Charmed by the Werewolf (26 page)

The gypsy shrugged. “The tea leaves can tell me nothing more.
” She set the cup aside. “Betrayal is intertwined in your decision. The path after that is unclear and undecided. How you shape your future rests solely on your shoulders.”

“Great.
” Sophia stared at the toe of her boot as the knot in her stomach grew. “At least you didn’t say I’d die. That has to count for something.”

The gypsy didn’t laugh. Instead, she focused on Xavier. “You must take the antidote to the Samhain
festival tonight. Before the clock strikes midnight, circle around the hundred year oak tree five times. On the twelfth stroke, drink the potion while facing the northern sky. Only then will you be rid of the curse.”

“Thank you
.” Xavier stood, dragging Sophia to her feet at the same time. “We need to plan.” He tucked the vial into an inner pocket of his trench coat and pulled Sophia out of the office into the waiting area. “We have much to accomplish.”

*****

Xavier leaned a hip against the marble-topped counter and crossed his arms over his chest as Sophia paced the length of the kitchen. Finally, she snapped her cell phone closed and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. “You let Mona know of our plans?”

“Yeah. She’ll meet us at the
festival.” She lifted an eyebrow. A slideshow of emotions crossed her face, but the last one clouded her strawberries and cream complexion. Resignation. “Once you lift the curse, I…” She dropped her gaze. “I want you to forget about me. Find someone else to spend your life with, someone who won’t turn to stone when times get rough.”

“Sophia.
” He pushed off from the counter in order to close the distance between them. “What does your paranormal status have to do with anything?” He lifted her chin with a hand. “I love you, not your rocky alter ego, not the evil tyrant you work for, not your house full of supernatural beings, you. Only you, and nothing will change that.” He held her gaze, wishing he could impart confidence to her. “Why would you think I’d change my mind?”

“Because…
” She turned away, her head bowed. “Because eventually you’ll want kids, and from all I’ve heard, giving birth is a traumatic, painful process. What the hell do you think would happen if I turned to stone right there in the delivery room? You’d hate me. No matter that we’re a mated pair, if I can’t give you all you want—all you deserve—you’d resent me. It’s a natural,
human
reaction.”

His heart
squeezed at the raw pain in her voice. “I’d never think that.” Xavier maneuvered around until she faced him once more. “If you cannot physically bear children, we’ll adopt, or we can just be childless, with a houseful of dogs and cats or cows, it doesn’t matter.” He captured her face between his palms. “I have you. Anything else in life is extra, but our love will always burn true.”

Blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears behind her glasses, Sophia blinked and set fat drops of moisture rolling onto her cheeks. “Really?
”

“Have you known me to ever lie to you?
” The moisture that clung to her long lashes fascinated him. He leaned in, kissing away the salty tears that lingered on her cheeks. “I couldn’t ask for a more fitting mate. You have fire, courage, and enough attitude that even the Portal Master is annoyed when he sees you.” He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I constantly wonder what you’ll do or say next.” He put his lips to the shell of her ear. “And I cannot wait to see those curves again.”

“You don’t have to try so hard to get me into bed.
” Sophia smiled up at him, and Xavier felt the strength of that grin all the way through his body. “One good kiss should do the trick.” She rubbed her hips against his. “So, where is it?”

“Where is what?
” He couldn’t think beyond her eyes that had darkened to the hue of deep sapphires or her faint floral-vanilla scent that teased his nose and wrapped around his brain.

“My kiss. I thought you wanted me, now I’m standing here waiting and you’re not doing anything to convince me.
” Her lips pushed into a pout. She heaved an exaggerated sigh and moved a few steps away from him. “Since we’re going to be heading into an evening fraught will unknown endings and certain terror, you could at least make me happy right now.”

“Minx.
” Anticipation clenched his gut. He grabbed her hand and tugged her into his arms as his lips found hers. What he intended as a gentle kiss in response to her teasing grew into an urgent embrace as tongues met and danced in a quest to assuage an all-consuming hunger.

