Dark Tremor
Mated by Magic (Book 2)
Stella Marie Alden
Chantel Seabrook
Copyright (C) 2016 Stella Marie Alden,
Chantel Seabrook
ISBN 978-1532892127
Cover design by Virginie Wernert –
www.designedbyqueenninie.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents are the
product of the author's imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events,
locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely
coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without the
author's permission.
stellamariealden@gmail.com
chantelseabrook@gmail.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 1
Let’s see what this baby can do. Jace
revved the custom engine of his new
ATV and grinned. The desert whirled by
at 100 mph, he caught some air, and
flew.
“Fuck yeah!” What a rush. Better
than winning at the tables last night.
Back teeth chomped together when
all four wheels landed. He turned the
wheel in the opposite direction, rotated
his wrists, and his ride sped forward.
Sweeeeet. Ahead lay nothing but blue
sky, a couple cactuses, and a lot of
empty miles.
Above him a falcon circled, then
swooped low. He only took his eyes off
the terrain for a moment, but when he
looked back, his vehicle rocketed, full
speed towards a woman’s small form.
With only a couple feet to spare, he
cranked the wheel and held his breath.
Shit. Where the hell had she come
from?
With each turn of the deathly merry-
go-round, a huge boulder grew closer.
Time stood still. Impact imminent. As he
spun out, he swore a fissure ripped
through the surface of the desert and the
mammoth rock sank halfway into the
riverbed.
What the fuck?
Another turn.
The blob disappeared.
His right front wheel hit something
solid, and he flipped and rolled. A
sickening crunch, followed by an odd
silence, except for the spinning of tires.
With some effort, he unclenched his
jaw and took a deep breath. The sharp
edges of the harness dug into his neck
and the sky stood where the ground
should be. But he was alive.
Upside down, a woman, no, the
woman who’d just caused this disaster
peered down, or rather up, and said,
“Are you okay?”
“Hell, no. I’m not okay, lady. Look at
my ATV.” What a stupid question.
Adrenaline raced through his veins,
needing an outlet.
Her face-load of attitude and army-
surplus attire was covered in dust.
“Listen to me, asshole. I don’t give a shit
about your vehicle. Were you hurt?”
He wiggled his toes. Good.
Fingers. Good.
Hanging like a bat, he wedged his
legs and released his harness. The world
righted itself when he jumped onto all
fours and crawled out of the wreckage
onto the cool morning sand.
“What the hell were you doing out
there? I could’ve killed you.” His hand
came back bloody when he rubbed
above his right eye.
“Me?” Her dirty brows furrowed.
Blue eyes glared, white teeth showed,
and no doubt, sharp claws hid inside the
oversized jacket. “Didn’t you see the no
trespassing signs?”
“There weren’t any signs,” he
growled, rolling his shoulders. A wave
of nausea washed over him and his
vision went foggy. He gripped the side
of the ATV to keep from tumbling
forward.
She rolled her eyes. “You are hurt.
Follow me.”
A sweet little ass turned and walked
towards a nearby hill.
Before following, he tried to clear
his thoughts and recall the sequence of
events.
Woman. Bolder. And…earthquake?
He hadn’t imagined the two foot gash
that zigzagged across the river bed. What
were the odds?
Slim to none.
Suspicious, he followed her up a
steep hill, and through the glassed-in
front wall of some kind of cave
dwelling. Figures. The badger had a
burrow.
“You live in a cave?”
“Earthship. Entirely eco-friendly.”
She pointed to a ladder-back chair and
threw him a roll of paper towels. “Sit
and try not to bleed on anything. Give me
a sec’ to clean up.”
While water ran from behind the
bathroom door, he pulled off a wad of
paper towels, and pressed it to one eye.
With the other, he made a quick
assessment of her space. Cheap, but
sparkling appliances lined one wall. On
the other side of the island that divided
the open space, a lumpy couch faced a
fourteen-inch screen.
Above, a wood railing circled a loft
with a low bed.
He jumped when an orange tabby
landed on the large antique table in front
of the glass wall. It padded around a
short wave radio and a laptop, making a
dreadful meowing sound. It sat down
next to a pile of rough, blue stones.
Jace picked one up and whistled
through his teeth.
Turquoise. Beautifully veined. And
not from a mine he recognized. Probably
worth a small fortune.
Wet-faced, she dashed out of the
bathroom with a towel around her neck.
“Put that down.”
The gem fell from his hand and his
mouth dropped open. Holy hell.
Her newly scrubbed face revealed a
pert nose and wide kissable lips, framed
by long dark-blonde hair. But it was the
damp white t-shirt, worn without a bra,
leaving little to the imagination that had
his cock standing at attention.
When she caught him staring, she
turned bright red and grabbed a
sweatshirt off a chair. It was too late.
His dick knew what it saw–and it
wanted it.
Bustling across the room, she
struggled with her zipper while trying to
balance a first aid kit under her arm.
“I said not to touch anything.” She
picked up the stone and put it back in the
pile.
“Sorry.” Arms raised, he stepped
away, but couldn’t hide the widening
smirk.
“Sit down and I’ll clean your cut.”
Small palms pushed at his chest
ineffectively, but remained, as if glued.
She stared, stunned.
The energy pulsing into him made his
knees weak.
No. No. No. Hell, no. He’d only felt
that once before in his life and he wasn’t
about to do that again.
When he jumped back, she beat him
to the punch line. “That is so not going to
happen. Understood?”
He nodded, not trusting himself to
speak.
“Sit, before you fall down.” Her
hands trembled as she snapped open the
old metal first aid kit and searched the
bins.
Sitting in one of two chairs, he
noticed that there was two of everything.
“So, you married?”
“None of your business. Close your
eyes. This is going to sting.” She pressed
an antiseptic pad against the cut on his
forehead.
“Ow. Damn. Stop that.”
Without thinking, he grabbed her
hand and bam. There it was again. No
denying it. She was a witch, and a
powerful one at that. She’d probably be
a perfect match for him if he was looking
for a mate. Which he damn well was not.
“Do you mind?” She stared at where
he held her hand, unable to let go. Dark
eyelashes framed the most stunning pale
blue eyes he’d ever seen.
The warmth coursing from her
essence turned his brain to mush. It
nourished him, fed him, and made him
whole in a way he’d never felt before.
Thinking to grab anything but her, he
picked up an old framed photograph of a
woman and a little girl. A younger
version of the badger-princess.
“Jesus. Stop touching my stuff.
What’s wrong with you? Give me that.”
She put it back, adjusting it on the shelf
several times until perfect.
“Is that you?” he asked, trying hard to
find conversation.
She glared and pointedly ignored him
by hand-cranking an ancient generator.
The World War II radio crackled and
came to life.
“Jelly? Are you there? It’s me,
Terra.” Three-inch tubes glowed as she
spoke into a microphone.
“Sure am, Hun. What can I do you
for?” A crackly voice spoke from an
ancient speaker.
“Can you get a tow truck out to my
place? Some idiot with an ATV got all
tangled up in the gulch.” Crossing her
hands over her bountiful chest, she
frowned in his direction.
“That’s a ten-four. Anything else?
Milk? Bread?”
“Nope. I’m good, thanks. K-C-B-
Two-Five-Two. Out.”
“W-9-Fifteen-Fifteen. Out”
Who the hell was this woman?
Her eyes blazed, and he didn’t miss
the distrust and small edge of fear that
flickered beneath.
He cleared his throat. “Ah, maybe
I’ll just wait outside by my vehicle.”
“Good idea.” She threw him a bottle
of water, nodded in the direction of the
stones, and said, “Do me a favor. Don’t
tell anyone you saw those. I don’t need
people snooping around.”
“You found a unique vein, didn’t
you?”
“You know turquoise?” She chewed
on her bottom lip and her brows turned
down.
“I’m known to collect a piece here
and there.” He studied her mouth, and
his dick urged him to make a move. He
shut it up quick. Not going to happen.
“I mean it.” Her face flushed and she
pointed a finger at his chest. “If you say
a word, I will...argh... I don’t know what
I will do, but it will be really, really
bad.”
He swore he felt the ground move
under his feet.
“Hang on there, honey. I didn’t say I
would tell anyone.”
“I am not your honey.” She dragged
her fingers over her face and let out an
audible sigh. “Just leave. Okay?”
He turned on his heel, walked back
down to where he’d left his vehicle, and
sat in the shade of a giant cactus.
