by Cynthia Eden
She kept talking. “You don’t want someone like me. I will put hexes on people I don’t like. I’ll do magic even when you tell me not to cast spells. I will dance on the graves of my enemies because I think it’s fun. I will—”
“I love you.”
“No, you absolutely don’t. You shouldn’t say things like that. Sure, it might have looked scary when I was all bleeding and unconscious, but don’t make some big, dramatic declaration that you don’t mean. Don’t lie. I don’t like lies, unless I’m the person telling them, I don’t—”
“I love you.” He was right in front of her.
“Stop lying.”
He caught her arms and pulled her close. “I’m not lying.”
“You can’t love me. You shouldn’t love me. Don’t do it. I’ll hurt you. I’ll make you wish you’d never met me.”
“Impossible. Life didn’t even get fun until I met you.”
He wasn’t being serious. “Let me go.”
“No.”
She twisted, trying to jerk free, but he held her tight. Didn’t hurt her, he’d never physically hurt her, but he didn’t let go. “Why?”
He smiled at her. “You don’t need to be scared.”
Her chin notched into the air. “I’m not scared of anything.”
“Yes, you are.” He stared into her eyes. “You’re scared that I love you.”
She wanted him to stop saying the l-word. To just stop.
“But when you’re watching your mate bleed out, when her blood is on your hands and you’re praying that she’ll open her eyes, that she’ll come back to you, that you’ll hear her sweet cackle one more time—”
“I don’t cackle.”
“Things come into perspective for you. You realize you’d trade everything you had, you’d give up your kingdom, your beasts, anything, if it meant she’d be okay.”
Her body stiffened. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“I would give anything for you.”
“Tell me you didn’t!” She’d healed too fast. Oh, no. “I’m not worth your kingdom. Or your beasts. I’m a witch who will turn on anyone and everyone near her. Some days, I’m not even sure I’m sane. So you tell me…tell me right now that you did not make a deal with Leo. You didn’t give him your kingdom for me. You didn’t give up your beasts for me. I can’t let you give them up! I won’t.” She’d work magic. She’d get it all back for him. “I’ll get it back,” she promised before Griffin could respond. “I think I’m strong enough. I’ll take out Leo. Never liked him anyway, I was more of a Luke fan. I’ll get everything back for you. I can do this, I swear, I can!”
Silence.
Griffin kept staring at her. Watching her with a too intense gaze.
She clamped her lips together so she wouldn’t yell at him to say something!
“I think you love me, too.”
Her body iced. She wanted to deny his words. She had to deny his words. “I don’t love anyone.”
He smiled. Flashed his sharp incisors. “You should be a better liar.”
No. No. She would not love him. It would be a mistake. He’d turn on her, the same way that Tomas had turned. The way Devon had turned. She was the monster. Everyone turned on her. And she turned on them. She didn’t want anyone close. Not Griffin. Especially not Griffin.
“I love you,” he said again, and he sounded so sincere. He needed to stop that shit. “But I didn’t trade anything for you. I didn’t make a deal. Leo didn’t offer me one. You healed on your own. If you hadn’t, believe me, Leo would own my kingdom now. Because you are worth everything.”
He hadn’t traded—
She surged toward him. Rose onto her toes and put her mouth against his. He hadn’t entered into some kind of devil’s deal with Leo. Griffin was safe. He still had his beasts. He was alive.
Because, while she’d never admit it to him, Valerie had been utterly terrified. When she’d realized those bullets were touched by magic, that they wouldn’t stop until they were inside of Griffin, she’d freaked.
Just freaked.
She didn’t want to imagine a world without her shifter. Without his slow, sexy grin. Without his growl. She even liked his dragon. His green scales were gorgeous.
So she kissed Griffin right then, overwhelmed with relief. Her mouth opened against his, and he thrust his tongue past her lips. The kiss was hot, desperate, and oh, so good. Her Griffin. In her arms. Strong and warm. Alive.
I love you.
She didn’t know why he kept saying those words. He didn’t mean them. Of course, he didn’t mean them.
