Witch's Awakening (28 page)

“I'm a dangerous man with a beast inside me.”

“And you deal with that,” she said firmly. She moved and put her arms around him. “I saw you fight off the demon that night in the diner. A bad man with a beast inside who craves killing would have welcomed the excuse to break free. You fought it.”

“You don't understand.”

“I understand that you can't wall yourself off from the world. All of us with special abilities live with challenges. We have impulses. Do you know how many times I've thought about infesting The Enclave with rats and snakes? In my opinion that would get rid of a big problem in this town.”

Thinking back to his meeting with the BOC, Jake had to agree. Yet he thought her argument proved his point about himself. “I didn't resist the impulse, Brenna. I killed that man. I didn't even have to shift to do it.”

“And you live with the awful regret. You wouldn't do it again.”

“I'm glad you're so sure.” Jake shook his head. “I cared so much about those men I served with that I gave into my impulse.” Which was why he should avoid deep entanglements.

“Yes,” Brenna said, her voice firm. “You gave in and you killed him as a man. As an angry, frustrated, heartbroken man. The story proves that you're not only shifter, but you're human.” She studied him for a moment. “Which side of yourself are you more afraid of?”

The question shocked Jake. Damn this female. She forced him to examine himself much too closely.

Brenna pressed, “If you had to choose, which one would it be? Would you be a man with all those tendencies that men have to do right and wrong? Or would you run free as a tiger, a hunter and killer?”

The answer, Jake realized was simple. As a tiger, he couldn't be with Brenna. And that's what he wanted. More than anything, he wanted to be with the difficult, complicated and demanding woman. He held back the confession of love that started to tumble from him. Though his feelings had deepened, Brenna made it clear from the start that she wasn't looking for a commitment.

“The good thing,” she continued, lifting a hand to his cheek. “Is that you don't have to choose. You just have to try to be the person and the shifter you want to be. Someone that chooses right more often than not. Luckily, you're in New Mourne. Because of that deal my family made, it's easier here for supers to live at peace.”

“Most of the time.”

“That's what we have to fix.”

Jake stood still, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. He needed to pull away, to return to the person who didn't want a future with any woman.

She held him closer. “You're a good man, Jake, and you did what you did to save lives.”

He turned and tightened his embrace. “God, Brenna, you almost make me believe I could live a normal life.”

He started the kiss with a delicate touch, but quickly took it deeper.

Jake found himself wanting to purr like Tasmin because of the warmth of her touch. He remembered her caressing his tiger in the forest. She'd been gentle and trusting, believing he'd never hurt her, just like she did now.

Even though he'd told her he'd killed another human being. Not in the throes of his beast, but as a
man
.

He did move away from her this time, pulling his hand out of hers. He couldn't do it. He couldn't trust and let go. He had to remember what happened before, what happened to his mother. He knew the tiger couldn't be trusted, and he couldn't give it a chance to prove him wrong. He had to keep Brenna at a distance.

“Want me to make us some coffee?” she asked.

“Sure.” Anything to give him a chance to think, to regain his balance.

She began opening cabinet doors and he realized she didn't know her way around his kitchen.

“Sorry, I'll make it.”

The simple task helped him regain his calm. He got out a tin of coffee, a filter and filled the coffeemaker.

She set two mugs on the counter. “You take cream, right?”

“Or milk.”

When he said milk, Tasmin came in from the living room and meowed.

“Oops, somebody else is hungry. Got anything a cat likes to eat?” Brenna asked.

“Are you kidding?”

“My bad.” She laughed at his expression.

It was a husky, throaty laugh that made him want to kiss her until her toes curled.

He took a can of tuna out of the pantry, peeled off the top and dumped it into a bowl, leaving the oil on it. Tasmin dived into it like she hadn't eaten in days.

“Guess you do know what cats like,” Brenna said.

How was it she made things feel so right in
his
home? That wasn't possible. They should be arguing about something or fighting over the issues with her family. How was it she looked so sexy and had that understanding smile?