He slanted his mouth over hers, devoured her lips, and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth until she made soft sounds of acceptance and encouragement. His blood turned to molten heat when she pushed his thin sweater up and tugged his shirt from his waistband. She stroked eager fingers over his skin to tangle in his chest hair, but he wrenched away. “Is that good enough?
”

As soon as she nodded, Xavier pinned her against the kitchen counter, fumbling at the buttons on her shirt. When it wouldn’t cooperate with his goal fast enough, he growled and ripped the shirt open. White buttons pinged about the room, bouncing off appliances. His objective became easier. He lightly ran his fingers over her breasts, grinning when the rose-hued tips hardened under his touch. “You
’re mine, Sophia. Never doubt it.” Her sharp inhalation was the only indication she heard him. He closed his teeth over one nipple then he circled it with his tongue. The lace of her bra scratched him, only heightening his awareness of her.

“Xavier.
” Sophia shrugged out of her torn shirt. It fell to the floor with a whisper as she interrupted his fondling long enough to press her mouth to his. She outlined his lips, laughed as he shivered. The light touch sent razor sharp tingles straight to his groin. “I don’t doubt you, werewolf, but I’m in charge now.”

His skin prickled with cold alarm. “What do you mean?
” The heat in his blood erupted into bonfires when she slid to her knees in front of him. The button and zipper of his fly proved no match for her determination, and she relentlessly tugged the offending denim down his legs. His erection sprang at her like a heat seeking missile. “Sophia?” His voice cracked and his body jerked as she closed a hand around his girth.

“Showing you how I feel.
” She looked up at him with a wicked sparkle in her eyes. “Sometimes it’s a more effective tool than just saying the words.”

“Oh hell.
” His brain shut off. He couldn’t concentrate on anything but the woman before him.

She stroked him with gentle fingers, slipping over his length as if she petted a cat, but then her touch grew harder, stronger, tightening and releasing in a rhythm that crossed his eyes. Xavier sagged against the counter.
He scrambled for purchase, anything to keep him upright. A crock of utensils and a blender came crashing to the floor from his efforts, but Sophia wasn’t distracted.

When she took his member into her mouth, Xavier thought the top of his head would blow off. She teased his length with her tongue, nipped with her teeth, sucked on its tip.
She caressed his balls then slipped around to grip his ass, digging into his flesh with her nails.

“Sophia, you
’re walking a thin line. It’ll be over before—” He broke off sharply when she took him deeper and his tip hit the back of her throat. When she swallowed and massaged him, his control slipped. He shuddered. His release was imminent, and he steeled himself against it. He tangled his fingers in her hair, thrust deeper into the warm, wet haven of her mouth. He didn’t want their time together to be spent this way. He wanted—no needed—to show her how much he felt about her. “I want you. Now.”

She pulled away, an almost demure smile on her lips. “You’re supposed to be the ultimate alpha male, right? So take me.
”

“Gladly.
” Xavier didn’t stop to reflect on the unabashed side of her. He simply thanked the Fates for giving her to him. Joining her on the floor, he flipped her onto her back, shoved her skirt up around her waist, and yanked her panties down and off her legs. “Dammit, Sophia, you’ll drive me into an early grave if you continue to tempt me like that.”

The coolness of the tiles seeped into his knees as he kicked his legs free of his jeans. “I like that side of you, sweetness.
” If possible, his erection grew harder as he watched her watching him from her position propped up on her elbows. “If you show that sort of badass attitude to Sterling, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish in this realm or any other.”

“I’m warning you.
” She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

He decided not to push his luck. Spreading her legs wide, he settled himself between
them, positioned the tip of his arousal at her entrance and held her gaze. “I adore you, Sophia Raines. I dare any of the Immortals to try and separate us.”

She wriggled her hips. He slid deeper inside. “So help me, Xavier, if you don’t make love to me, I’ll let Sterling have at you.
”

“I
wouldn’t want that.” He grinned, pushed a bit more, and gently thrust into her. When she moaned and clutched his shoulders, he increased his rhythm, until their mating became instinctual, a primal dance. She matched each stroke as he slammed into her with enough force to move them inch by inch across the kitchen floor.