But…
Deep inside, very, very deep, she rather liked hearing them.
He lifted her up. His hands curled around her hips, and he stepped forward, moving so that her back was against the wall. “Ditch the clothes,” he growled against her mouth.
That sexy growl.
“I need in you,” he told her.
Oh, yes, sounded delightful.
Her fingers did a little shimmy. She ditched both of their clothes.
He was kissing his way down her neck. Licking and sucking. Biting lightly at the curve of her shoulder. She shivered against him. Confession…she loved his bite. It turned her on so much that her toes were curling. Her legs had wrapped around his hips when he lifted her up, and now that their clothes were gone, his heavy cock pushed at the entrance to her body. Pushed, but didn’t enter.
Why wasn’t he entering? She sank her nails into him, clawing a bit because she knew what her shifter liked. He gave a guttural groan, but he still didn’t thrust. The head of his erection lodged between her legs, rubbing over her clit, and she knew he could feel her getting wet for him, getting even more ready with every second that passed.
But he wasn’t in. “Griffin!”
“Look at me.”
He wasn’t kissing her any longer. Wasn’t giving her those delicious bites. He gazed into her eyes, and she couldn’t look away.
“I love you.” He thrust into her. Filled her completely. “Never doubt it.”
She—oh, damn, she could only feel. Feel waves of need and desire as he withdrew and thrust deep. He lifted her up, brought her down, and drove them both to the very edge with an increasingly wild rhythm.
His mouth went back to her neck.
Her nails dug into his shoulders.
Faster, harder, deeper.
She didn’t try to slow him down. Why slow down? She just wanted to go faster. “Harder!”
He spun her away from the wall. Carried her across the room while he was still inside of her. Then he was tumbling her onto the bed. Moving her legs, lifting them higher so that he could go even deeper inside of her.
The climax hit her with a burst of pleasure so strong she couldn’t even cry out. Couldn’t catch her breath. The pleasure rolled through her, sweeping Valerie off in a maelstrom of feeling. Every nerve. Every cell. And the waves of pleasure just kept going and going.
He was with her. He thrust into her again, filling her with the hot blast of his release as he emptied into her body, and he called her name, a rough, wonderful bellow.
In the aftermath, Valerie heard the thunder of her heartbeat. She realized that her nails were still biting into his shoulders, and she made herself release him. He was on top of her, in her, and she didn’t want to move.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to just stay there with him? To go again? Maybe a time or twenty more?
But his head lifted. He stared at her with his gleaming, green eyes. His dragon eyes. “I will never have enough of you.”
That was nice. She didn’t think…oh, damn, she’d never have enough of him, either.
He gave her a half-smile. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid of anything.” But the words were too husky.
“Liar.” He kissed her. “You’re afraid to love me. But that’s okay. I’m patient. I can wait for you to come around.” Another kiss. “I can wait forever, if that is what it takes.”
H
er heart seemed to skip a beat. “Griffin—”
He withdrew from her. Her greedy, happy sex clamped around him, trying to keep him inside. He smiled at her. Not a half-smile this time. A full smile. His heart melting smile.
Not that her heart melted. It didn’t.
Maybe thawed a bit…
A bird cawed.
She ignored the sea gull. Griffin stood near the bed. Her gaze swept over him. She wanted more. So much more.
But the bird cawed again. Louder. And she realized it wasn’t a sea gull. Not this time. “Edgar?” She grabbed for the bedding. “Seriously? Privacy! It’s a thing! And you’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be watching Carmichael.”
“Uh, are you talking to your bird? Now? He’s got shitty timing.”
Edgar flew closer to her. His cries were louder, more frantic. And they were not what she wanted to hear. “We’ll be right there.” She conjured clothes for herself and Griffin. Valerie bounded out of the bed even as Edgar darted back through the open window. She grabbed Griffin’s hand. “We have to go.”
He didn’t move. “You just woke up.”
“No, I woke up a few minutes ago. We just had awesome, mind-blowing sex.”
His eyes seemed to sparkle.