His mouth came down on hers. Like sipping an elixir of the gods, he couldn't get enough. He wanted to drink from her until he was sated. Jake gave a brief thought to ripping her clothes off and pushing her down on the small kitchen table, but then he wondered why he'd want to deprive himself of enjoying the scent and texture of her skin.

He buried his face in her neck and drew in deeply. She smelled of the earth, a natural sweetness different from any other woman he had known. He wanted to lie against her like this for hours. He kissed the tender base of her neck and her body melted against his. Surrender from a strong woman was incredibly sexy.

She was warm and soft, extremely soft. The texture of her skin was like silk. He ran a finger down her cleavage, then over her breasts, barely touching her nipples. Her breath became shaky and he marveled at the sensitivity of her response.

With an easy movement, he slipped his arm under her legs and lifted her. He carried her through the house to his big bed and set her gently onto the thick, soft comforter.

She began unbuttoning his shirt and he stopped her so he could slip her thin tank top over her head. Her bra was a tiny piece of lace that easily popped open when he touched the hook. He cupped both of her breasts and dipped his head to kiss first one nipple and then the other. Brenna clenched her fingers in his hair and moaned.

“Take me now,” she whispered. Her body moved against his with urgency.

“No.” His strong arms stilled her. Slowly, his gaze steady on hers, he removed her jeans and his own clothes.

When she would have moved above him, he eased her back on the bed. His touch between her legs was light at first, then more insistent, and she climaxed quickly. Her body was still trembling as he took her up again. Only then did he slip inside her. Brenna shuddered as he pumped into her with slow and steady movements.

His tiger surged to life inside him. Even as he embraced the wild instinct to mate, he felt his human side. This was lovemaking, he realized, not sex. With Brenna, his dual natures were balanced. He felt whole.

Maybe it was because she wasn't quite human either. As they moved closer to the edge, her skin began to glow and her magic shimmered around them. He knew he wouldn't tell her, but he loved her.

He was lost. Utterly lost to a witch who was cursed.

After their passion was spent and Brenna slept beside Jake, he lay for a long time. Did his new feelings for Brenna make a difference in who and what he was?

She believed he wasn't a killer, but she was wrong.
He knew would kill again.

To save her.

Chapter Twenty-Four

While Brenna showered the next morning, Jake prepared a hearty breakfast.

She sighed as she surveyed the spread of scrambled eggs with cheese, thick slices of ham and Texas toast on the dining room table. “I can't keep eating like this. I'm going to be big as a barrel.”

“A nicely curved barrel.” Jake squeezed her bottom as he brought her a mug of steaming coffee.

Brenna laughed at his teasing tone. Last night had been very intense. She had worried how things would be between them this morning. She was used to ducking out of relationships at the first hint of emotional attachment. With Jake, she wanted to stay right here. The feeling was unfamiliar and she would just as soon not confront it right now.

They ate breakfast together with companionable conversation.

Jake pushed back from the table as Brenna started on her second cup of coffee. “I need to go into the office and check on a few things.”

“I'm going to do some sketching,” Brenna said, “but I'll clean up while you take your shower.”

She was sitting on the back steps with her sketchpad when Jake came out. She grinned. “There is definitely something about a man in a uniform.”

They both ducked as the huge barn owl came out of the sky and dipped toward the stoop.

“What the hell?” Jake muttered. “What's he doing here?” When the bird swooped again, Jake took a protective stance and told Brenna to get back in the house.

“Wait. I think he's trying to tell us something.” She pushed him out of the way and went out in the yard under the circling bird. “Come here, fella. What's wrong?”

The bird stopped and perched on the tree limb where he'd been yesterday. He looked down at them with intelligent eyes. Brenna almost expected the owl to speak. Instead, it took off again.

Jake and Brenna followed. The bird landed on top of Brenna's car.

“He wants us to go somewhere,” Brenna said, starting forward.

Jake held her back. “Should we follow him? What if it's the demon leading you into a trick?”

