to open your door?” “No.” “Good. Then I’ll see you when your beast is back in check. I’m heading down to the kennels. I believe they could use an extra set of hands tonight.” Rekkus didn’t stop until he was in his room. He placed her with care on his king-sized bed. After lighting the candles in the room, he found a blanket in the cupboard and covered her with it. He then waited, first sitting beside the bed, 29

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then pacing, before finally doing what his heart demanded; lying down beside her, he covered her body with his. He could feel her relax into his embrace, and for a moment, he hoped that it would all work out.

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Chapter Five

D

ana awoke feeling refreshed and relaxed. Her dreams had been pleasant enough, other than the super bizarre dream that involved having sex with super hunky Rekkus, followed by him turning into a black tiger-like beast. The sex part was nice, but the other part just seemed wrong. She opened her eyes and looked at the sunlight now streaming through the soft shears on the three large windows.

The blanket seemed warmer and heavier than she remembered, and as she went to remove it, she came in contact with a large, hard, strong arm. In what seemed like slow motion, she turned her head to see Rekkus sound asleep. The slightest of snores came from him. As she tried to move, he pulled her closer to his body, refusing to allow her to leave. She felt a moment of panic. All the blurry, dreamlike images crashed over her. The fear of the wolves, the fear that Rekkus would be hurt, followed by the shock and disbelief as he morphed from human to large cat. Her brain fought what her eyes had seen, but then she remembered Cyrus and Cemil Rowan coming to the party, acting like there was nothing unusual, controlling wolves as if they were puppies. Still convinced she had seen it all wrong, she had turned to look for Rekkus, that was when the tiger became her lover once again and all the blood rushed from her head. Thinking and remembering, Dana felt the room spin again. Her panic was turning into an anxiety attack. Fighting his hold against her, she didn’t realize she was hitting him until his hand wrap around her wrists, affirming, gentle, and unexpected. “You’ll hurt yourself, fy nghariad.” He let go of her hands and moved away from her, giving her the space that she both craved and hated. “Sit up, take a deep breath, and I’ll get you some water.”

Dominique Eastwick

“Could…you…please…put…clothes…on?” she said, between gulps of breath. She felt like she was losing her mind, and this need for him she had every time he was near increased when he was naked. She didn’t want to want him this much. She just wanted to go back a few days and pretend this vacation never happened. She couldn’t relax as he had requested, and by the time he returned she was in the fetal position, rocking until his hand touched her shoulder. She jumped. She hadn’t meant to, but she jumped away from him. He handed her a bottle of water then moved to the other side of the room to pace, much like a tiger would. “Oh my god. You’re a tiger. And I don’t mean in the grrr you’re a tiger in bed, stud way but in the holy shit you’re a fucking tiger way.” He stopped pacing and took a step, but must have seen something on her face to make him stop his approach. “I am.” “And you’re human?” “Yes.” “So what are you, a werewolf, I mean tiger? What the hell is going on?” “I’m of a race that is both man and animal.” Rekkus took a tentative step forward. “Please let me hold you.” Dana lifted two shaky hands, hoping that would keep him at bay. “So the others? They really are witches?” “They really are Wiccans and they really do have powers.” “That isn’t possible.” She shook her head and waited for him to say something anything, but she supposed he wasn’t about to argue with the crazy lady. “Can you turn into a tiger anytime you want?” “I can.” “Do it,” she demanded. “No wait, don’t. Okay, um, sure be the tiger. No, no don’t.” He just stood there across the room head slightly down, eyebrows raised as he looked at her like she had lost her mind. Well, guess what mister? She had lost her mind and he was the cause of it. “Dana?” If she was going to deal with this, she needed to just deal with it and not hide. “You know what? I do want you to turn into the tiger.” He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You want me to shift now?” “Yes, well I think I do. You protected me last night, so I am assuming you can control your animal self.” “I could never hurt you.” He took another step and sighed when she jumped to the other side of the bed. 32

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It was silly, thinking that putting a king-size bed between them would protect her, but she needed something. If she had a whip and a cane chair she would have used it. She braced herself. He took a deep breath, filling that gorgeous chest of his before removing the jeans he had just put on at her request. Biting her lower lip, Dana watched him shift. It wasn’t pretty, but it was fast. Within a few seconds, Rekkus the human was gone, and a giant black and gray tiger stood before her. Even having seen the change, Dana had a hard time accepting that this animal before her was Rekkus. He sat down and waited, his big golden eyes staring at her. After what seemed like hours, but in truth was more like five minutes, Dana took a few tentative steps around the bed. Her heart was beating so hard and fast she was sure he could hear it, and her breathing became short and labored. Fear screamed from her every pore. Each step got her closer to the beast. The tiger never moved other than to breathe. Soon she found she was standing before what had to be the largest tiger she had ever seen, a tiger that was beautiful, majestic, and deadly. Reaching a tentative hand out, she stretched fingers toward the cat, only to drop them again. “Can I touch you? Can you understand me when you are shifted?” She waited, and the tiger got up on all fours and batted its head at her hand; his fur was soft between her fingers. She let a laugh escape from her as she heard his loud purr. He really was just a bigger version of her own kitty waiting for her at home. “You’re gorgeous.” She heard the awe in her voice, and in truth this was aweinspiring. How many people ever got this close to an animal this large? Who would have believed this? This gorgeous man, who made love in the way they wrote about in erotic novels, was able to change at will into this magnificent beast before her. Strange that she now stood before this large animal with no worries. Rekkus, even as a tiger, would not attack her or harm her in any way. A sense of peace and protectiveness come over her. As Rekkus purred and rubbed himself against her legs, she got a good chance to look at the amazing creature before her. His black fur, with its silvery stripes, made him somehow more majestic, more impressive than he already was. She hadn’t ever seen a black tiger before. Dana had never known they existed, but then she never thought magic had existed until last night. “You can change back if you want.” The cat moved away from her, giving one soft bay before the change again happened, this time from tiger to human. As was usually the case with Rekkus, he was naked again. Glorious in all his natural beauty. “You can touch me now too.” His voice was cool and calm, but the look in his golden eyes screamed in primal need. Taking a step back, Dana shook her head. “I think that’s not a good idea.” 33