His head was throbbing. His cock
was swollen and aching. He couldn’t get
out of this place fast enough.
Of all the bad luck. Who would’ve
thought he’d run into a powerful witch.
During solstice. In the middle of the
desert.
His body and magic responded in a
way that made the hairs on the back of
his neck stand on end.
Hell no.
Eight years wasn’t long enough to
make him forget the horrors of what
could happen during the mating ritual.
His throat constricted, as it always
did, when he thought of Megan and the
last time he’d wanted to mate with a
witch.
He placed his head in his hands and
tried to block out the memories, but with
no gaming tables, no cell phone apps,
and no ATV, he had no place to hide
from his thoughts.
She’d been eighteen, and beautiful,
with everything to live for, and he’d
killed her. Not a day went by where he
didn’t regret that night. She’d come on
so strong, he’d just assumed she knew
the rules. He moaned as the scene played
out in front of him, both nightmare and
mirage.
It was his first solstice and he was
thinking with his cock. But what male
witch didn’t at that time of year? She
was so fucking hot and he’d been
drinking hard with his buddies. She said
she was ready.
The magic foreplay started out a lot
of fun. They threw light sexual energy at
each other, but then it got serious.
He moaned, wishing he could erase
the memory of her face when he’d
thrown his first real blast of energy into
her.
It wasn’t until after the funeral he’d
learned the truth. She was a half-breed, a
pretender. God almighty, what was she
thinking trying to mate with him? She
must’ve known he was from one of most
powerful clans in the world.
And why hadn’t he seen it? He was
stupid drunk. That’s why. His buddies
should’ve stopped him, but they’d been
just as shit-faced.
Jace beat his forehead into his knees,
forgetting about the wound. Fresh blood
dripped down the side of his face.
Fucking awesome.
He stood, and rubbed the back of his
stiff neck and groaned.
An odd black shard of stone glittered
in the sun a few feet away. Curious, he
wandered over and picked it up. The
rock was hot and not just from the sun. It
all but glowed in his hand and made his
powers tingle. He conjured a small
fireball. It flared high.
He threw the ball of energy at a
cactus twenty feet away. The blast from
his hand was twice the size and power
as was his norm, and he wasn’t even
trying.
Shit. No wonder the little badger
was so prickly.
He rushed over to his upside down
ATV, pulled out his knapsack, and found
his cell phone. No bars. That explained
the short wave. Shit. This place was
medieval. He couldn’t wait to get on a
plane and never come back.
His brother Jack would know more
about what the stone was. He’d heard
him talk about rare conduits that could
increase a witch’s power, but he’d never
seen or felt one himself.
The buzz was almost addictive.
He wanted to try it out more, but he
could feel the badger’s eyes on him from
her cave. No sense alerting her that he’d
found one of her precious stones. At
least not until he figured out what it was.
She’d be pissed as hell to learn he knew
yet another of her secrets.
Tucking the stone into his pocket, he
sat back in the shadows and waited,
doing his best to avoid the badger’s
occasional glance out the window. Then,
an ancient tow truck stopped alongside
his upside down ATV.
Woman-sized khaki pants with a
camouflage tank jumped out of the cab.
This had to be Jelly, based on the box of
donuts on the passenger seat.
She frowned, sizing him up and
down. “You know there’s a no
trespassing sign.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Big hands rested on wide hips and
lips pursed. “Could get a big fine if the
sheriff finds out.”
“Is he going to?” He glared.
“Depends on what Terra says.”
Sniffing, she strode toward the house
mumbling how he didn’t scare her none.
That’s when he noticed the SAT phone
swinging from her cracked leather belt.
Halleluiah. “Wait. Can I borrow
your phone?”
She turned and grinned. “Sure. It’ll
cost you. Sat-phones ain’t cheap.”
“Tack it onto the cost of my tow.”
“That’ll work just fine. Can I see
your card?” Her palm shot out as he dug
his wallet out of his dusty jeans. He
handed her his Amex.
With her nose to the plastic, she read,
“F-i-a-l-k-o...Like in the New York
Fialko’s in the news?”
“No relation,” he lied. The last thing
he needed was someone knowing his
brother was a b’zillionaire.
She slid the card through an ancient
mechanical device and handed him back
his card. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go
anywhere.”
“Where the hell would I go?”
Grumbling, he picked up the satellite
phone and dialed his brother. “Hey,
Jack.”
“I thought you were off the grid for a
few days of R&R.”
“Me too.” He raked his fingers
through his hair, stared at his wreck, and
paced. “Something came up. I was on my
ATV in the middle of the desert and
found a piece of what looks like black
turquoise. And damned if it isn’t hot to
the touch. It’s got some kind of magical
properties. Possibly a conduit of sorts.”
“Hold on while I login to our site.
Takes a few minutes. The guys in IT
have it so secure that even I can’t get in
without an act of God.” After a long
silence and much clicking of a keyboard,
Jack let out a long whistle. “Call me
back when you find a land line. Use the
encrypted number.”
Jace scratched the back of his neck
and kicked the dirt with the toe of his
boot. Figures the woman was hiding
something big. Fuck. He should hop on
the next plane out of there and let his
brother deal with this shit. Jack was the
expert. Plus the man was already mated,
so there was no danger of the little
badger working her solstice magic on
him.
“Everything else okay?” Jack asked.
Hell no. But he couldn’t let his big
brother know how the little badger had
affected him. Jack would be up in his
face about it, his mother and sister
would come, and they’d have him in a
wedding tux by week’s end. He’d just
not touch the witch again. Once solstice
was over, the mating urge would
subside, and he could get on with his
life.
“Nah, I’m good. Call you back in an
hour or so.”
They said their goodbyes.
Five days of solstice hell left to go.
His cock swelled, thinking about her
naked under him.
Shut up dick-head. We’re not mating.
We’ll find a willing, sweet thing in
Vegas, pick her up, and have
meaningless sex.
His cock disagreed.
Chapter 2
Pumpkin meowed and paced along the
glass wall, wanting out.
“Uh-uh. Not now.” Terra sat at her
computer, glancing out the window
every few seconds. Where was ATV-
man? She stood, about to go out and
check, then stopped. Jelly would be here
any moment. Best to avoid all contact
with him.
But what if he’s unconscious in this
heat?
Heat. Holy crap. The heat that man
generated could get him arrested. That,
along with trespassing.
In the distance, a cloud of dust in the
flat desert indicated the tow truck was
on its way. Jelly. Thank God.
He must’ve seen it too, because he
came out of the gully, turned, and
scowled up at the window.
Well, screw you too, buddy.
Sitting, she began the tedious task of
categorizing her pieces of turquoise, then
sent out a few emails to her East Coast
buyers. Only the rich and rather clueless.
What were the odds that someone
who knew turquoise would crash right
outside her vein?
She swallowed hard and a tremor of
fear vibrated in her chest. What if it
wasn’t a coincidence? Maybe he knew
all along about her mine and wanted to
steal it.
That’s why he’s here.
Her heart raced as she ran back to
the window. ATV-man toed the ground,
bent over and picked up a stone. His
mouth gaped open wide.
The familiar look, then the power
shift. She shuddered, feeling him within,
as his palm stretched out, producing a
fireball. It blazed and grew, until it flew
across the desert, landing beyond sight.
From his expression, he was seriously
impressed.
Shit and double hell.
She flew into the bathroom,
rummaged through her jacket pocket and
pulled out a Ziploc bag. Two shards, not
three. A hole in a corner of the plastic
made her let out a string of curses.
Gritting her teeth, she moaned. How
to get it back?
“I’m here,” Jelly yelled from the
front door. “Just checking to make sure
the hottie out there didn’t murder you or
something.”
“Or something,” she muttered, then
walked toward the kitchen. Damn the
man to hell, ‘cause that’s where he was
going if she didn’t get the gem back.
“You okay, Hun?” Jelly’s dark eyes
studied her, no doubt sizing up the whole
morning.
“Yeah,” she lied, and picked up the
freshly brewed pot of coffee. She set
down two mugs. “Want some?”
“Sure, I’ll take a cup. But make it
quick. He doesn’t look all that good.
Probably should drop him off with
Doctor Subra-whatever.”
“Subrahana.”
“Yup. That’s what I said.” Jelly
placed her credit card machine on the
table, and pulled off the merchant’s
copy.
“He looks fine to me.” Terra grabbed
the paper. Fialko. New Jersey.
