Hecate's Own: Heart's Desire, Book 2 (13 page)

Zach pressed a kiss to her cheek before beginning the ride
all over again.

Jo hung on and prayed she’d survive.

Zach clung to his mate’s hips and drove into her, determined
to drive her out of her mind one last time before he took his own pleasure. He
could sense how much she was loving this, loving the way he arched over her. He
couldn’t believe how good fucking Jo was. He’d never felt anything close to
what she did to him just with a look and a quick clenching of her muscles.

Zach gulped, his rhythm broken.
Yup, just like that.

“C’mon, Zach. You’re young. You can handle it.”

He gave her ass an easy slap, careful not to hurt her. “Do
you really want to see how long I can last if I put my mind to it?”

She shuddered around him. “Goddess.”

Zach began moving again, thrusting into her sharply,
determined to bring her off one more time before he came inside her warm heat.
“C’mon, sweetheart. Come for me.”

She thrust back against him. “You first.”

He collapsed over her, using one hand to hold himself up as
the other reached between her legs. “I don’t think so.”

Before she could do anything he was stroking her clit,
rubbing in time to his thrusts, reveling in her wordless cries. He surrounded
her with his heat, his scent, his body, protected her even as he took her. The
urge to bite was so strong he shook with it.

Zach sat back up, desperate to watch himself shuttle in and
out of the body of his mate. His wet cock slid in and out, the sensation nearly
overwhelming him. This was Jo.

This was his mate.

He licked his lips. He needed her to come once more, just
once, so he could mark her, fill her with his seed. Make it so no one else
would ever lay a hand on her.

Jo was his, and he’d never let her go.

He dug his fingers into her hips and set their rhythm. He
wanted this coupling to be as fast and hard as the last. The sensation of Jo
coming around his cock had nearly had him coming with her. He still wasn’t
certain how he’d held off, but he had the feeling his wolf had helped.

The need to bite down on the fleshy part of her shoulder,
right where her neck and shoulder met, was so fierce his fangs descended. He’d
bite her when the time was right, take her blood into him, chant the last of
the spell to mark her forever as his.

Only when it was time.

Jo was beginning to pant underneath him, her hips rocking
with him. So sexy, so incredible, his Johra. He couldn’t believe his luck at
finding someone like her.

He’d make sure she never regretted accepting him as her
mate. He’d bring her pleasure every single day of her life, make her laugh,
make her scream, give her the world if she asked it of him.

He reached down, between her legs, and stroked her clit.
That earned him a moan, so he did it again.

And again.

Soon she quivered underneath him, her climax so close he
could practically taste it. “Soon?”

She nodded, too far gone for speech.

Zach pressed his mouth to her neck, ready to bite her when
they came. He would come with her this time, let himself go inside the only
woman he’d ever loved.

Jo began to chant through her teeth. “Yes, yes, yes, now,
fuck, Zach, now!”

Zach let go, the orgasm rushing through him, so intense his
vision darkened. He bit down, drawing blood from his mate, taking it into
himself even as he released inside her. Her scream of pleasure rang in his
ears, pleasing the man and the wolf.

They’d satisfied their mate twice. Both of them were beyond
pleased.

Panting, Zach collapsed to the side, taking Jo down with
him. He curled his arm around her back, whispering the words that sealed both
their fates. The bite mark turned, twisting, darkening, until the shadow of a
black wolf rested on her skin.

“Zach?”

He took off the spent condom and dropped in the wastebasket
next to the bed. “It’s done. I’ve marked you.” He kissed the shadow, moved
almost to tears to see it there on her golden skin. He almost let slip how he
loved her, but held back, not sure she was ready to hear it yet.

She settled down with a sigh. “I belong to you.”

He shivered. His cock twitched. Fuck, who’d have thought
four little words could be such a turn-on? “And I belong to you.”

She turned and curled into him, resting her head against his
chest. She looked so right there. “Now what?”

He grinned happily as his stomach rumbled under her hand.
“Waffles.”

Her shoulders shook.

“What? You’d rather do pancakes?” Oh, that sounded really
good. He could go for that. Maybe with some bacon and eggs?

When his new mate buried her face in the pillow he figured
he might have to wait a bit for his breakfast.