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Rekkus grabbed the discarded jeans and pulled them on. Dana tried not to whimper as inch by inch of glorious muscles were covered by cotton clothing. Rekkus pulled a black T-shirt over his head, and Dana was pretty sure she could see every indent and bulge of every fine-tuned muscle underneath. Actually, being dressed might be worse. “Does it hurt?” Striving for something to say, she stumbled over her words. “Does it hurt when you change?” “When I shift. We call it shifting not changing. We’re not Changelings. We can’t become something we aren’t, but we can shift into the other part of our being in our soul.” He moved toward her and sat on the chair before her. She was sure that was meant to give her the feeling she was in control, but it didn’t. He was taking what she assumed was a new role for him. He was being submissive, if only for a minute or two, and only to let her feel more at ease. Leaning back in the chair and placing both hands on his knees, he shook his head. “It’s uncomfortable, but it doesn’t hurt. New shifters feel more discomfort. It’s much like a leg cramp, but not real pain. I don’t even notice it anymore.” “Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, really. “I understand that this must be hard for you to accept.” “You could say that. So what else can you do? Did you change last night because of the full moon?” “No. That, along with allergies to silver and taking off with babies in the night, is all Hollywood bullshit.” She worried her lower lip between her teeth. “So last night you said something about mating. What does that mean?” “Wow, you do go right for the jugular, don’t you?” His hands worked through his hair, messing it up in a charming way. “It means nothing for you. You aren’t bound to me in any way, shape, or form.” “Okay, what about you?” “I am mated to you. Last night under the full moon, I became your mate.” “But you said the full moon — ” “The moon didn’t cause my shift. As you saw, I can shift whenever I choose. It does, however, affect us strongly.” “So what does being my mate mean? I’m assuming we aren’t talking friendship here?” “Friendship is usually a plus, but no, I’m now for a better word, your husband, but you are not my wife, not yet. That choice is yours and yours alone. I won’t lie; I can force the mating ritual, but I won’t.” “What happens if I don’t mate with you?” 34

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“Eventually the Fates will choose another mate for me.” “Really?” “Really.” “Does mating, and I’m not saying I want to, but does it require you biting and making me a shifter?” “You watch too many movies. I cannot make you a shifter anymore than you could make me a human. I would never bite you, nip maybe, but I would never harm you.” “Everything is moving so quickly. Three nights ago I was standing in front of a church of people about to say ‘I do’ when the words ‘I don’t’ came out of my mouth.” A look of pain crossed Rekkus face, but before she could comment on it, the blank look was back in place. “That must have come as a shock to the bridegroom.” “Only that I said it first, because he followed it by an ‘I don’t, either.’ That’s not the point. The point is that in seventy-two hours I went from being engaged, with a large, loving family, to being disowned, not married, and not in the Caribbean for a honeymoon, but on a bizarre island that I really doubt is actually off the coast of Maine. Now, I’m here and I have a mate who, though sexy as hell, is part animal. I’m trying to accept that the four individuals who run this place may actually be what they say they are and have magic powers. And I think I might be losing my mind.” Dana looked at her shaking hands. She was afraid she was very close to losing it right here in front of Rekkus, that this was the nervous breakdown she’d been working toward for months. Maybe all of this was just in her head and when she woke, it would be the day before the wedding. Or even better, the day of the proposal and she could just say no. She could, for once, go against her family’s wishes before it as too late and just say no. His arms, firm and strong, wrapped around her trembling body. Pulled against his warm chest, she sank against him, letting his heat blanket her and protect her. He could support her for a minute. All she needed was a few seconds to collect herself. Unexpected tears pooled in her eyes, and she let out the emotions she had felt for a lifetime. Tears fell in big drops, soaking him and her. She cried for the relationship she had lost with Frank — not because she loved him as a lover, but she loved him as a friend. She cried because of the conditional love her parents had always doled out. She cried because she was confused about what was going on in her life. Finally, she cried because it looked like she had actually lost her grandmother’s watch, and in all her life, only her grandmother had truly loved her for her. 35

Chapter Six

B

“

reathe in, one, two, three, four. Hold it, one, two, three, four. Exhale, one, two, three, four…”

“What the hell are we doing here? I feel like I’m in a birth class.” Jessie’s voice was low and barely audible over the ocean waves. “Shhhh, I am learning to breathe. Properly.” Dana couldn’t help smirking. She did feel silly. They had been working on breathing for thirty minutes now, and after spending thirty years breathing on her own, she didn’t feel she needed to relearn it now. “We are learning to have a baby.” “Would you stop and just breathe.” Dana turned for the fourth time since the relaxation in breathing class began and looked up the path toward the Haus. She’d only left Rekkus less than an hour ago, and already she was missing him more than she could say. It was strange; a part of her was scared silly by him, and the other part was so turned on that she couldn’t think straight without images of his naked body filling her head. As half the time she saw him he was naked, her imagination didn’t have to work too hard. “What are you looking for, or should I say who?” “What are you talking about?” “Please. Everyone heard about you, unconscious and being carried into the lobby by a naked man. Myron told me about it when I went looking for you. She said something about a ruckus and a naked gorgeous man, and a few things about body parts that I won’t go into here.” She motioned with her head to the older couple in front of them. “And that you were curled in his arms.” “Will you please shut up?”