Jelly snorted. “Got that right.
Damnedest green eyes I ever seen. Look
how he fills out those jeans. The rest
isn’t all that bad, either.”
Her frankness caused Terra’s face to
burn, but it was all true.
The man who signed his name J.
Fialko curled his biceps as he struggled
to get a hook under his ATV. He scooted
onto his back and his t-shirt rode up
exposing cut abs. His low cut button-fly
jeans pulled down, and a small line of
dark hair pointed to what was no doubt,
a treat any woman would love to try.
Any woman except her. She squeezed
her legs tightly, annoyed that she was
growing damp between her thighs.
“What happened out there?” Jelly
pointed to the crack in the ground that
ran for three or four hundred feet.
“There’s an old mine under all this
land. Must’ve collapsed. He crashed
when it happened. I heard him and got
help.
“Pretty lucky for him you were
nearby. What was he doin’ way out
here?”
Probably trying to steal my mine.
“Don’t know.”
“Want me to take him down to the
sheriff’s office and have him throw a
fine on him?”
“No.” She didn’t need anyone else
snooping around here. Best leave it
alone until she figured a way to get the
stone back.
Jelly swallowed the last of her
coffee and headed out the door. “Well.
Looks like he just about got his little toy
car all ready to go. By the way, I called
Falcon to check up on ya. Surprised he
ain’t here yet. Catch ya’ later, Hun.”
“Jelly.”
The woman stopped at the door.
“Can you find out where he’s staying
and let me know?”
Jelly’s bushy eyebrows shot up, then
she winked. “Want me to get his keycard
too?”
“It’s not like that…I just want to
make sure he’s okay.”
“Sure thing, Hun.” Jelly gave her a
wide grin.
“Thanks,” she muttered, her face
more heated than before.
The dust from the tow truck had just
cleared when another appeared down
the road. Falcon.
Terra rolled her eyes and said to
Pumpkin, “Great. Here I was hoping to
avoid him until after solstice.”
Her cat meowed, jumped off the
table and onto the top of the bookshelf,
where he could see better out the
window. She swore he hissed as his tail
wagged.
Best get this over with.
The desert heat hit her face and body
when she opened the front door. Too
warm, she started to remove her
sweatshirt, then remembered J. Fialko’s
heated look, earlier.
Falcon waved as he jumped out of
the old blue truck. As was his norm, he
dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, with
his long native hair tied back at the nape
of his neck.
“I heard you had company this
morning. Everything okay?” Dark eyes
over high cheekbones studied her face.
“Sure. I just had to save an idiot
tourist from a boulder.”
“So that’s what’s up with the new
crack in the sand?”
“No biggie. Just an ounce of power.
It’s not that big or deep.” I need that
shard back.
“We should go in. Hot out here.” He
took her hand, and she couldn’t help but
compare his touch to that of J. Fialko.
Soggy cornflakes versus Fourth of July.
She slipped out of Falcon’s grasp
and made a beeline for the kitchen area,
but he followed on her heels. Thankfully,
Pumpkin did his best to tangle up their
feet and they separated.
“Iced coffee?”
“That’ll do fine.” He stepped close
behind her and slid a hand around her
waist while she poured.
“C’mon, Falcon. We’ve talked about
this.” She firmly peeled his fingers off
her body.
“I’m not good enough for you? Is that
it?” His hands fisted at his sides.
“No.” She shook her head. Dammit.
How not to hurt him? Her heart bled.
She couldn’t lie and she couldn’t tell
him the truth. He was like her big
brother. It could never be more.
“What is it then? Because I’m from a
healer clan, not warring?” He wore the
wounded look of a little kid whose bike
was stolen.
“You know that doesn’t matter to me.
I’m just not ready. Maybe I’ll never be.”
She inched backwards when he moved
closer. “I like living alone.”
“Just say you’ll come with me to the
reservation for the solstice celebration.
They’ll be good food, dancing. You can
say hi to my grandfather...I won’t try
anything.”
“Maybe it’s best I don’t. Not until
after solstice.”
Growling, he pulled her close, and
placed a soggy kiss on her closed lips.
It would be awesome if she felt
something. But nothing. Just mushy wet
unwanted lips. And if she was honest, a
bit of revulsion.
When she didn’t respond, he stepped
away. “Dammit, Terra. I love you.
We’ve been friends for years. We make
sense. I can protect you. Who knows
who’ll find you out here all alone.”
There was a hint of a threat behind
his words that made the hair on the back
of Terra’s neck stand on end.
“I can protect myself. I have for
years.”
“Maybe.” Falcon gave a small shrug.
“Why waste away out here, all alone,
when you can have a family, a
community?”
“I love you, too, just not that way.”
His face went red, and his jaw
pulsed from where he no doubt ground
his teeth. “I’m not going to wait
forever.”
“I don’t expect you to.” She wrapped
her arms around her chest, suddenly cold
all the way through.
He turned and stormed out, slamming
the door behind him.
As his truck raced away, she sat
down at her desk and rubbed her
temples.
Could this day get any worse?
Apparently, it could. As she scrolled
through her recent banking transactions
and sales, the figures made her stomach
cramp. Her credit card was maxed to the
hilt and her personal account was in the
red. She was flat-out broke.
Her only option left was to sell some
turquoise, locally. Ebay was better, but
those transactions could take weeks and
there were bills that needed paying now.
For the millionth time, she
considered a loan, but let it go. That
would mean dealing with a bank, and
answering all sorts of personal
questions. Maybe she could lie, just a
little, but not today. Not when J. Fialko
had just stolen a shard of black
turquoise.
Chapter 3
The minute he got to Jelly’s garage, Jace
borrowed a landline and called his
brother. “Why the secrecy?”
“Tell me a little more about that
black turquoise.”
The intensity of Jack’s tone made
Jace shiver. Shit. He should’ve left the
rock where he found it. This day was
nothing but trouble.
He unwound the handset cord as he
walked over to the door of the waiting
room. When he was sure no one was
listening, he pulled the shard out of his
pocket. It still burned as it did in the heat
of the sun. The rush to his witch senses
was fucking unbelievable. The urge to
use it, almost undeniable. He dropped it
onto the counter and shuddered.
“Looks like a rare shard of turquoise,
but when it hits my skin, it’s almost…
alive, begging me to conjure.” He hissed
a breath through his teeth. “Never felt
anything like it before.”
“How big a piece did you find?”
“About a sixteenth of an inch thick,
and about two inches long.” Jace paced
as best he could, tied by the short phone
cord.
“You think there’s more?”
“Hard to know...” He didn’t doubt
the little badger had a few more secrets.
“I was out in the middle of nowhere.”
How much did he want his brother to
know? He did a quick calculation of the
events that would unfold. He’d tell Jack
about the witch, Jack would have her
investigated, and the US clan court
would dole out some sentence for hiding
this shit. Her prickly nature alone would
get her convicted.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.” He leaned against the
wall and closed his eyes.
“Listen. It’s dangerous. If there’s a
whole vein of it, it could turn the tide of
power. If it’s just a random piece, bring
it home and we’ll lock it up. You need to
find out which it is. I’m trusting you on
this.”
“You sure you want to do that?”
There was a heavy sigh on the other
side of the line. “Whatever you think I
feel about you, it’s all in your head.
Time to step up and drop the past.” The
big-brother tone grated on Jace’s already
frayed nerves.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll call you as soon as I
find anything out.” He picked up the
shard and shoved it back in his pocket.
“Put what you have on a secure FTP site
and I’ll download it when I find a
hotspot.”
“Be careful. I got a bad feeling about
this.”
“Yeah, me too.”
He got back into his truck, turned on
the blessed AC, and counted the cash in
his wallet. It’d taken fifty bucks to
convince Jelly to take him to where he’d
parked the car, and the tow hadn’t been
cheap. No credit cards allowed at the
gas station, either. Damn. Who the hell
carried cash anymore?
All he wanted to do was go back to
his hotel and forget about the little
badger and her stone, but Jack was
counting on him.
Best to go back out into the desert,
confront the witch, then get his ass out of
Dodge.
He was halfway to her place when
he spotted a truck barreling down the
road towards him. A flash of blonde hair
and blue eyes zoomed by.
The little badger was in a hurry and
no doubt headed for trouble.
Pulling a fast U-turn, he followed at
what he hoped was a safe distance. After
they got to the highway, he closed the
gap before hitting Vegas traffic.