“But now we have to go. According to Edgar, your brother is with Calliope and my friend is dead.” Her hands were shaking. “I didn’t think he was the one we needed to fear. Dammit, this shouldn’t have happened! Enzo was going to take me to her. Enzo was going to help me.”
“Only I killed him.” A muscle flexed in Griffin’s jaw. “And I’d fucking do it again.”
“We have to leave. Now.” She’d been pulling him toward the door but, hell, if they went downstairs, she’d probably run into Leo. Or worse, Mora. She didn’t feel like having a heart-to-heart with Fate right then. “Do you trust me?”
Because Edgar had told her where to go. He’d given her the location of Carmichael and Calliope. She could cast a spell and be there in moments.
Griffin didn’t answer her. Right. She swallowed. He didn’t trust her. He’d been just bullshitting about the love bit, so, of course, he didn’t trust her, he—
“I trust you with my life.”
Her breath heaved out. “You should not do that. Really, don’t. Way too much responsibility for me.” Her fingers threaded with his. “But hold tight for now, okay? I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He was smiling at her as sparks began to dance in the air around them. Wind whipped through the room. His smile dimmed a bit. “Uh, Valerie—”
“Keep holding my hand. In just a moment, this will be over.”
The wind howled.
The bedroom door flew open. Leo stood there, glowering. “Valerie! What in the hell?”
“Later, Leo!” See you in hell.
She and Griffin vanished.
***
The wind stopped howling. The world stopped shaking. And Valerie opened her eyes to find herself standing in the middle of a luxury condo. The place was totally high end. Marble tile. Leather couches.
A dead witch on the floor.
Calliope. Valerie let go of Griffin’s hand and raced across the room. Calliope was sprawled on her stomach, with her hands spread at her sides. And Calliope wasn’t alone. Carmichael knelt beside her. His hands were fisted, and fury had etched deep lines onto his face.
“What did you do?” Valerie yelled at him.
But she knew, already. Edgar had come to her. He’d been following Carmichael. The shifter had led her bird right to this high-rise condo. And right to Calliope.
“Poison,” Carmichael whispered. He opened his hand, and she saw the small dart that he held. “The same poison Griffin used on the witch who killed our parents.” His gaze lifted, and he stared straight at Valerie. “She’s dead. She’s gone.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Valerie lunged for Calliope’s still form. Griffin knew what she intended, and he grabbed her, pulling her against his body and holding her tight. “You’re not bringing her back.”
“Let me go!”
He just held her tighter. “I won’t let you do it. You went through hell when you pulled Rio back, and I can’t let you do it again.”
She jabbed her elbow into his chest. “It’s Calliope! She’s my ally!”
“An ally who sent vampires with fucking magical bullets after us. That’s not the kind of ally you can trust.” His arms wrapped around her stomach. “Baby, no. I can’t watch you suffer. I can’t.”
Carmichael stared at them both, his head cocked to the side, a furrow between his brows. “Was that story true? She actually brought Rio back from the dead?” He rose to his feet. Threw the dart to the floor. “Thought that was just embellishment BS. Something to make her rep even stronger.”
Sparks danced around Valerie’s fingers. “Let me go.”
Griffin wasn’t going to risk her, he wasn’t—
She vanished from his arms. Reappeared right next to Calliope.
Fucking hell. “Valerie!”
She crouched and carefully rolled Calliope over onto her back. Valerie put her hand against Calliope’s neck.
Griffin lunged for Valerie, but before he could get to Valerie, Carmichael had yanked her to her feet. “You can bring her back?”
She sent a bolt of electricity right at him. He flew across the room and slammed into a wall.
“If she hasn’t been dead too long, I can damn well try. Then I’m going to kill you. I don’t care if you are Griffin’s brother. Shit, shit. I didn’t even have you on my suspect list.” She swiped a shaking hand over her cheek. “Why weren’t you on my list?”
Griffin put his hand on Valerie’s shoulder, fully expecting her to send a bolt of lightning through him, but she didn’t. She shuddered. “She was my friend. I don’t have a lot of those.”