Wiccan Haus: Shifting Hearts

“Must have been some sex to make you pass out.” Jessie laughed and then tried to hide it with a cough when the class leader, Trixie, gave her a look of reproach. Dana breathed deeply again and went through the steps a handful of times before she leaned into Jessie and whispered, “It was mind blowing.” Jessie did cough this time. “Holy hell, that wild?” “You have no idea.” “Okay, if everyone could lie down on their mats, we will do this while focusing on the solar plexus chakra or your middle chakra…” Dana looked up one more time toward the Haus before settling back on her mat. The ocean breeze cooled her skin now heated by the sun. She closed her eyes, letting the sun’s rays warm her. She took a deep breath, held it, and let it out. She didn’t think she had been this relaxed in years. She listened to the mantra of the waves as they hit the small sandy beach a few feet from them. This is what she needed, just to lay here, close her eyes, and rest. Just as she was sure she was about to fall into a deep trance, or maybe just asleep, the sun crept behind a cloud. The cool breeze sent a shiver up her spine. Opening her eyes, she moved her hand to protect her face from the rays not quite hidden behind the cloud. “Dana, come with me.” It took only a second to register that the large cloud was no cloud at all, but was Rekkus standing above her with his hand out stretched. “What are you doing here?” “I have someone I need you to meet.” “Now? I’m learning to breathe.” “You know how to breathe.” He extended the hand further. “Please.” “Rekkus, there had better be a good reason for you to interrupt my class.” Dana heard Rekkus growl. She lifted her head it to see Trixie pale and take a step back. Grabbing his hand, Dana let him lift her up. “Stop growling at people. They’ll think you have a bad temper.” “Umm…this must be the naked man I have heard so much about.” Rekkus lifted an eyebrow before looking back at Jessie. “Pity I missed last night, but he is still quite something, even dressed.” “Funny, I usually don’t get to see him dressed,” Dana said. “Lucky.” “I’m right here ladies.” He yanked Dana closer as he started marching off, and as her hand was fully engulfed, she was forced to follow. “Wait, you can’t just take her with you,” Trixie yelled at them. 37

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“Watch me.” Rekkus was already marching full speed back to the Haus. Expecting and anticipating that he was heading into the resort to take her to bed, Dana was disappointed when he led her down a wooded path that was labeled as Staff Only. She stumbled as she tried to keep up with his long strides. Only then did he stop. Turning, he looked as if he might say something, but instead he licked his lips, let out a guttural noise, and kissed her. Her lips opened to his as soon as they touched. She wasn’t going to fight, not anymore. She wasn’t sure why she had fought him off this morning. Just being away from him for the little bit of time put so much into perspective — how much she wanted him and missed him. He made her feel a safety she had never felt before. She didn’t have to be strong around him; he was strong enough for them both. He hadn’t, not even once, made a comment about her weight. Just the opposite, he had told her she was sexy and had showed her last night how much he loved her body. She felt perfect around him. All the years of insults and belittling heaped upon her by her mother, the embarrassment she felt from her father, and the inadequacies from standing next to her stick-thin model sister, disappeared in his arms. To Rekkus, she was sexy, and in his mind the Fates had made her especially for him. Who was she to argue with the Fates? If they saw fit to give her this man, she might just follow their advice and hold on with both hands. His mouth left hers, burning a trail of kisses down her neck. Shivers shot through her body as her nerves came to life. He backed her against a tree just off the path, not quite hidden, but out of view of someone not really looking for two people getting it on in the woods. His mouth never left her skin. One hand worked the buttons of her blouse while the other gathered and lifted her skirt until he reached the apex of her thighs. Her now-wet panties ripped with ease under his fingers. She arched her hips up, begging him to touch her. He complied. Two long fingers pushed inside of her, and at the same time his other hand released another button, giving him access to her aching breasts. Pushing the bra to the side, his lips latched onto her nipple, sucking it to a hard nub. She fell back against the tree for support as his thumb found her clit and rubbed a small circular pattern. She tried to stifle the moan, but it escaped anyway. Rekkus chuckled against her breast, causing her to sigh loudly. His fingers and mouth worked her into a breathless frenzy. His mouth left her breast, and only then did she open her eyes to see the familiar hunger in his as Rekkus got to his knees before her. With his shoulders, he forced her to spread her legs, opening her up to him, and not until he went to kiss her intimately did his gaze leave hers. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back as she felt his cheek nuzzle against her thigh. 38