At a light, with a cop nearby, he
almost lost her, but her pull was strong.
He turned right. Then, it was an easy
ride, up until he drove to the Texas-sized
pawnshop. There, a neon ‘R’ towered
into the sky on a rusty pole. Three foot
lettering ‘R nny’s’ stood on the flat roof
of the cinder block building. The ‘O,’ lay
flat on its back, next to the rundown
building.
She got out of her truck and started
across the parking lot, never noticing the
scruffy guy heading straight towards her.
On the surface, he seemed innocent
enough, but the gun in his waistband said
differently.
Heart racing, Jace jumped out of the
truck, slammed the door, and glowered.
The guy looked up, shrugged, and veered
off.
Terra headed into the shop with her
purse clutched tight, never noticing the
close call. The door slammed shut
behind her.
What was she up to? If she was
selling pieces of dark turquoise on the
black market, she was in a hell of a lot
more trouble than he’d originally
thought.
Jace sprinted across the hot tar and
entered silently. From the shelves of
cheap souvenirs in the back, he inched
forward toward the register.
Already, she’d unzipped a small
vinyl bag and emptied rough turquoise
onto the countertop.
A large black guy, twice the size of
her, took a look at the stones and said,
“Twenty bucks.”
Bullshit. The stones, if they were the
ones he’d seen on her table, were worth
over five hundred. His ears burned. Why
did she put up with this shit? Why not go
to a reputable buyer? He walked to the
front, turned his back to her, appearing to
study the figurines behind the cabinet.
He used the glass as a mirror.
With a scrunched up face, she shook
her head, no, and put the stones back in
her bag. Good girl.
“Tell you what, you give me a piece
of that black you showed me awhile
back, and I’ll make it worth your while.
I got us a real generous buyer.” The man
leaned over the counter and clamped a
paw over her wrist.
“Let go.” She struggled.
“Can’t do that, Doll. I want that stone
and you’re going to give it to me.”
The ground started to tremble. A few
glass ornaments fell off the shelves and
crashed to the floor.
“I said, let go.”
“Your kind doesn’t scare me.”
“I think you should do as she asks.”
Jace turned, balls of flaming energy
blazing in both hands, weighing the
possibility of burning the bastard to a
crisp. The cops would call it
spontaneous human combustion.
The big guy let go, and one hand
reached under the counter.
“Hands. Let me see them.” Jace shot
one of the balls close to the man’s head.
“Stop it.” Terra glared at him.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Saving your ass. Get behind me.”
The man used the opportunity to pull
out a shotgun. “I got video to prove self-
defense.”
“I have no problem dealing with the
fallout. Do you?”
The man cocked the gun.
“Are you insane?” She shook her
head at him.
“Are you? Get behind me.”
Rolling her eyes, she turned back to
the man behind the counter and set down
a shard of black turquoise. “Here. This
is what I got. What’ll you give me for
it?”
The man’s eyes glistened and he
licked his lips. “Three hundred.”
“I’ll give you five. C’mon. We’re
going.” Jace scooped up the rocks, and
tugged her behind his back.
Wham. He almost staggered at the
double dose of intoxication, of black
rock and solstice mating heat.
“You’ll regret this,” the man sneered.
He already did. But what the hell
else was he supposed to do?
Breathing hard, and with blood
rushing to his cock, he backed her out of
the building and didn’t stop until they
reached his truck.
“Get in.” He pushed the key fob with
one eye on the door.
With a slight hesitation, she jumped
in. “You really are crazy.”
“I wasn’t the one trying to sell a
magical conduit to a thug in the middle
of the Nevada desert.”
“I wasn’t–”
He slammed her door, not waiting to
hear her excuse.
When he jumped in the driver’s side,
she picked up her tirade. “Who do you
think you are? And why were you
following me?”
Ignoring her, he gunned the engine,
checking the rearview every few
seconds. At least four laws were broken
as the blocks of pawn shops and dollar
stores flew by. Wheels squealed, he
turned onto the main freeway, and
exhaled.
She gripped the edge of the seat with
white knuckles and said, “I need to go
back. I can’t just leave my truck there.”
He reached into his pocket, threw his
phone at her, and growled, “Call
someone to get it. You’re not going back
there. Ever.”
Chapter 4
The high towers of Vegas faded into the
distance before Terra had to admit that
he had the upper hand. She picked up his
phone and called Jelly, making up a lie
about the battery going dead. Jelly gave
her an earful when she learned where
she’d been and who she was with. She
ended the conversation and dropped his
phone in the cup holder.
“Happy now?” She glared at the nosy
witch with the cowboy attitude.
“Of all the things I’m feeling, happy
is not one of them.” He shifted, the truck
lurched, and the cactus flew by. The ever
present purple mountains loomed. “What
in God’s name were you thinking, going
to that part of town?”
“I don’t get what business it is of
yours.” Argh. What an arrogant prick.
“Yeah, you do. You’re not stupid.”
He took his eyes off the road long
enough to give her one infuriating stare
before putting a very male hand on her
knee.
Oh man. She closed her eyes and
gasped as he pulsed sexual energy into
her. A normal witch would’ve put the
seat back, unzipped her jeans, and
opened her legs. But she was stronger
than that.
Usually.
Shaking, she peeled his fingers off
her thigh, and placed his hand back on
his thigh.
Her throat was dry, and her tongue
stuck to the roof of her mouth, when she
said, “Just because we feel this
attraction, doesn’t give you the right
to...to...to anything.”
“We’ll get to that, later. Tell me
about the black turquoise.”
Seriously? Wasn’t that just like a
witch? All about the power?
“I needed the cash. What’s the big
deal?”
“The big deal is that you could be
charged by the clan court for hording and
illegally selling a conduit.”
“Clan court?” She swallowed past
the growing lump in her throat. She’d
been so busy worrying about someone
stealing her pieces, she hadn’t thought
about the bigger repercussions.
He clenched his jaw, kept his eyes on
the road, and didn’t say anything for
miles.
“What clan do you owe allegiance?”
He pulled into Jelly’s lot, and parked the
car.
She started to jump out, but he got to
the child locks with a fast click. She was
his prisoner.
Heart racing, she struggled to keep
her powers from causing a previously
unknown fault from making the news in
Nevada.
“Fine. Let me start, then. Jason
Fialko. Nice to meet you.” An intense
fireball spun in his outstretched hand.
I am so screwed.
“Brother to the billionaire Jack
Fialko? Leader of the Iesco clan?”
He nodded and let the flame die out
in his hand. It moved to the center of his
dark eyes.
The ground trembled as sweat rolled
down her side. Oh shit. She was going
to lose control if she didn’t get out of
there soon.
“You’re Earth, right? Clan
Brasmatia?”
Swallowing hard, she croaked out,
“Yeah. And you need to unlock the
doors. I don’t like being confined, and
that can lead to unpleasant
consequences. Understand?”
“Is that a threat?” He unbuckled his
belt, held her hands, and loomed over
her.
“You’re scaring me, Fialko.
Sometimes I lose control. You have no
idea what I’m capable of. Let me out.
Now.”
He viewed her as if a specimen
under a microscope, then let out a deep
breath, and his face softened. He
unlocked the doors and let her go.
“Just tell me your name?”
“Terra.” She reached for the door
handle.
“Last?” He reached an arm across
her body.
Her nipples went hard where he
touched her and her brain cells refused
to fire. She bit her lower lip and shook
her head.
“I want to know what you were
doing in that shop.”
“It’s not brain surgery. I needed some
cash, fast. And, as I have said
repeatedly, it’s none of your business.”
The ground rumbled and the car shook.
“Please. Just let me go.”
“The dark turquoise. How much is
there?”
“Just what you saw on the counter
and what you stole,” she lied.
“By the way? I didn’t steal anything.
I found a shard on the ground outside
your spaceship-thingy.”
“It’s an earthship.” She clenched her
hands into fists. “And you tracked me out
here to steal it. Same difference.”
“What the hell are you talking
about?”
“Don’t approach me again. And
Stop. Following. Me.” She opened the
door and jumped out, slamming it behind
her.
For a moment, she thought he would
jump out of the truck and follow her.
She let out the breath she was
holding when the tires spit up gravel and
the truck sped out of the parking lot.
The desert sun beat down, hot and
dry, but she couldn’t suppress the shiver
that ran through her body.
If Jace decided to investigate her
further, she was in deep, deep shit.