They needed to talk about the definition of friend. It wasn’t someone who sent a vamp with magic bullets after you.
“I didn’t kill her.” Carmichael was on his feet. His hands were loose at his sides. “I love her. And if you can bring her back, please, do it. I will give you anything to bring her back.”
Shock rolled through Griffin. “What?”
“You’re not the only one who fell for a witch, brother.” Carmichael didn’t take his grief-stricken gaze off Calliope’s still body. “I thought it was wrong. I tried to fight the attraction because of our parents. Dammit, she’s the reason I came home. I thought if I stayed away from Calliope, I’d be safe. The need, the hunger I felt for her would go away.” His claws burst out. “But I just left her unprotected. I let her die.” Carmichael bounded across the room. Stopped right in front of Valerie. Didn’t make the mistake of touching her this time. “I will give you anything, just bring her back. Please. I can’t live without her. I have to get her back.”
“No.” Griffin’s immediate denial. “Not happening. It hurts you too much, Valerie. You aren’t bringing her back. You can’t.”
She glanced at him with a sad smile. “Don’t remember asking permission.”
“I won’t let you do this. Her bullets almost killed you hours ago, and you’re going to bring her back from death? Why? Why the hell would you do that?”
“Because when I escaped from Salem, when I had no one and nothing, Calliope hid me. She gave me food and shelter, and she made sure I survived the winter.”
“She’s gone. You’ll hurt yourself if you try to bring her back.” Frustrated fury twisted his guts. Valerie couldn’t bring back everyone. Didn’t she see that? “Monsters rip you apart while you sleep. Every time you bring someone back, it gets worse, doesn’t it?” His suspicion, but when she flinched, Griffin knew that he was right. “Baby, no.”
“I have to try. I need her. I can’t defeat Devon and Genevieve without her.”
“Fuck them.” He meant that. “Come back to my world. You’ll never need to know fear or pain again. I’ll protect you. I swear it.”
She sh
ook her head. “You can’t protect me from what’s inside myself.”
“Valerie—”
But she was staring at Carmichael. “If you really didn’t poison her, if you want her back, then you have to keep Griffin away from me. Don’t let him stop me.”
No. This wasn’t happening. “Nothing will keep me from you.”
Her smile flashed and never lit her eyes. “I’m really hoping your brother can, at least for a few moments.”
Before Griffin could say anything else, Carmichael attacked him. His brother slammed into him, and Carmichael’s claws went straight for Griffin’s throat. The sonofabitch had always fought dirty.
Too bad for Carmichael…Griffin fought dirtier.
***
Howls and snarls filled the air behind her, but Valerie didn’t glance back at Griffin and his brother. If she did…no. Don’t.
She had to focus on Calliope. She hunched over the other witch. Calliope’s body wasn’t moving at all. She was still and cold, just like stone.
Just like stone.
Valerie blinked. Something nagged at her mind, but her fear pushed her forward. She began to chant, calling up the dark power that would let her cross over and bring Calliope back. She could find her friend and get her out, she could—
Nothing happened.
The magic pulsed in the air, but nothing happened.
“Something is wrong!” Valerie screamed.
The howls and the snarls were silenced behind her.
“I just have to try harder.” She pushed out a breath. Dug deeper. Grabbed onto the power resting so heavily inside of her. She’d cross this threshold. She’d find Calliope.
Flames burst over Valerie’s skin. Pain knifed through her, and she screamed. Pain was part of dark magic. Pain was part of power. So she pushed through. She pushed—
“I’m sorry.” Griffin’s voice. And…
Something locked around her right wrist.
Then her left.
Something cold. Something…something that immediately had the flames dying and a cold chill sliding through her body.
Valerie blinked. She stared at her wrists. Two golden bracelets adorned with diamonds. One bracelet around each wrist. Beneath the diamonds, she could see the faint etchings. Spell. “No.” Betrayal was there, gutting her. This couldn’t happen. Griffin wouldn’t do this. He couldn’t. She shoved at the bracelets, but they bit into her skin, sinking deeper the more she struggled. “What have you done?”