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His lips were warm and soft, nudging her to widen for him. All she could do was comply. No thoughts in her head said to stop him. She needed him — it was that simple. It didn’t matter if someone found them like this, her against a tree and his head up her skirt. The only thing that mattered was them. Rekkus lifted her leg so it rested on his shoulder, leaving her vulnerable to him. The tip of his tongue touched her clit, first with a light touch, then with a full lick. His teeth nipped her. His fingers worked her inner muscles, making it hard for her to focus. Dana’s breath hitched, and then his tongue entered her, licking and sucking, working in unison with his fingers. She panted and begged until she was unable to support her own weight. His hand pressed against her stomach, pushing her against the tree, holding her in place and forcing her to take the pleasure he gave her, and she was helpless to stop him. Dana gave herself over to him, relaxed against him and let the ripples of pleasure take her to a place she knew no one else could take her. She didn’t know how long he held her against the tree. When she finally had a moment of clarity, Rekkus was standing beside her, looking like a cat that ate the canary. “You do taste as good as you look,” he said before his lips brushed hers. “I don’t think you brought me all this way out from my class for that.” Dana gave him her best cheeky grin. If this had been the reason he had brought her here, so much the better. She lifted up on her unstable legs, onto tip-toe, and returned his kiss. “No, it wasn’t, and I promise one of these days I will make love to you in a bed.” Rekkus grabbed her hand and laid a kiss on the inside of her palm. “Come with me. I have someone I need you to meet.” Dana couldn’t imagine who there was she hadn’t met yet, but she followed on legs not quite so stable. There were a few grounds keepers eating their lunch at a picnic table, and although they paused for a second to watch Rekkus and her approach, no one said a word, and after a second they went back to their sandwiches and conversations. It would seem having a guest back here was surprising, but no one was going to question Rekkus. They moved into a building that reminded her of military barracks: small, sparse rooms where the bed sheets were so tight a dime could bounce off them. Nothing of any interest or color lined the rooms. Every room door was open, and she couldn’t help but notice that although the bars now were in the unlocked position, they could be repositioned to secure the doors. At the end of the hall she could hear some commotion and yelling. As they got closer, it appeared that the noise was that of teenage boys playing video games. Rekkus entered the room and motioned for her to remain silent as the four boys, unaware of their presence, continued to focus on the television before 39

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them. Only when Rekkus cleared his throat did the four youths drop what they had been doing and line up in amazing speed. “Boys!” “Yes, sir!” Dana watched as the four sets of eyes now looked at Dana. Two of them wide and fear-stricken. She, for the life of her, could not figure out what they had to fear from her. She gave them a small smile, but that seemed to make them all the more nervous. The other two boys were looking at Rekkus with anticipation and not a small amount of hero worship. “Boys, meet my mate, Dana.” Dana wondered if she should be offended by the high-handed announcement to the group that she was his mate. Try as she might, she couldn’t summon even a little irritation over the announcement, just a warm feeling of belonging. “Dana, meet our adolescent guests: Ben, John, Joseph, and Telly.” Telly? She knew she should know that name, and then it came to her. The wolf from the night before. Except it wasn’t a wolf, but a werewolf, and he was standing before her now looking young and scared. Rekkus, through his entire cool demeanor, was bristling with anger still. “Ms. Stone, I’m so sorry if I scared you last night. I just wanted to take a run and feel the wind through my fur. I didn’t know that you would be there, and I never would have done it…it’s just, I didn’t know.” Dana looked to Rekkus. She was confused and didn’t understand. They had discussed that he wasn’t the only shifter, but until she stood before a few more of them, she never thought they really existed. “Dana, I promise that Telly and the other boys will be locked in secure tonight. I’ll be doing it personally at sundown.” Moans filled the room, and although they weren’t happy with the idea, no one seemed willing to fight Rekkus on the issue. They looked so pathetic that for a second, Dana thought about begging for leniency. Then she remembered the crazed look in their golden eyes last night, and she kept her mouth shut. After telling the boys he would be back in a few hours for lock down, they left the building hand in hand. “I thought you said the moon doesn’t affect your shift.” “It doesn’t affect my shift, nor does it affect most adult shifters, but it does on the teens. Until last night, I felt sorry for them.” “You mean until they went after me.” “Nothing can happen to you. Do you understand? For me, I need to know you are safe. Without you safe, I’ll go insane. That doesn’t mean you are stuck 40

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here with me. You’re free to go to live your life back on the mainland, but I have to know that no matter what, you’re safe.” “I don’t consider staying with you as being stuck.”

Rekkus stopped walking and pulled her around to face him. This was too important for him not to see her face. “What are you saying?” “I’m saying — and maybe it’s too soon to say — but for now, I’d like to stay here. Maybe I can do some odd jobs here on the island. I don’t have a job to go home to, no home actually. I just need to make some money to pay off my parents for all the money they spent on my wedding. I wouldn’t feel right leaving them with that bill.” “I think we can arrange something.” His head swirled with images and ideas. He would move heaven and hell to get her to stay with him. However, he sensed her fear. She was nervous that it was moving too fast. Humans needed time, courting. For a Para, none of that was needed; they knew in a second if someone was their mate. Some fought it, but they knew. Humans no longer listened to what their souls said. “I’d need a place to stay.” “I could get us a cabin.” There was no real way to get the housing situation to work at the big Haus. “I like the sound of us.” She felt so uncertain, he could smell it. He wrapped his arms around her. So many years of damage to her spirit couldn’t be mended over a week. He hoped for both their sakes that he never met her family. They didn’t deserve her. “Come on, let’s head back and I’ll see about that cabin for us. I think they are all full this week, but next week there should be an opening.” As they walked, he reveled in the way she leaned into him, grasped his hand tighter as they approached someone, or just smiled up at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. As they approached the Haus, she blushed as people stared at them. She couldn’t know people were staring because of him not her. They had never seen the soft side of him, so seeing him hold her hand was a shock. Myron didn’t even look up. “Sarka wants to see you alone, Rekkus, and Sage wants to see Dana in her garden.” 41