She had a feeling she already was.
Chapter 5
Across the street, a prostitute picked up
a john and a kid dealt to a limo with
darkened windows. Under the shot-out
streetlight, a homeless guy muttered as
he wheeled a shopping cart full of empty
cans.
Hands shaking and hyper-vigilant,
Falcon pressed the button next to the
solid steel door and looked up into the
camera.
The distorted speaker overhead said
in Eddie’s voice, “Who is it?”
“Mr. Luggerio asked to see me.”
“Is that you, Falcon?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
After a few seconds, the solenoid
buzzed. A welcome draft of cool air hit
his face when he pushed the door open.
In the dim staircase, the boom-boom of
the cover band mixed with the bling-
bling of the slots.
Falcon needed the crapper, bad.
Another vicious cramp bent him over.
He’d never get used to these midnight
calls by the scary-as-hell Brasmatia clan
leader.
At the bottom, he squirmed, when
stopped by a fuckin’ line at the door.
Who the hell stands in line at a club at
two in the fucking morning? No place,
no matter how exclusive, was worth the
risk.
His sometimes-friend Eddie patted
down a country-chic couple standing
below him on the landing. He was pretty
sure he recognized them from TV. The
cowboy hats. The boots. Her with her
big, fake tits, and him with a cocky grin
that had the girls in line swooning.
Eddie let them pass, then sent another
little shit with a bad attitude packing.
Finally, it was his turn, and Eddie
patted him down. “The boss said to wait
in the Champagne Room. What’d you do
to piss him off this time?”
“Nothing. I swear. I wouldn’t have
come at all except my grandfather
insisted.”
“Wouldn’t want to piss him off
either.” He snickered. “Basically, dude,
you’re screwed.”
“Shut it. When my grandfather dies,
I’ll be in charge of the Healers.” He
followed the bouncer up the curving
stairwell. “Best start showing some
respect, bro, or find another clan to sew
you up next time you take a bullet.”
Eddie snorted out a laugh. “Like you
have anything to say about it, bro. You
think Michael Luggerio will cut you any
more slack than he does your
grandfather?”
“Fuck off.”
“You need to relax. It’s the way of
things. Keep the healing magic coming,
and everything will be fine. Just
remember what happened to Running
Wolf.”
“Seriously, dude? That was over a
hundred years ago.”
Eddie opened a door and nodded for
Falcon to enter.
“That’s my point, kid. Sit down.
Boss will be here soon.”
“Right.” Falcon shivered when the
door shut behind Eddie.
He hated this place. Someone could
walk in and never walk out, without
anyone even batting an eye.
The frigidly cold air would mask
time of death, thick maroon carpet would
no doubt hide any bloodstains, and
soundproof walls would silence the
gunshot.
In the room known for death, Falcon
took a seat. Shit. This was bad. His
stomach twisted and cramped when the
door opened and Mic entered.
Easing his six-foot frame down on a
black leather chair, Mic released the
lowest button of his expensive Italian
jacket and leaned back. Eyes so dark,
one might call them black, stared with
accusation.
A spider with a fly.
“So. Healer. Your grandfather has
assigned you as the new representative
of your clan.”
Falcon wiped his hands nervously on
his pants. He’d known that weeks ago.
“You do know what that means, don’t
you?”
Unable to trust his voice, Falcon
nodded.
“No.” Mic squinted at him. “I do not
think you do. Unlike your grandfather,
you seem a bit...slow. So let me
explain.” There was a gleam in the
man’s eyes that made Falcon shift in his
seat. “I am warring. This place is
warring. The whole Goddamn fucking
world is warring. You”–he stood and
pointed a long finger at Falcon–“are
healing. Put on the earth for the sole
purpose of keeping us healthy.
Understand?”
Falcon held his stomach, and prayed
not to shit on the couch. Eyes wide, he
nodded again.
“Great. Good talk.” The leader,
known to murder healers just to make a
point, wandered across the room, poised
and calm. He called out the door, “Hey
Eddie. Have Mary make up a plate.
Some prosciutto, cheese and olives.”
Mic crossed the room to a bar with a
solid marble top, poured two glasses of
bourbon, and placed them on a coffee
table in front of the couch. Then, he
reached deep into his jacket and placed
a series of photos on the table in front of
Falcon one by one.
“You know this girl?”
Falcon swallowed hard and studied
each of the black and white surveillance
pictures. They were blurry, but he knew
her face well enough.
Terra. What the fuck kind of trouble
is she in, now?
“I’ve seen her around. Why?”
“She has something that’s mine.” Mic
swirled the amber liquid in his glass,
studying perfectly manicured nails. “And
I don’t like when people have what
belongs to me.”
“Wha–” Falcon’s voice cracked like
a teenager. Shaking, he cleared his throat
and tried again. “What does she have?”
Mic tilted his head and the corners of
his mouth lifted in an awful grin. Like a
priest saying mass, he said, “A rare
stone. A piece of turquoise that has the
ability to amplify a witch’s powers.”
Mic with more power. The thought
sent a terrifying chill down his spine.
Terra is so fucked. “What are you
going to do to her?”
“I just want to know where she found
them. Nothing bad has to happen if she
cooperates.”
“I-I really don’t know...” Falcon
started to stand.
A hand shot out. Fist slammed on the
coffee table and coasters went flying.
Mic’s eyes flashed dangerously, like
earlier, but this time his voice was low
and menacing. “I told you what I want.
You get it for me, or bad things happen.
Gabeesh?”
Falcon sat, lifted his chin. “You
won’t harm her?”
Like an addict, the man toggled back
to calm. He gave a small nod. “Tell me.
Where does she live?”
“I’m not sure...”
The ground shook and the
chandeliers swung above their head.
“Don’t bullshit me, son. I know you’ve
been watching her.”
“She’s just some chick who comes to
the reservation sometimes to barter and
trade. I don’t know much else about her.
I swear...”
Mic slapped pictures on the table,
laying them down like a game of
solitaire. “That’s you and her in front of
the garage. That’s you and her looking
chummy at the rez. Need I go on?”
Shit, shit, shit.
Mic’s eye twitched, he grabbed a
tablet off the bar, and placed it on the
table. “How long have you been hiding
her from me?”
“I’m not hiding her. I swear I didn’t
know she had something you wanted.
Now that I know, I’ll tell you.” He
called up Google Maps and scrolled into
the desert. “There.”
“Good boy.” Mic nodded, picked up
the tablet, and called out the door.
“Eddie.”
“Yeah, Mr. Luggerio?” Eddie
must’ve been standing right outside the
door. He didn’t even give Falcon a nod.
“Get Chuck and Pedro.” He handed
him the tablet and pointed. “I want this
land, and the girl on it. Give her a bit of
a scare and bring her to me. If she’s who
I think, we may have a new brood
mare.”
He turned to Falcon, “See? We’re
good. Give your grandfather my regards.
Tell him I’ll be up there this weekend for
a steam and a massage.”
Chapter 6
Furious, Jace got out of his rental truck,
strolled across the rough terrain, and
walked up the hill to her burrow.
Already the sun was low, turning the
desert sand orange, and here he was,
babysitting, instead of enjoying the great
outdoors.
All he’d wanted was some fucking
time alone, away from people, and
especially from little witches who
turned his cock to steel with a single
touch.
If he was smart, he’d turn around, go
back to the Strip and find some hot chick
to hook up with–get through solstice
with some shred of sanity. But he’d
never been known to make the wisest
decisions, and hell, Jack was counting
on him to deal with this shit.
He swallowed thickly when Terra
stormed out the front door, blue fire in
her eyes. Faded jeans painted her perfect
ass, and a plain white t-shirt hugged her
upper curves.
Energy coursed through him and the
edginess of moments before came back
with a vengeance.
Fucking Solstice mating heat.
“What’re you doing here?” Her
sweet little mouth turned down in a
frown as she crossed her arms over her
chest. “I told you to stop stalking me.”
“We need to talk about this.” He
pulled the black stone out of his pocket
and held his palm forward. “I want to
know where you found it.”
“Like I’d tell you.” When she
reached for the stone, he snatched it
back.
“How about we start with the other
pieces you have. You were willing to
sell them and I’ll give you triple what
that guy was offering.”
Blue eyes squinted up at him
suspiciously. She leaned against the
plate glass that reflected the darkening,
yet still pink sky.
“Why do you want it so bad?”