Chapter Twelve

Zach stared from the darkness of the bushes, not sure if
he should be grateful for the light of the fire or not. A dark altar had been
placed right where Zach could watch the horror unfold. A hooded man stood over
a naked woman, bound to the altar with silver, enchanted chains. Blood stained
that silver, a mark of the sacrifices that had gone before. He could see the
woman straining at her bonds, her wrists chafed raw from the cuffs.

A low growl escaped his throat. His fur damn near stood
on end. He knew that woman, knew her scent deep in his heart and soul.

He was going to kill the men who had hurt her.

A knife flashed into the air. The chanting increased in
intensity. The foul language seared his ears. Below the girl, the runes on the
altar glowed a vicious green. They were going to sacrifice her to the dark
powers, and Zach was there to stop them.

The girl turned her head and pleaded with her eyes for
someone, anyone, to save her. Zach gathered his legs beneath him, ready to
pounce on the man who threatened his mate.

The hood fell back, exposing the face of Davis Godwin.
Behind him, Zach could just make out the glowing eyes of Gareth as the knife
flashed down.

Zach’s eyes snapped open. “Fuck.” They must have fallen
asleep soon after making love, because Jo’s sweet ass was nestled against his
hip, her breathing even.

“Shit.” He sat up, careful not to disturb Jo. He was going
to have to bring his brothers along with him when he confronted Davis Godwin.

He was also going to have to figure out a way to keep Jo
safe. If Davis got his hands on her…

Fur sprouted from his arms. His claws descended. Inside him
his wolf howled.

“Hey.”

Zach quickly pulled his wolf back inside. “Hey yourself.” He
couldn’t let Jo know how worried he was, not until after he spoke with his
brothers. He glanced at the clock and grinned. “Ready for lunch?”

“Mm-hmm.” She rolled over with lazy grace and draped her arm
over his hip. “After.”

“After what?”

“Breakfast.”

Zach gasped as warm, wet heat enveloped his cock. “Oh.
Protein shakes. Those are good.” The suction stopped. Zach whimpered. “Banana?
Bananas are breakfasty.”

Jo’s shoulders started to shake. Her mouth lifted from his
cock.

“Oh, come on,” Zach whined. He threw his head back and
pouted. “Is sausage better?”

“Zach!” She had the giggles now. He had the feeling Mr.
Happy was going to go unfulfilled this morning.

“Damn it. Me and my big mouth.” He scooted under the covers.
“Are we sure I got rid of all of the curse? Ow.”

He watched Jo rub her hand. “Don’t say things like that.”

“Hurt yourself?” He kissed her palm. Then he put her hand
back on his cock and guided it up and down his length. “Here, rub this. It will
make you feel better.”

She shook her head, the giggles threatening to overwhelm her
again.

“Seriously. It’s one of those pump-action lotion dispensers.
Keep pumping, sweetheart. Keeeeep pumping.”

“You are such a nut.”

He blew her a kiss.

“How am I supposed to blow your mind when you keep making me
laugh?”

He rolled over until he was cradled between her thighs. “How
about mutual blowing?”

She swatted his ass. “Aren’t you facing the wrong direction
for that?”

At that point Zach’s big head shut down. His little head
took over all bodily functions. Before he knew it, he was licking at the
sweetest honey he’d ever tasted while Jo’s mouth bobbed up and down on his
cock. He’d retained enough sanity to make sure Jo was on top before feasting on
her. He didn’t want to accidentally choke her.

Zach tried to make sure that Jo got his full attention. She
did, but not in the way he’d originally intended. Jo’s mouth was so hot, so
good, that tongue so talented, he almost forgot what he was doing. It took a
bite to his inner thigh to get his own mouth moving again.

At that point, it was a race to see who would come first.
Zach was determined it would be Jo.

“Oh shit.” She was doing that tongue thing again, and Zach
knew he was doomed. His hips lifted off the bed. Electricity shot down his
spine. Zach poured down her throat in shuddering waves. “Fuck.”

“Mmmm.” Jo began to lick him clean.

Zach started to laugh. “Damn, sweetheart. I was planning on
a sixty-nine, not a sixty-eight.”

Her ass wiggled over his face. “I’m calling in my debt.”

He slapped her ass, earning himself a gasp and an intriguing
flush. “Let me see what I can do about that.”