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“Sorry, luv. I never argue with the boss lady. I’ll find you later,” Rekkus said to Dana. “Why would Sage want to see me?” “That’s hard to say, but with Sage there is nothing to fear.” He kissed her before watching her walk back out the Haus. He didn’t feel the same anxiety he had felt this morning, watching her leave. “She has accepted you.” “Cemil.” “She doesn’t know it yet, but her soul has accepted you. Sarka needs to talk with you. She is climbing the walls with worry.” As he walked into the room, Sarka stood up before sitting down again. “Took you long enough.” “I just found out you wanted to see me less than a minute ago.” “So is she staying, or are you leaving?” “Cut to the chase, Sarka.” “I don’t have time to pussyfoot around this. Well?” For all of two seconds Rekkus thought about making her suffer. She was a pain in the ass, but he couldn’t fault her for the reason she was worried. “I am staying. Even if Dana were leaving, I would never leave the island.” Sarka let her head drop into her hands with relief and sighed. “Thank you, I would never ask you to stay while your mate left, but I don’t know what we would do without you.” “By the goddess, you will never have to find out.” “You’ll need a cabin. We can have one ready for you both on Sunday. Perhaps build something bigger for you both later.” Sarka walked around the table grabbed Rekkus’s left hand and removed from his pinkie the copper ring his sister had given him before she died. She then took another ring out of her drawer, a hideously ugly one with a brown rock in it. Before he could say anything, Sarka dropped them into the bowl, poured a foul-smelling liquid over the top of them, and covered it with a silk cloth. Then she began to chant. The room air seemed to thicken as she spoke, her voice deep yet soft. Her hand circled over the bowl as her eyes closed. Rekkus knew better than to move or make a sound. He waited and watched as the bowl glowed orange from inner heat, smoke sifting into the air. After a time, the smell of sulfur filled the room. She placed both hands on the bowl, removed the fabric, and poured water from a pitcher over the now glowing-red rings. They hissed as the water hit and cooled them. Sarka pulled the rings out with the silk rag and, careful not to touch them, she rubbed them a few times before she placed the rings into the center of Rekkus’s 42

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palm. He stared down at the silver rings before him. A purplish rock now sat in the transmuted smaller metal ring. “Lepidolite is the stone of protection, love, and self-healing. It will protect her when you can’t. It will surround her with calm. The silver will help conduct the stone’s power to her from you. Not, I realize, the normal wedding rings, but I think you will find your mate will be thrilled with them.” Sarka, who he had known for as long as he had known Cyrus, had never once offered her powers to him. In fact, Rekkus had never seen her use her powers before. He knew she had them, knew she was very powerful, but that was all he knew. He suspected that she and she alone used the first elevator, but he never broached it. “She will love it.” He didn’t know how he knew, he just knew she would. It was then that he felt the moon rising above the ocean edge. “I have to go. I have some pups to secure for the night.” “They pose no threat to her now. You do know that?” “Yes, but they do pose a threat to themselves,” Rekkus said before leaving the room and heading down to the barracks. He had too much to take care of without worrying about adolescent pups. He would make sure that they were locked down to within an inch of their lives. As he walked out, he looked to Myron. “I need you to wire from my account whatever amount your cards tell you that Dana owes her parents. Dana’s friend Jessie should have the address.” He paused outside for a minute, breathing in the dusk air before shifting. Then he ran toward the fading light and the howling pups.

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Chapter Seven

D

ana watched Sage work in her garden; she didn’t want to disturb the woman who worked the plants the way a painter worked a pallet. Dana loved gardening, had spent many summers with her grandmother in the mountains of North Carolina, working the older woman’s gardens. Flower and vegetable alike had gotten such loving care under her gram’s green thumb. Even in the city, Dana had managed to grow her own cooking herbs and a few tomatoes. “Dana, you’re welcome to join me,” Sage said, handing her a pair of bright pink gardening gloves. “I try so hard to keep up with the garden, but much of the time I feel it gets away from me.” “It’s a beautiful garden.” “You have decided to stay with us?”

No longer taken aback by the siblings’ powers of observation, Dana nodded. “Yes, I’m not sure how long it will last, but I’m staying, for now.” “Ah, I see.” Sage pulled off her gloves, adjusted her skirt, and sat on the ground so she could look at Dana. She motioned for Dana to sit, and without a thought, Dana did. This woman seemed wise beyond her years. “Do you know why Rekkus is here on this island with us?” Dana shook her head. “Rekkus came with us when we acquired the island, but he’d been and still is Cyrus’s bodyguard. He is our guardian, appointed by the Syndicate to protect this island and those on it.” “The Syndicate?” “The governing body for Paras. Think of it like the Supreme Court; they make the rules we all abide by. They govern as well as keep the order and the peace.”