So that he could get the hell out of
this godforsaken place and away from
her seductive little ass.
“To keep it out of the wrong hands.
Whatever these stones are, one thing’s
for sure, they’re dangerous.”
“Dangerous how?”
An evening breeze blew. She rubbed
her arms and shivered. Damn, if he
didn’t want to wrap his arms around her
and warm her, send his heat coursing
through her body. He wondered how
responsive she’d be to his touch, his
magic. The thought made him rock hard.
He moved forward and placed one
hand on either side of her head,
wondering how those pouty lips might
taste.
“You’ve touched them, felt the energy
surge they produce.”
“Sure.” She shrugged and ducked
under his arms. “But only a witch with
earth powers would be able to use them.
I‘m careful who I sell to.”
“Exactly. But let’s just say the wrong
witch gets a hold of these, or if there’s
bigger portions, who knows the damage
that could be done.” He took two steps
back, allowing his words to sink in.
Terra paled and he saw something
flash behind her eyes. Was it fear?
“And how do I know I can trust you
with them?”
“If you know anything about my
family, then you’re aware that we don’t
fuck around. Give me the stones and I’ll
make sure they’re kept somewhere safe.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and
turned her head, her eyes unfocused as
she stared out into the desert.
His frustration subsided. Maybe he’d
finally got something into her thick
skull.
“And then you’ll go home?” She
glanced back at him. “You’ll leave this
place and never bother me again?”
“Yes.” He exhaled and dragged his
fingers over his face, then nodded. “I’ll
need to do a quick survey of the spot you
found them, but yeah, once I get the
stones, I’ll be booked on the next plane
back to Jersey.”
Her mouth skewed in a doubtful little
frown, but he could tell he’d already
won.
“Fine.” Turning on a heel, she
opened the door to her cave dwelling
and motioned for him to follow.
How the hell someone could live in
such cramped quarters was beyond him.
With the red rock and no one around for
miles, he figured it would be like living
on Mars. What kind of insane person
chose to live like this?
He waited in the kitchen area while
she retrieved the turquoise.
“Here. This is all I have.” On the
table, a baggie appeared with two dark
stones. One shard was larger and the
other smaller than the piece he already
had. “If there’s more, I haven’t found it.”
Her lying eyes refused to meet his
and she bit her lower lip.
“I’ll have my brother wire you the
money.”
“Cash only,” she said flatly.
He glared and shoved the baggie
back into his pocket. The rocks vibrated,
warming his skin.
“Fine. I’ll go to the nearest ATM and
get it. Then, when I get back, you take
me to where you found them.”
Brows furrowed, she abruptly went
to her knees, and put a finger to her lips.
The other hand shot to the floor.
“That wasn't part of the deal, you–”
“Shush.” With a stop gesture, she
scrunched her eyes tight. “Someone’s
coming.”
From the huge plate glass wall, the
empty desert went on for miles and
miles. Nothing, not even a car’s dust
plume, was in sight. Maybe the woman
really was crazy. Living alone in the
desert could do that to a person.
“Two cars, maybe three, about a
quarter of a mile from here.” Breathing
hard, she ran to the window.
Jace squinted right, and left, and
waited. Nothing. “You don’t get a lot of
company do you?”
“No. And I prefer it that way.” She
ran to the table and cranked the
generator until the tubes in the back
turned red. “Jelly? Jelly? You there?”
After trying again, she sat back in her
chair. Her face paled to a deathly shade
of white.
The ground trembled beneath his
feet.
“They found me.” She put her elbows
on the table and dropped her face into
her hands.
He saw it then. The dust cloud that
announced they had company. Two black
SUV’s stormed across the desert,
heading straight for them.
“You in some kind of trouble?”
She glared up. “I wasn’t until you
showed up.”
“You think this is because of me?”
“They wouldn’t have found me if you
hadn’t been snooping around.”
“Right.” He rolled his eyes. “Stay in
your burrow. I’ll deal with this.”
The blonde badger followed. “It’s an
earthship, and I’m not–”
Car doors slammed.
“Shit.” Her voice quivered on the
word.
A total of six men, wearing black
suits and matching sunglasses, moved
like zombies, forming a semi-circle
around them.
What the fuck?
“I suggest you go back to wherever
you came from,” said Jace, taking a step
forward.
When they didn’t move, he conjured
a ball of energy. With the turquoise in his
pocket, his power flared high, looking
like flames from hell. Crap. He tried to
take it down a notch, but it wasn’t like
he’d had a lot of time to practice.
“We’re not here for you. Give us the
girl and no one gets hurt.” The men
nudged each other, crouched low and
placed their palms on the ground. A
vibration shook the earth and the plate
glass window rattled.
“So not happening.” He let loose the
out-of-control energy and it exploded in
front of them, blasting sand and men in
all directions.
One dropped to the ground screaming
and rolling as he tried to put out the
flame that burned through his suit. The
others scrambled on all fours to regroup
behind the cars.
“Leave the girl alone and don’t come
back.” With adrenaline and magic rock
coursing through his veins, Jace was
primed for a good fight.
He conjured another fireball and was
about to throw it when searing pain hit
his shoulder at the sound of a bullet. His
aim went wide and a nearby cactus burst
into flames.
Fucking cowards. What kind of
witch used manmade weapons?
“Get back!” Terra’s nails dug into his
wrist and tugged him through the open
door as a large tremor shook the ground.
The area where they had been
standing moments before shifted and
sunk, creating a giant crater.
As if in slow motion, the entire
building shifted, tilting the floor on a
twenty-degree angle.
Shrieking, Terra fell backwards and
landed on her ass. “We have to get out of
here.”
“You just pulled us in.” He put a
hand to his shoulder, and it came back
wet.
Her eyes went wide at the blood.
“Yeah, to save you from being shot
again.”
Another tremor, a sickening crack,
and the earth trembled and groaned
under his feet. For a brief second, Jace
floated midair, then hit the ground with a
painful thud. Dirt and rocks skittered
across the window, blocking out the
light.
She looked to him, as if he could do
something. “They’re trying to bury us.”
“No shit.” Jace steadied himself.
“Can’t you use your magic and jolt them
back?”
“Not unless you want to drop
deeper.” Terra crawled forward and
tried to stand.
Another blast sent him crashing into
her, crushing her small frame against his
chest.
His cock hardened and his blood
boiled.
With hands on his chest, she pushed
herself away, and lightly punched. “Stop
doing that.”
“Sorry to break it to you beautiful,
but it’s not just me.”
“Just like a guy, thinking about
his…” She waved a hand at his lower
half. “…appendage, when we’re about
to be buried alive.”
“I’m not–” The groaning of metal
followed the largest tremor yet. The
cabin began to vibrate with such
violence, he was certain it would crack
in half. They were sinking and fast.
Despite her protests, Jace flung himself
at Terra. Wrapping his arms around her,
he crouched low, shielding her small
body with his own. Something smacked
hard against the back of his head. Warm
blood trickled down the side his face,
and then darkness consumed him.
Chapter 7
When the shaking finally stopped, Terra
let out the breath she hadn’t realized
she’d been holding. Her heart hammered
against her chest and something sharp
jammed into her back. Fingers and toes
wiggled freely. Okay. Then, she tried her
arms, neck and legs. Other than some
aches and bruises, she probably wasn’t
hurt too badly.
Jace’s heavy body draped across her
like a warm, inviting blanket, and she
had to stop herself from letting her hands
roam. She’d never felt the weight of a
man on top of her before, and despite
their current situation, her body
responded. Her nipples were hard, her
breathing irregular, and a warm ache
pulsated between her legs.
“Jace…” The dead weight was too
much. “Jace get off.”
No response. His breath heated her
skin, and his power, albeit weaker than
normal, pulsated around her.
She squirmed underneath him, edging
her way out. Damn, the man was solid.
Once free, she tried to gain her
equilibrium, but it wasn’t easy. The floor
was uneven and the darkness almost
tangible. No matter how hard she tried,
her eyes wouldn’t adjust. With each step
the cabin creaked and groaned beneath
her feet.
Feeling her way across the room, her
fingers found the open box. She flipped
open the cover and gripped a large
handle, pushing down. A clank, a
sizzling zap, and her backup generator
hummed to life.
Soft, orange bulbs came to life in the
corners of the room, casting an unearthly
glow. Terra let out a small whimper as
she surveyed the damage.