The owl hissed and unfurled his mighty wings. Brenna stepped in front of Jake in anticipation of an attack. The bird lifted again and flew around the yard, his strident call filling the air.

“We need to follow him,” Brenna said. “Let me go get my keys.”

“We'll take my cruiser,” Jake insisted.

Because that was quicker, Brenna agreed.

They got in the cruiser and took off, following the bird. The owl flew a true course.

“He's headed to Sarah's,” Jake said.

Soon after, they turned into the driveway at the home place, but the bird didn't stop at the house. It continued down the dirt road toward the barn just beyond Marcus and Sarah's workshop. While Jake parked, the owl slipped into a ragged hole high on the wooden structure.

Jake headed for the barn door. Emotions and memories swamped Brenna, and she hesitated.

“What's wrong?” Jake swung the door open and looked at her.

“We played here sometimes as kids, but mostly we stayed away. Aunt Celia's things are stored in the loft and Sarah didn't like us messing with them. Because we knew that, we were drawn to this place, of course, but it felt creepy to me. Kind of sad, too.”

“You want me to go look for the bird without you?” Jake started into the shadowy interior.

Brenna shook off her trepidation and followed him. Inside, a rush of cold air enveloped them. The wind was as cold as January despite it being a hot June morning. The breeze carried the scent of clover, a smell Brenna remembered from those times when she, Fiona and Eva Grace had defied Sarah's instructions and looked through Aunt Celia's things.

She didn't need Fiona's sight to know this place was haunted.

“Aunt Celia?” she murmured as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. “Are you here?”

Jake paused at her side. “You feel something, too?”

Nodding, Brenna led the way to the ladder and up to the loft. The platform was crowded with boxes, old furniture and other items stored there through the years.

“Bless you,” Jake said after Brenna sneezed.

She turned to the right, studying Celia's French provincial bed and dresser, once white trimmed in gold, but now gray from being buried under a heavy coating of dust. Boxes were stacked nearby, also covered in grime. She remembered rummaging through those, looking at Celia's clothes, turning the pages of college textbooks, sifting through photographs of her mother and her aunt with their high school friends. Fred Williams had been in some of those pictures, Brenna remembered. Odd how Fred had been part of their circle, but by all accounts Aunt Celia had been as accepting of others as her daughter was now.

Eva Grace had never been able to stay in the loft more than a few minutes when they went through her mother's things, Brenna remembered. Fiona had tried from a young age to get Aunt Celia to speak to her or to appear. Brenna wondered what her sister would see if she were with them now. Was their aunt standing here, watching Brenna? Had she sent the owl to lead her here? At that thought, the air warmed and Brenna felt the emptiness of the barn. Celia was gone.

A scratching noise drew her attention to the left. From a dark corner, the luminous eyes of the bird stared at her.

Putting out his hand to stop Brenna, Jake moved carefully toward the owl. “Hey, buddy, got something you want to show us?”

The owl hissed, but didn't move as Jake advanced on him.

Sticks, hay and other debris made a nest. Beside it was a cardboard box, top mangled and sides breaking with rot.

Placing his body between Brenna and the bird, Jake motioned her over. Brenna moved gingerly through rotting boxes past an old chair whose stuffing poked out of gaping holes. She looked down at the box closest to the nest and gasped.

“Shadows of Biddy Early,” Brenna said.

“Who's Biddy Early?”

“The first Irish witch.” Brenna dropped to her knees beside the box and reached for the yellowing pages on top. She looked up at Jake. “It's pages from
The Connelly Book of Magic
. I recognize the parchment and the handwriting. What the hell are they doing up here?”

The owl hissed one more time and then left them, moving deftly out the hole in the barn to take flight.

Jake cleared debris away from the shuttered loft door and threw it open to the light, and then helped Brenna pull the box out where they could better see its contents.

“The wood of this box is rotten,” he said as it disintegrated under his touch. “How is it that those pages are still whole?”