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“And this Syndicate appointed Rekkus as bodyguard to Cyrus?” Having seen Cyrus on a handful of times, she could not see why a man like that would need a bodyguard. “They did. And until you came along, I never saw Rekkus flounder. Never once was there a security breach. Until last night.” “Are you saying you want me to leave?” “No, quite the opposite. I hope you stay, but you need to accept what your soul has already come to terms with. You have found your soul mate and him you.” “It’s all happened so fast.” “How long does a soul need before it knows it’s found its other half ? I know our world is different than what you are used to.” “Not so different.” Cyrus came into the garden, but stayed at the other end. His dark appearance was a contrast to his sister’s lighter one. Of the four siblings, he was the only one that wore tight clothing and a short haircut. If she wasn’t already with Rekkus, Cyrus would have turned her eye. It was possible he would have intimated the crap out of her, too. “What do you know?” Sage asked, gathering her blonde braid and throwing it over her shoulder. “The watch, the one that led Rekkus to Ms. Stone, the first day — Rekkus asked me to touch it to find its owner. It belonged to your grandmother, didn’t it?” “Yes, she left it to me when she passed.” “She was a witch. Her power was to bring soul mates together.” “Yes, she was a matchmaker, but she wasn’t a witch.” “Perhaps, but she had power. I felt it in the watch. I tried to warn Rekkus, but as always, he blew it off.” Cyrus took a step forward and squatted before her. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his icy blue eyes. “You must go to him of your own will. He’ll never force you and he’ll never push. His father forced his mother, and she eventually went mad, killing the entire Black Tiger streak in one evening.” “Cyrus, she doesn’t need to know all this,” Sage protested. “She needs to know why he will never ask her to mate. She needs to understand why he is the last of his kind. She needs to understand that he is part of our family and so will she be.” Sage nodded and grabbed Dana’s hand. “Very well, tell her what she needs to know for Rekkus’s sake.” “The Black Tiger shifters had been dying out for centuries. Only recently, in the last few decades, was it discovered that Shifters could in fact mate with humans. A few mated with other were-tigers, but when they did, the cubs all were of the 45

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golden streak. So, when Rekkus was born and it was obvious to all that he was full Black Tiger Alpha, his father, the Alpha, or king of his people, pushed his mother into the mating ritual. He forced the bond to happen. She broke, not all at once, but little by little. “She had called Rekkus home one night, but I had been attacked by rogue assassins and Rekkus missed the family dinner. He was lucky he arrived late. But he walked in to find his whole family dead or dying; she had poisoned them all. She was waiting at the table, surrounded by her dead family and convinced Rekkus would eat. When he refused, she came after him with a knife. I don’t know what happened, but I do know that he tried hard to save his siblings, but it was too late. His mother killed herself later that night. Forty-seven tigers were lost that night at the hands of his mother.” “Dana, you have to know that before Rekkus’s father died, just days before, he had made Rekkus promise to never force a mating on any woman. That if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t have forced his mother.” Sage squeezed her hand and smiled. “Until you came here, he vowed never to mate with anyone, but when your soul screams for another’s, it’s hard not to listen.” “Don’t rush it, but when the time comes to bind your souls you will have to ask him. He will not ask you.” Cyrus stood, but before leaving added, “He needs you and I think you need him.”

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Chapter Eight

T

hree of the happiest days of her life came and went. Dana spent most of the time in Rekkus’s arms. She watched him work in tiger form with the wolf cubs. He was teaching them to control their shifts and to protect themselves. His shift no longer bothered her, and when he finally admitted his need to swim in tiger form, she went with him. His love for the boys he mentored on the island shone though. Knowing now about his younger siblings, she understood his need to take care of the younger ones, to teach them and protect them — not from others, but from themselves. She even allowed her brain to drift toward wondering what he would be like as a father.

While he worked security around the island, Dana spent her hours tending the garden with Sage. No longer did she feel the need to go to the classes. She felt more at home with the staff than she had ever felt with her own family. Even Jessie agreed that Dana needed to stay here. Jessie was scheduled to leave in the morning, but she had agreed to come back and visit. Jessie also agreed to take care of Dana’s cat at home and bring him with her when she came back. They had even already said their goodbyes because Dana hadn’t been sure if she would make it to the dock in time to say goodbye in the morning. During that goodbye, Jessie let slip that Rekkus had paid Dana’s parents the money Dana felt she owed them. Jessie couldn’t wait to tell them what an amazing man Dana had found. And for the first time, the thoughts of her family didn’t sting so much. When she was with Rekkus, the past hurt didn’t affect her at all. Dana pulled out a while lacy teddy she had meant to unpack from her honeymoon bag but somehow managed to miss. She wanted to make the night special or at the very least let them get to the bed. So far they hadn’t ever made it there. They had made it as far as the floor, the wall, the steps going up to the