Cupboards hung open, the contents
spilled across the floor. A dirt wall
replaced what had once been her
bedroom. Tables and chairs lay on their
sides. Her laptop had a crack down the
screen, and the pile of gems she had
collected the day before was scattered
across the floor. Everything she’d
worked for so hard was destroyed.
Jace moaned from the far side of the
destruction. With a pained expression,
he managed to stand. He touched the
back of his head, and when he pulled his
fingers back, they were covered in
blood.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, it probably looks worse than
it is.”
“Here, sit.” Terra righted one of the
chairs, then moved to the small fridge
which hung open on its hinges and pulled
out an icepack. After wrapping it in a
dishtowel, she handed it to him.
“How far down are we?” He rasped
his hand across his chin.
“I don’t know.”
The old radio sat on its side on the
floor, seemingly undamaged. But were
the cables to the surface still in place?
She righted the table, placed the short
wave on top, and plugged it in.
“I’m thinking they sunk us a good
forty, maybe fifty feet.”
“Shit.”
“That about sums it up.” She turned
the black knob. Nothing but static. Damn
it.
“You owe money or something?”
“No.” She glared in his direction. “I
don’t do loans, and especially not from
Mic Luggerio.”
With eyebrows raised, he asked,
“Luggerio? As in the Brasmatia clan
leader?”
She nodded slightly, then tried the
radio again.
How had Mic found her? Nearly
twenty years under the radar, and now
this. Had he figured out her true identity?
“Why would he want you dead?”
Jace’s eyes went dark, his brows drawn
down, and body tense. He seemed
almost…possessive.
“I don’t know.” It wasn’t a complete
lie.
She gripped the microphone and
cranked the generator again. “Come on,
work. This is K-C-B-Two-Five-Two. K-
C-B-Two-Five-Two. Come in W-9-
Fifteen-Fifteen. Jelly, are you there? ”
A screech and then Jelly’s beautiful
voice sounded through the speakers,
“Hey Hun, can’t talk, Jimmy’s wife just
went into labor and he needs me to–”
“Jelly, listen to me. Something really
bad has happened. There was a…a
quake, opened up a fissure in the ground.
Swallowed my house whole.”
“Oh my god. Are you okay?”
She looked around at the wreckage
and sighed. “We’re fine, at least for
now.”
“We?”
“Yeah.” She winced, knowing the
conclusion her friend would come to.
“Jace Fialko is with me.”
Jelly whistled. “Well I’ll be.”
“I need you to focus. I’ve got the
backup generator, but I don’t know how
much air we’ve got down here. Hurry.”
“Okay Hun, I’ll…ca…the…
authorities.” Jelly’s voice crackled in
and out. “Stay by the radio in case I need
to get in touch with ya.”
Where was she going to go?
“One more thing. Can you contact
Jace’s family back in New Jersey, let
them know what happened and that he’s
okay?”
Jace opened his mouth and looked
like he was about to protest, then shut it
and grumbled something under his
breath.
“Sure thing. W-9-Fifteen-Fifteen,
out.”
On shaky legs, Terra stood to
examine the small crack that had formed
along the edge of her plate glass
window. “How long do you think it’ll
take them to dig us out?”
“Don’t know.” He’d gone unusually
quiet and his eyes bored into the back of
her skull.
“We’ll be all right,” she muttered,
more for herself than him.
How long could they really survive
down here? Two, maybe three days,
depending on their oxygen supply. The
local authorities would have to be able
to dig them out before then.
She sat down on the couch and
Pumpkin jumped onto her lap. He purred
when patted, seemingly undisturbed by
their current predicament.
“You didn’t answer my earlier
question.” Jace stood, his eyes narrowed
on her. “Why would the leader of the
Brasmatia clan want you dead?”
Good question. There was no logical
explanation, other than the very scary
one. He knew who she was.
“I don’t know.” Her voice sounded
petulant, even to her.
Jace pulled the baggie from his
pocket and clenched his fist around it.
“If he knows about the dark turquoise–”
“Shit.” Her stomach clenched. She
hadn’t thought of that.
“How well do you know the man?”
“I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard
stories.”
“Yeah, so have I.” Jace pinched the
bridge of his nose and exhaled roughly.
“How much more is there?”
“More?” She studied the broken vase
on the floor.
“Dark turquoise.” He leaned
forward, chucked her chin, and studied
her. “If there’s more I need to know.”
She turned her head out of his grasp
and rubbed her temples. Could she trust
him?
“Terra.” His voice was deep, her
name a command on his lips.
“There’s more,” she said softly.
“How much?”
“A lot.”
“Fuck.” Jace paced, cursing under
his breath and mumbling to himself.
Finally, he turned and gave her a pointed
stare. “Does anyone else know where
the mine is?”
She shook her head. “Only Falcon.”
“Falcon?”
“He’s a friend. A healer. He won’t
say a word.”
“You better hope to hell you’re
right.”
Chapter 8
Jace’s head pounded like a freight
train had blasted through it. What a
fucking mess. “You got anything to
drink?”
“There should be a bottle of Diet
Coke in the fridge.” Terra knelt on the
floor, picking up the scattered gems. Her
pants rode down low exposing a lacy
pink thong.
He groaned when she bent lower,
lifting her ass in the air.
“I was hoping for something a bit
harder.” He’d need it to survive being
alone with her. Maybe he could drink
away his constant hard on.
She glanced over her shoulder.
“There’s a bottle of Jose Cuervo in the
pantry…if it survived the fall.”
“Tequila?” He raised an eyebrow.
She shrugged.
Bottle in hand, he scooped up two
unbroken cups from the floor.
Her lips turned down in a cute little
pout when he offered her a glass.
Damn, but she had a sexy as fuck
mouth. His cock responded, which
irritated the hell out of him.
“If we’re going to be stuck, for God
knows how long, we might as well enjoy
ourselves.” He shoved a glass in her
hand, saluted her, then tipped his back.
He hissed out a breath as the liquid
burned down his throat. “God, that
stuff’s nasty.”
She rolled her eyes, then shot hers
back like a pro. “Wimp.”
He couldn’t help the grin that tugged
at his lips.
A small, framed photo lay on the
floor. Crouching, he picked it up and
studied the young woman and little girl
that stared back at him. The resemblance
was striking. Matching blue eyes, dirty
blonde hair, pouty, full lips.
“This your mom?” He held it up to
her.
“Stop touching things.” She grabbed
the photo from his hand and clutched it
protectively against her chest.
Ouch. The badger was back. “How
long have you lived alone out here?”
“I’m not alone.”
“Feline companionship doesn’t
really count.” Pumpkin rubbed against
his leg. “It’s dangerous to be out here all
by yourself. What if something
happened?”
“What? Like being buried under
thirty feet of rocks and dirt?”
“Touché.” He snickered and poured
another generous shot into her glass.
“No boyfriend?” Shit, why the hell
had he asked that?
“No.” She frowned up at him. “I
have Jelly if there’s an emergency.”
She leaned her head back and
swallowed without wincing.
“No family?”
“There’s a clan of healers that lives a
couple miles south of here. They’ve
been my family since–” She glanced
down at the photo she held and paled.
“Since my mom died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“You want to talk about it?”
She shook her head, placed the photo
on the desk, then held out her glass for
him to pour another shot. “Nothing to
talk about. Cancer. You know the drill.”
Actually he didn’t. Witches weren’t
impervious to the disease, but it was
very rare for one to contract it, or any
illness for that matter. Jace couldn’t
remember the last time he’d even had a
cold.
“You’re not a half-breed are you?”
“What? No.”
Hell. Now he’d insulted her. “So
your mom was a witch?”
“Yeah. Why?” She reached down and
picked up the damn cat that looked up at
him imperiously, no doubt sniggering
under all that fur.
“Nothing,” he muttered. Something
about her story was all wrong. But why
would she lie to him? “How old were
you when she died?”
She rubbed the cat’s head, while
cradling him in her arms, lovingly. First
time he’d ever wished he was feline.
After kissing it on the head, she
looked up and said, “Fifteen. What’s
with all the questions?”
“You’ve been out here, all by
yourself since you were fifteen?”
She sat down on the couch, tucked
her feet underneath, and the cat crawled
up her chest. He moaned internally. Now
that was just uncalled for.
“I told you, I’m not by myself,” she
said, petting the little beast.
The cat gave Jace a smug look.
Seriously?
The far side of the couch was too
close, by his reckoning. He shifted away
a bit more. “Right. You’ve got the fur
ball here.”