Zach grinned and set about making her scream.

By the time he was done licking and sucking, he’d gotten her
to yell twice. “Good ride?” He reached for the condom he’d tucked under the
pillow, opening it and sliding it over his aching flesh.

She was panting, covered in a sheen of sweat. “The best.”

He crawled up her limp, damp body and slid his cock inside
her. Listening to her find her pleasure had been a turn-on of monumental
proportions. He grinned down into her startled face. “Sweetheart?”

“What?”

“Let’s go again.”

Her giggle hitched into a sigh when he began to move. Her
arms lifted weakly and wrapped around his neck. “The things you do to me,
Zachary Beckett, should be illegal.”

“Gods, I hope not. I just became some sort of magical cop.
They might take away my badge and secret decoder ring.”

Laughter did wonderful things to her, especially when she
was all pressed up against him. “Nut.”

“Your nut.”

She palmed his ass in both hands. “Damn straight.”

There was only one way to reward her for that. He began
fucking her harder. He didn’t want to hear her scream.

He wanted to hear her to howl.

“Lord, yes. More, Zach.”

He groaned and gave her more, moving over her with sinuous
grace, taking and giving everything she asked for. The need to feel her shudder
around him overrode everything else, even his own need.

“Please.”

He stared down into her darkened eyes and wrapped himself
around her. His hand cradled her head, his legs tangled with hers. He took her
mouth, drank in her gasps, soaked in her pleas until she trembled under him.

He was panting, soaked in sweat, and more than ready to come
inside his willing mate. “Now?”

She nodded. “Now. Gods yes, now.”

He twisted slightly, swiveled his hips, watched as his mate
threw her head back and screamed out her release, his own blinding him until
all he knew was Jo.

He dropped his head to her shoulder, totally spent. Her arms
dropped to the mattress. He could feel her quivering around his still-throbbing
cock. “God.
Damn
.”

Zach hugged his mate close, so happy his heart hurt.
“Ditto.”

“Have a good morning?”

Jo blinked blearily at Chris as she shuffled into the
kitchen some time that afternoon. She wasn’t sure she was up to reading the
clock, so she hadn’t bothered to look at it. “Um.” She had been fucked within
an inch of her life and her caffeine meter was running on empty. She wasn’t
sure she could handle a conversation with a parakeet, let alone one of the
Beckett brothers. Her voice was hoarse from screaming her head off.

God she felt
good
.

Chris held out a mug full of rich, steamy heaven. She lunged
and snatched it out of his hands, sucking down the life-giving elixir. It was
dark and rich, bitter just the way she liked it.

“Good thing I let go or I’d be missing fingers.”

Jo ignored him, content now that she had her coffee in her
hands. All was right with her world.

“Zach marked you?” Jo felt Chris’s fingers brush against the
new mark on her shoulder. Frowning, she moved away. She didn’t like the feeling
of someone touching her wolf that way. It felt subtly wrong.

“Hey, Jo. I see you found the coffee.” Zach moved up behind
her and brushed a kiss across the mark. The sensation shivered down her spine
and straight to her pussy, heating her, prepping her for round two. Three?
Whatever. If he kept that up he’d find himself pinned to Chris’s breakfast
table and she’d be feasting on more than coffee.

“Oh hey. Welcome to the madhouse, Jo.” Lana Evans slipped
past her to settle in against Chris at the kitchen table. “Congrats on your
mating.”

“Thanks.” She sipped more coffee, grateful once more to the
beans of Java for the power of speech.

“Aren’t you exhausted, Zach? You used up all that power
yesterday. I’d still be passed out if I’d cast that much.” Lana took hold of
Chris’s coffee mug and took a sip.

Chris stared at the mug in his mate’s hand, now halfway
empty. “Would you like some coffee?”

“No thanks, I’m good.” Lana winked at Jo and took another
sip.

Zach shrugged. “I’m tired, but I’m not bone tired. I think
some of the energy I expended was returned to me during the ritual.” He
frowned. “Something I’ve been meaning to ask. I know why a full moon, or new
moon, ritual works for a wizard, but I’m a witch. How come the ritual worked so
well for me? Usually I get a result from rituals but they’re muted somehow.”