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bed, the chair, and even the shower. Tonight he wasn’t leaving this bed until they had made love in it. Kneeling on the firm mattress, she waited. She could sense him getting closer and felt the excitement course through her veins as the door opened. He came in wearing what he always wore: black T-shirt, pants, and work boots. He looked amazing. He purred as he approached her, pulling his shirt over his head. “You have the worst timing, luv,” he said, pulling off one boot and then the other. “Why is that?” she asked, moving to the end of the bed on all fours. “The Paras leave in two hours and I have to get the pups through the portals to their parents.” Coming up to greet him, she kissed one bare nipple before moving up his body and kissing as she went, first to his neck and then the place just below the ear that drove him crazy. His hands linked around her waist, pulling her against him. “Sounds likes you have two hours to have your way with me.” “Not enough time.” “Always enough time.” Dana pulled Rekkus down with her onto the bed, kissing and touching. Her hands worked at the buckle on his waist, pulling it free and throwing the belt across the room with a loud thunk. Next, she went to work on the button-fly jeans. Eager fingers made quick work of the buttons until she could push the jeans over his hips and rounded ass. His mouth took hers again. His one arm left her waist to help her work the jeans off his body, and she reveled in the sound of the fabric hitting the floor, the feel of his skin against hers. Even through the silk teddy she could feel the hair on his chest tickling her nipples. When he pulled her hips more intimately against his, she whimpered, and when his hard cock rubbed against her through the soft material, she nearly cried in frustration. He rewarded her with another long, slow grind before pulling back to look at her. “As sexy as you are with this on, it needs to come off. Now.” She knew Rekkus was warning her; either she removed it now, or it would end up on the floor in pieces. She had bemoaned the fact that a great many pair of underwear had ended up ripped because of his impatience. He had said he would try to curb his excitement. So far he managed to do that just half the time. Dana moved back onto her knees and took her time letting the first strap fall off her shoulder. She watched the hunger in his golden eyes turn to flames. With a slow pace and saunter, so much like his tiger form, he walked around the bed until he was behind her, kissing the bare shoulder. One of his hands settled on her full hip and the other cupped her full breast. She let her head fall back against him. “You are so perfect,” he said against the lower part of her neck. 48

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In truth, he made her feel perfect. Perhaps the Fates knew what was perfect for each of them. She moved to the other strap, now leaving her upper body bare to him. Her breasts fell free, and the nipples perked up as the cool air in the room breezed over her. Small goose pimples covered her body as his warm hands took her breasts and cupped them. She turned her face with a silent plea to kiss her, and as always, Rekkus seemed so in tuned with her that he didn’t miss a beat. He kissed her as he climbed onto the bed and urged her onto her hands and knees. One hand left her breasts and worked the thin fabric over her hips and thighs until it pooled at her knees. He pulled back from her then. Dana turned to see him looking at her ass, his hand gently rubbing circles over the pale skin. With a light tap on her ass, he encouraged her to open wide for him. He put his knees between hers. She was now unable to move. His knees pinned the fabric, binding her where she kneeled. He smacked her ass again, this time with force. The stinging sensation took her by surprise, but when the stinging faded and the heat of his hand covered her, she felt the dampness pool at the apex of her thighs. This time, when his hand came down again on the pink cheek, it caught her breath, but she was ready. Two more times his hand came down until the cheek burned and stung, but nothing could have prepared her for how his lips on the heated skin would feel. It took every fiber of her body to control the oncoming orgasm. His mouth and his hands worked to cool the heated skin. She was not as prepared when his hand came down on the other ass cheek, but the surprise only lasted for a second when the tingling sent ripples of pleasure through her. “You have the sexiest ass I have ever seen.” Rekkus’s voice was rough and heavy with passion. She doubted he expected a verbal response, so she shook her hips just enough to gain a moan from him. His hands gripped her hips, and the next second he was buried so deep inside he she wasn’t sure she could breathe. His cock filled and stretched her. In this position, he gained a depth she hadn’t thought possible. By now, she knew him; he was holding back his animal instinct to just take her body however he wanted. He was gripping her tight, so tight she was sure her hips would wear the marks of his restraint in the morning. She didn’t care. This was right; this was what they were meant for. Their two souls needed this. Dana took a deep breath and edged forward a few inches before moving back down his cock again. He held still, allowed her to create the rhythm, allowed her to control the depth. She knew it wouldn’t last long. Dana knew this was driving him crazy. She savored the control while she had it, craved the sounds of pleasure she pulled from him. His grip tightened, and she knew he was seconds 49

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from losing all control. Her hand gripped the bedspread, and she lowered her shoulders to the bed. Submission was what she was offering tonight. She was letting him know that she trusted him, that he could control this encounter and she would be okay with it. As soon as her cheek hit the cool sheet, she felt him buck into her, hard and strong. He pulled away only to come back harder and stronger than before. There was no beauty to his rhythm. He wasn’t graceful, but he was powerful and strong, and he drove her to heights she hadn’t known existed. The first waves of pleasure racked over her and broke around her stronger than anything she had felt before. She tried to catch her breath but found she could only pant. Rekkus didn’t let up. He was relentless in his pursuit of their pleasure. When Dana screamed out her second orgasm, she was sure she couldn’t take another, but he pushed her, demanded she give him one more. This time she whimpered. Lightning shot through her body, starting in her lower belly and sending shockwaves through her limbs. Her legs felt like jelly, and only because of his grip did her ass remain in the air. Then he roared, body stilling. Dana felt his cock jerk, and she relaxed as his pleasure poured inside of her. Collapsing together, they curled into each other. Eventually, Dana turned her body toward him, allowing Rekkus to lay his head between her breasts as he calmed his breathing. She watched him lay there, eyes closed and body replete. She ran her fingers through his soft hair and listened to him purr. She loved that about him; the one thing that always reminded her that he had a tiger within him was his purr. She watched him for a long time, sleeping in her arms. Even in sleep, he held her tight and cared for her. She felt like she belonged. “You need to get up if you are going to get those pups home.” He lifted his head for a second before snuggling back into her breasts. “Just five more minutes.” “Come on, big boy. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can climb back into bed with me.” Rolling onto his back, he yawned, and wiping his face with his hand, he sat up. Dana loved watching him move. He turned, as if knowing she was watching him, and smiled at her. Then in a gentle action, he pulled the sheet up over her body, before standing and beginning the search for his clothes. “I’ve asked Sage to get some things from the mainland for you when she goes with the ferry tomorrow.” “She told me, said you requested sexy underwear.” “Well you need them.” “Mmm-hmm. Jessie said she will mail me my stuff when she goes to my parents’ house next week.” 50