Pressure built, heat consumed him, licked at his insides, tore through his brain. He heard her cry of completion as if it were far away and still the electric force inside drove him farther. With one final, powerful thrust, he exploded, pulsing his seed inside her passage before he collapsed to the floor beside her.

Sophia slipped her arms around him and she pressed her lips into his neck. He shuddered as her touch ignited him anew. He gathered her close, burying his nose in her damp hair. “Whatever happens tonight, know that these last few days have been the best of my life.”

She lifted her head to stare into his eyes, her own brimming with tears. “I love you, you damn, stubborn werewolf. You’d better not let anything happen or I’ll never forgive you.
”

A smile parted his lips as he pulled her against him. Whether he lived out his life as a man or beast, Sophia would make it interesting.

A few hours, and one long, hot shower later, Sophia waited in the hall, quelling the urge to glance at her watch for the tenth time. “Xavier, what the hell are you doing? We need to go.
”

“We
’ve been together for a handful of days and already you’re hen pecking me?” The werewolf came around the corner to bundle her into his arms. “Can I look forward to a lifetime of this?”

“If you’re smart.
” Her smile wobbled into oblivion as he claimed her lips in a gentle kiss that sent sweet spirals of heat curling all the way down to her toes. When he allowed her to breathe, she sagged against him. “You wore me out.”

“And you
haven’t seen my best work.” He plucked at a piece of lint on the black sweater she wore. “It’s extremely sexy to see you in my clothes.”

“I’m just glad you had something that would fit, since you
did
tear my shirt.” Not for the world would she tell him exactly how much she liked wearing his sweater. The cashmere smelled like him, and she could almost imagine his arms around her if she closed her eyes.

“Well, I
am
an animal.”

“Not for long, which reminds me, we need to go. I have no idea how crowded the Festival will be, and yes, before you argue about that, I know we have a few hours until midnight, but I don’t want to take any chances.
” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his goatee-covered chin, giggling as the freshly groomed hair tickled her lips.

“Wherever you go, I go.
” He eased his body away from hers. “Will we not don costumes to blend in this evening?”

“Are you kidding me?
” Sophia rolled her eyes and followed him down the hall toward the front door. “If you want to blend in with the Halloween crowd, shift into your wolf form.”

Xavier pulled open the door. “Not a chance.
” He retrieved something stuck to the wood.

Sophia’s birthmark flared under
her sleeve. “Something’s wrong.” She glanced at him. His eyebrows slashed down on his forehead and his mouth twisted with an angry glare. “Xavier?” Her stomach pitched when he held up a glossy black envelope. “Oh no.” Her name glowed in scrolling acid green ink on the front. “How did he know I was here, at your home?”

“Does it matter?
” He met her gaze, his own hard as butterscotch candy. “Our association with Sterling ends right now.”

“No!
” She laid a hand on his arm. “Don’t. We can get to the festival and lift your curse without involving him. You’ll be free.” Fear closed her throat. “Please.”

“I may be free, but you will not. I made a promise to you, and I intend to do everything I can to keep it. We have more than enough time.
” He broke the red, waxy seal. “Let’s go kick some dark angel ass.” Once the envelope opened, the room swirled around them, filled with apple green smoke, and the room around them vanished.

*****

Sophia blinked as she materialized in a new location. Flames of black candles flickered on every available surface what looked like an empty courtroom. A long, slender mirror ran the length of the back wall and reflected her terrified image. She swung around and darted her gaze about the room, but the mirrored image couldn’t be challenged. She was alone.

“Xavier?
” Bile rose in her throat. The sour taste made her dry heave, but she swallowed it down. “Xavier, where are you?” Darkened wooden benches were the only witness of her frantic passage through the room. Flecks of mica glowed in the black tiles on the floor, distracting Sophia from her mission of escape.

A door at the back of the room opened. She jumped and slowly turned, knowing who would be there. Her gut instinct wasn’t wrong. Sterling paused in the doorway.

His eyes glowed red in the dim light, bright enough to match the scarlet of the satin vest he wore over a black button down shirt with flowing sleeves. As he moved forward into the room, Sophia sucked in a breath and clamped her hand over her birthmark. It seared her skin as if it were a brand.