Lana smiled, but Jo answered, the teacher in her kicking to
the fore despite her caffeine-deprived state. “Did you use what felt right, or
what you were told to use?”

“What felt right.”

“That’s why. You followed your instincts and the ritual
worked just fine. If you’d tried to do it by rote, the way wizards do, your
magic would have fought you.” She shuddered, thinking about the way the white candle
had turned an evil green as it sucked the curse out of Zach. “I don’t even want
to think about what would have happened in that case.”

“Hmm.” Zach wrapped her in his arms and instantly she felt
calmed, at peace.

“We need to do something about the Godwins.” Gareth entered
the kitchen, followed by Daniel. They put down bags of fast food and started
handing out burgers and fries. “This hexing shit has got to stop.”

“Ahem.” Everyone turned to find a red-faced Gen standing in
the doorway. “Allow me to help. Please.” Jo could tell from her tone of voice
that Gen was willing to beg if necessary. It seemed wrong to see the elegant
Own ready to get on her knees to make amends.

Jo made up her mind. She just hoped she could convince the
others that her instincts were sound. “I think Gen
should
help. Having
another Own, and a warlock at that, just makes sense.” She felt Zach’s arms
tighten around her and focused her arguments on him. “Who better to help you
stop a group of rogue warlocks? Besides, they’re her family. She knows how they
think.”

She met his eyes, willing him to trust her.

“If they find out about Jo, and they will, they’ll go after
her first. Lana too, if possible.” Gen bit her lip. “Has Daniel found his mate
yet?”

Lana opened her mouth but jumped when Chris pinched her
side.

Interesting.

“What?” Daniel was eyeing Lana with suspicion and a little
panic.

“Nothing.”

No one seemed fooled by Lana’s wide-eyed look, least of all
Daniel. “If you know something I don’t now is the time to tell me.”

“I don’t
know.
I have suspicions.”

From the way Daniel groaned Jo had the feeling that Lana’s
suspicions were as good as knowledge. Not every witch had instincts strong
enough to be taken for gospel, but from the way the Beckett brothers were
reacting Lana’s were. “Who?”

Lana zipped her lip.

Daniel whimpered, looking tortured. “Oh hell. Not her.”

Jo blinked. Her who?

“Kerry?” Zach’s shoulders shook, jarring Jo. “You’re fucking
kidding me!”

“That woman is not my mate!”

Lana winked again at Jo. “Prove it.”

The men in the room went silent.

Daniel’s whole body was stiff with outrage. “I don’t have to
prove anything!”

Lana shook her head, her smile smug. “Nope. You don’t.”

Jo could feel some undercurrents between the Becketts and
Lana, but without their inside knowledge she had no idea which way those
currents were running, or even why.

“There’s absolutely no need to prove myself right, because
that woman is
not
my mate.”

Gareth turned his back on the group and poured himself a cup
of coffee. Jo could see his shoulders were rigid. She didn’t know if he was
pissed or laughing.

Daniel snorted. “Fine. Once we deal with the fucking Godwins
I’ll cast the spell. Happy?”

Lana shrugged. “Whatever, dude.”

Daniel stomped out of the kitchen, his face stormy. “I’m
going for a goddamn run. Anyone want to join me?”

“I do.” Chris kissed the top of Lana’s head and headed
toward the back patio where Daniel was already beginning to strip.

Jo caught a glimpse of Daniel’s dimpled ass as he shoved his
jeans down his legs. “Damn. They really
are
all gorgeous.” Zach whirled
her around and took her mouth, kissing her with lazy arrogance. By the time he
was done her mind was whirling and her nipples were so hard they ached. “Mmm.”

“Want to see my wolf?”

Jo opened her eyes. How in hell could he make that sound so
damn sexy? “Yup.”

His blue eyes twinkled at her. “Are you done caffeinating?”

“Nope.”

She heard a soft giggle behind her and knew it was Gen.

“Hell. If you’re going, I’m going too. Hide her virgin eyes
for a couple minutes more, ’kay?” Jo heard the sliding glass door open and knew
Gareth had left the room. It looked like all four Beckett brothers would be
running, leaving the women behind.

Good. She had a few things to discuss with the ladies that
weren’t meant for male ears.

“Wow,” Gen breathed.

She had the feeling she knew what Gen was staring at.
“Good?”

“The best.”