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“Speaking of your parents, I sent them the money for your wedding.” “I know; Jessie told me. She isn’t good with secrets.” “I hope you don’t think that was high-handed of me, but I have the money. I never spend it, and I didn’t want that hanging over your head. Even with the job Sage gave you in the gardens, it would have taken years to pay them off.” “I think it was sweet. Thank you for worrying about me. Maybe one day they will come around and you can meet them.” Pulling his pants back on, he sat on the edge of the bed, watching her with such a look of devotion it took her breathe away. He leaned over and kissed her lips and then nipped her bare hip. “For you, I hope they do, but to be honest, it’s best I never meet them, because it will be very hard for me to not give them a piece of my mind.” “I wish you could have met my grandmother. You would have liked her.” “Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal object. “I found it in the elevator tonight.” “My grandmother’s watch.” She looked at him in disbelief. “I thought I had lost it for good this time.” He shrugged. “I’ll have Sarka look at it in the morning to check the clasp. This is the second time I found the damned thing. I would hate to have you lose it again.” Dana looked at the watch then looked at Rekkus. Both times she had tried to leave Rekkus, or ignore him, she had lost the watch. Her grandmother was making her final match and making sure her beloved granddaughter found her soul mate. All of a sudden, it became clear. She loved him. Her grandmother had somehow known where she needed to go and had gotten her here. Dana knew what she needed to do. “I won’t lose the watch again.” “The odds are not in your favor.” “No, really. My watch, this watch, won’t leave me because I won’t leave you. My grandmother chose you as my match.” He looked at her with one eyebrow raised as if she had lost her mind. “I suppose anything is possible.” Throwing herself into his arms, she kissed him. She kissed him as if it were the last kiss on earth. She pulled away and looked into his eyes, loving him in a way that her heart felt near to bursting with it. “Marry me, mate, do the binding thing. Whatever it is, I know you are what I need. I love you.” “Say that again.” “I love you.” “Are you sure? Are you really sure?” 51

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“Yes. How do we bind ourselves to one another? Do we have to wait till the full moon?” “No, because I already bound myself to you then. You are a human, so you can bind to me whenever you wish.” “So what do I have to do?” “You just have to let your soul come to me. When I kiss you, let your soul come to me as my equal and my partner. Let my soul surround us. When you feel like you can’t breathe, trust me and trust yourself.” “Okay.” Rekkus reached for Dana and pulled her up against him so their bodies were in contact. Taking his hands in hers, she reached up to touch her lips to his. His hands gripped hers almost painfully as she felt a near electrical current run through them. She knew he was fighting the need to shift. She didn’t know how she knew; she just knew. She kissed him deeper, took a deep breath in, and held it. Then she felt his soul surround them. It was looking for hers, hunting. She allowed hers freedom, something she had never done. She felt the air escape her as her soul reached for his as if her life were ending. She panicked for a second, but he squeezed her hands gently, reminding her he was there. And then a sense of calm came over her. She opened her eyes to see his staring back, reflecting the awe she felt. He released her hands and cupped her checks. “Fy nghariad.” “Is that it?” “Is that not enough? Did you not feel our souls bind?” “Don’t we need to howl at the moon or something?” “You and your damned movies. If you would prefer, after the Paras have left, we can go howl at the moon to your heart’s content.” He pulled away from her and went to the dresser. “I do have something for you that might ease your human side. Nothing is more binding than what we just did, but if you require a human ceremony I will — ” She put a finger to his lips when he was close enough for her to do so. “I don’t need a big ceremony.” “We are more married now than any paper on the mainland could make us, but Sarka fashioned these for us as wedding bands.” Rekkus opened the red silk and placed the rings in her hand. Dana had never seen a ring more beautiful, and as she held it she felt at ease somehow. Placing her left hand in his, she placed the ring into the palm of his hand. He looked at her, took a deep breath, and placed the ring on her ring finger. “I make you my wife and my mate. My lover and my partner, until the moon stops to rise.” 52

Wiccan Haus: Shifting Hearts

She looked up at him and the ring in her hand, surprised to see him hold out his hand. With fingers that shook from nerves, she placed the ring on his finger. “I make you my husband. You are my world and my rock. I will love you all the days of my life.” They were interrupted by a knock at the door. With reluctance, she let Rekkus, her husband, go and answer it. He talked with someone in low tones. When he returned he brought back a bottle of wine. “Apparently when we did the binding, my electrical current blew a few fuses, alerting the Paras to what had just happened. Cyrus said he will see the pups home safe. Everyone else said they do not want to see us until tomorrow morning, after the ferry departs. They plan to throw us a wedding brunch.” “That’s sweet.” “I find it annoying. I would much rather spend the day in bed with you, my wife.” “I think I could be persuaded.” Laying her back on the bed, he climbed up next to her, half covering her body with his own, nuzzling her neck he whispered, “In case I forgot to mention it, I love you too.”

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About the Author Dominique Eastwick currently calls North Carolina home with her husband, two children, one crazy lab and one lazy cat. Dominique spent much of her early life moving from state to state as a Navy Brat, because of that traveling is one of her favorite past times. When not writing you can find Dominique doing her second love…photography. Feel free to email her. She loves to hear from fans and promises to write back. [email protected] Visit Dominique on Facebook or her website: www.dominiqueeastwick.com

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