“What have you done to Xavier?
” She inched slowly between the seats, and as unobtrusively as possible shoved her glasses into place. Sterling seated himself behind the judge’s bench. In one hand, he fiddled with a small object, but she couldn’t see what it was. “Wherever he is, let him go. This is between you and I—not him.” She paused near the last line of benches. She gripped the smooth, solid wood as if it were a lifeline to sanity.

“All in good time, my dear.
” The candlelight around him twisted his smile into a gruesome, shadowed mask that etched his face. “We have a few things to discuss first.” He set a vial on the polished wood in front of him. “The longer you delay in agreeing to my requests, the closer you get to not lifting poor Xavier’s curse.” His eyes flared; twin pinpoints of red hatred.

She stared at the elixir, Xavier’s only hope, yet she said nothing.

“I’m disappointed in you, Sophia. Not only have you harbored an illegal paranormal, but you’ve also made him fall in love with you.”

“How do you know that?
” Her heart slammed against her ribs until she thought it would burst from her chest. Xavier’s name ran like a litany through her head. She had to find him.

“It’s written clearly on his face. However, that isn’t what I find so amusing.
” Standing, Sterling moved with fluid swiftness from his bench to the floor in front of her. “Where did your humanity come from, Miss Raines? As long as I’ve known you, your paranormal side has always guided you, never led you astray as you faithfully turned supernatural beings over to me.”

“Maybe all I needed was for someone to believe in me, as a person, as a woman.
” Sophia glared at her boss, intent to win the battle of wills. “With Xavier, nothing matters to him except me and my happiness.”

“Isn’t that sweet? Now, the only thing you’re missing for a blissful ending is your freedom.
” He moved a few steps toward her. “Which is why you’re here. We need to work out some sort of arrangement.”

She
swallowed a few times as fear threatened to choke her. “What do you mean?” She looked at a coat rack in one corner, focusing on the black judge’s robe, but the hypnotic pull of his crimson eyes compelled her to stare at him. The heat from those eyes shot straight to her soul and she stumbled a few steps backward.

“It’s really too bad you’re bound to me for ninety years because I’m feeling generous tonight.
” He circled her with a panther-like intensity. “I’ll release you from your contract, and I’ll even throw in the one thing you want above all else—the annulment of your birthright.”

The breath whooshed out of her with the force of a small tornado. “Why would you do that?
” She narrowed her eyes. “You’ve never offered it to me before, so what will you gain from this bargain?”

A dark grin parted his lips. “Ah, that’s the skeptical Sophia I know.
” He caressed her cheek, laughing when she recoiled. “What do
I
want? No one ever thinks to ask me that question; they just assume my being a fallen angel nets me anything I desire.” His gaze travelled the length of the room before returning to her. “Obviously, I want to sit on the Immortal Court, but since they’re restructuring with mortals, I have to set my sights higher.”

“Get to the damn point, Sterling.
” Sophia gritted her teeth as she curled her fingers into fists. “Time’s running out.”

“Hmm, love has also given you a spine, I see.
” He paused in front of her. “I want your soul. If the Immortal Courts won’t take me, I want your soul, which means I’ll have more power in me than a whole bench full of them.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand. “Why, you ask? Because the soul of a Gargoyle is a very rare thing. Most Gargoyles are born without one; however, you, my dear, are part human, which means for people like me, your soul is the most sought after item imaginable.”

“What difference does it make if you have it? What will you gain?
” Fear rooted her to the floor as Sterling’s eyes bored into her. Cold sweat formed on her back, wetting her clothes. The remembered words of her father came back to her. In falling for Xavier, she’d forgotten to guard her soul.

“Don’t be any more naive than you can help.
” He captured her chin in his hand.

Fear
seeped into Sophia’s skin at his touch. “A human soul is a much prized possession, and since I’ve been steadily collecting them for a while now, the addition of yours will give me back door Immortal status. Since the people of the Realms refused to elect me to that post, I’ve decided to take it by force. I’ll sit on the Court and have total control over all the Realms. Who knows what I can achieve from there.” His grin bordered on madness. “Maybe use the humans to build myself an empire.”

“You’re crazy. A soul is as unique to one person as their fingerprint. It’s non-transferable.
” She wrenched away from his hold. “Go to hell, Sterling.”

“I have been there, but I find the Mortal Realm much more sadistic and evil than the devil’s own playground. The amount of hate, lust, greed, and anything else one can desire is staggering here. Very comforting and very workable.
” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Perhaps this will change your mind.” He snapped his fingers.

The door opened again, and this time one of Sterling’s bodyguards escorted Xavier into the room, dumping him in a heap at
her feet. When the goon left, Sterling nudged Xavier with the toe of his shoe.

“He’s not dead—yet. Don’t you think it’s interesting the last two hours or so of his life as a human are spent here when he could be at the
festival, preparing to drink his hard-fought potion?”

Sophia dropped to her knees beside the werewolf. She ran her fingertips over his battered face. The faint outlines of bruises highlighted his cheekbones and one temple while his bottom lip was bloodied and swollen. “Xavier, talk to me.
” She shook his shoulder. Relief washed through her when he stirred, and with a faint groan, opened his eyes. “Be strong, we need to escape.”

“Oh, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.
” Sterling’s laugh sliced through the emotionally charged atmosphere. “The only way the felled werewolf can leave is if I receive your soul. Even then, he’ll have a hard time of it.” He snapped his fingers. A set of chained manacles encircled Xavier’s wrists and ankles, binding him to the floor.

She pulled at one of the bonds as hysteria rose and threatened to engulf her. “Come on, Xavier, you’ve got to rouse yourself enough to break free.
” She rested her cheek on his chest. His heart beat strong and steady, giving her hope. “You’re so close. You’ve lived your whole life wanting to lift the curse.” She lifted her head and met his golden gaze. “You can’t give up now.”

Xavier shuddered, pushed himself up on one elbow, and cupped her chin in one hand. “Don’t trust him, Sophia. If you release your soul, you
’ll eventually die. It’s the force that drives you to succeed, to know right from wrong, lets you live, love or even feel a host of other emotions.” He brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheek. “It’s not worth it.”

“That
’s your opinion, werewolf.” Sterling yanked Sophia to her feet. “Now you listen to me, Miss Raines.”

Her teeth chattered as frigid cold seeped into her from his grasp. As much as his red eyes provided heat, the rest of him was as cold as the Arctic. She struggled. His fingers bit into her wrist while
he wrapped his other hand around her throat.

“If you want lover boy to have any sort of life at all, you’ll do as I say.
” His fingers tightened. Sophia gasped for breath as her airway became restricted. “Xavier wants to be human, you want your birthright lifted, and I want your soul. It’s not a hard decision.”

She clawed at his fingers
, but his grip didn’t lessen.

“I’m the only one who can make all of this happen for you, so don’t be stupid, or try any heroics.
” He brought his face close to hers. His sulfuric breath made her stomach pitch. “I have no qualms about killing you, him, and every other being you’re sheltering. You know that.”

“Leave them alone.
” She gasped, tried desperately to draw air into her lungs. “They’ve done nothing to warrant such attention.” His fingers didn’t budge.

“Perhaps not, but there are others interested in your little friend Mona.
” He opened his eyes wide as if surprised. “I’m afraid I let it slip to Braeden where she’s been hiding all this time. He was most interested in the news.” His chuckle caused Sophia’s insides to clench. “Maybe they’ll find each other at the festival. Wouldn’t that be something? I can promise if the dragon doesn’t kill her, I will.” He squeezed her throat. “It won’t be the easy, painless death like Evangeline’s. Trust me when I tell you these killings will be violent and bloody.” He thrust her backward. “Do you want that on your conscience?” Sterling plucked a rolled scroll from thin air. “Can you really live with yourself after so many deaths in addition to those already on your conscience?”

Tears stung Sophia’s eyes as she looked at Xavier. He strained at his bonds, but since he wasn’t at full strength, even dental floss would hold him. Her gaze lifted to the demonic red eyes of the Portal Master and the words of the fortuneteller echoed in her mind. Lives hung in the balance, hinging on one decision from her. Life or death. Hers or all the people she cared for.