“And Falcon.” She gently pushed the
cat aside, sucked back another shot, and
glared with eyebrows raised. A
challenge of sorts.
The cat had the audacity to rub at his
legs before sauntering off, clearly the
victor in the war for Terra’s attention.
Jace sighed and downed another.
“Right. The guy who knows where the
turquoise is.”
She shrugged and looked down at her
glass. “He’s a friend.”
There was a hint of uncertainty in her
voice.
He didn’t know who this Falcon guy
was, but he already didn’t like him.
Pouring himself another shot, he
asked, “When those men showed up, you
said ‘They found me.’ How long have
you been hiding?”
Her body tensed. “It’s none of your
business.”
Something clunked in the dark, the
cat meowed, and came back with a toy
mouse in its mouth which dropped at
Terra’s feet. No doubt Pumpkin was very
pleased he’d interrupted again.
Jace stood, loomed over, and tried
not to shout. “In case you haven’t
noticed, I’m thirty feet deep in your
fucking business.”
He ran his fingers through his hair
and winced when he touched the new
cut. “My family has connections. If
you’re in some kind of trouble, I can
help you. If you owe money–”
“I don’t owe money.” There was a
slight slur to her words and she swayed
when she tried to grab the bottle of
tequila out of his hand. “Give me that. I
don’t owe him anything.”
“Him? You mean Mic?”
She nodded and frowned down at her
empty glass.
Uneasiness clawed at his chest. What
was she hiding?
When she held up her glass, he filled
it again. “I can’t help you if you don’t
tell me the truth. What does the man want
with you?”
There was a long silence. She closed
her eyes, and for a moment, Jace thought
she’d passed out.
“Terra?”
Her lashes fluttered open. There
were tears in her eyes when she finally
looked at him. So much vulnerability, so
much pain. He had to hold back from
pulling her into his arms.
“My mother was his solstice mate.”
“Mic?” Jace frowned.
She nodded.
“He’s your father?” Jace sat back
down on the couch. Too late he noticed
how their thighs touched and heat
sparked between them.
Terra blew out a heavy breath. “My
mom was sixteen. Barely legal. He was
competing for leadership, and needed
the power he sensed in her. So he raped
her, forced her to perform the mating
ritual with him.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.” He almost put his
hand on her knee to comfort her, but held
back.
“She told me that they were what the
clan calls a perfect match.” Her fingers
made quotes in the air. “A one in a
million happenstance. He ended up more
powerful, but so did she. When she
found out she was pregnant with me, she
left.”
“And you’ve been out here ever
since?” He ran a hand over his neck,
trying to ease some of the tension. The
thought of her out here alone all these
years was like a punch to the gut.
“Falcon’s grandfather took her in. It
wasn’t safe for her to stay on the
reservation, so he helped her get settled
out here in the desert. Brought us things
when we needed it. Kept her
whereabouts hidden.” She glanced
around at the broken mess. “This is all
I’ve ever known. She made a home for
us. Taught me how to mine for gems
using my powers. This area is filled
with them. She found a few local
dealers. Made enough to survive. We
stayed under the radar for years,
until…”
She swiped at her eyes and shook her
head.
A gnawing hit the pit of his stomach.
Even though she wanted to leave it be,
he had to know. “What happened?”
“Two of Mic’s men recognized her at
a gas station. My mom tried to fight them
off, but…her powers were never very
strong. She screamed for me to run, but
when one of the men came for me, I
froze.” Terra took in a long shuddering
breath. “He wasn’t expecting me to fight
back. I didn’t really know what I was
doing until it was too late. The ground
opened up. The man started to run, but
the fissure followed him. It must have
cracked a gas line. There was an
explosion and...”
There was pain in her face, real
pain–and he wanted to wrap his arms
around her and make it go away. It
wasn’t her fault what had happened, but
she seemed to carry the guilt of her
attackers.
“The men didn’t live to tell Mic that
they found us, but three other innocent
people died that day. My mom tried to
hide it from me, but I heard their
screams. Even if I hadn’t seen the
newspaper, I knew. I killed them.”
“It was an accident.”
“Reports said it was an earthquake.”
She smiled sadly and shook her head.
“Who would have believed such
devastation cold be caused by an eight
year old girl?”
He hadn’t realized he’d reached out
to touch her until the flash of heat sizzled
through his skin. His fingers lingered on
her cheek for a moment, then he pulled
away. Shit. The fucking alcohol was
making him soft. But he knew a thing or
two about guilt. Knew how it could
shred your soul until there was nothing
left but a broken shell of the person
you’d once been.
“I’m tired,” she said, resting her
head against the sofa and closing her
eyes.
He took her glass, pulled a blanket
off the back of the couch and placed it
over her shoulders.
A fire burned deep inside him,
fueled by a need to protect her. And he
would. He made a silent promise to her
in the moment. Solstice mate or not, he
would make sure she was safe.
Chapter 9
Jace stretched and each of his muscles
screamed in protest. His head throbbed
and his stomach churned.
What time is it? Groaning, he
fumbled into his pants pocket and found
his cell phone. Eerie blue light reflected
on the empty tequila bottle on the floor.
Terra? His heart calmed when he
flashed the light over her sleeping form.
His cock swelled. She’d unbuttoned
the top of her jeans, and her t-shirt had
risen up, exposing a tiny silver ring in a
perfect navel. His tongue moved as he
considered licking that ring and going
lower and...
If only it wasn’t solstice. They could
have a go at what no doubt would be hot
sex, no ritual needed.
Pumpkin circled his feet, meowing,
and nudging the top of his leg into his
calf. His eyes reflected the blue light of
the cell.
“Let me guess, you’re hungry?”
With a yowl, the cat jumped to a
cupboard and pawed at the door.
“Okay. Let’s see what we’ve got in
here.” A bag of small brown nuggets
made the cat run and wait by a plastic
bowl, all eyes.
He calculated a cat-size portion,
poured, and the fuzz-ball chowed down
while purring.
Jace smiled, pleased he had the
upper hand for once.
After searching five more cupboards,
he found a plastic jug of water in the
fridge, uncapped it, and chugged the
lukewarm liquid.
What he wouldn’t give for a cup of
coffee.
Bored, he let the flashlight in his
phone scan over the pile of books and
papers. A small pink shoebox lay on its
side, with newspaper clippings and old
photos nearby.
He crouched and picked them up.
One of the clippings described the
gas station incident, with a description
of each of the victims. His throat
clenched. He understood the reason for
the painful mementos. He had his own
box of reminders at home–a copy of
Megan’s obituary, a single photo of the
two of them together, a letter her mother
wrote to him after Megan’s death that
he’d never opened.
He started to put them back in the
box when one of the headlines caught his
eye.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN FOUND
DEAD AT THE BOTTOM OF OLD
RAVINE
The newspaper was marked eight
years after the other incident. There was
an artist sketch of what the woman
would have looked like pre-mortem. It
wasn’t difficult to tell that the woman
was Terra’s mother.
She’d said her mother died of cancer.
Why would she lie?
Jace nearly jumped out of his skin
when the old radio crackled to life and a
woman’s voice blasted through the
silence.
Terra stirred on the couch, giving
Jace enough time to shove the box back
under the desk.
Jelly’s panicked voice scratched
through the radio. “Terra. You there?”
With a groan, Terra hobbled from the
couch and spoke into the microphone,
“We’re here.”
“Thank God. We’ve got the fire
department…police…going to start…
digging.”
There was a short silence, then a
familiar male voice crackled across the
frequency. “Jace, you okay down there,
buddy?”
Josh. He should have known his
brother would take the first flight there.
Jace smiled and grasped the
microphone’s stand. “All good. But the
sooner you get me out of here the better.”
“Working...on it.”
A horrible thought ran through his
head. “Please tell me mom and dad
aren’t with you.”
Josh laughed. “Nope, just…me
and…Nicole. But–” The transmission
stopped, then nothing but white noise.
Terra smacked the top of the radio.
“Shit.”
The ground vibrated above them and
a few pieces of the ceiling dropped onto
their heads. Pumpkin scooted across the
floor and crouched under the table.
“Sounds like they’re starting to dig.”
Jace glanced up, trying not to think of the
tons of dirt over their heads. He sat. Too
much booze and sudden claustrophobia.
Bad mix.
“I feel like crap.” Terra took the jug
of water from him and took a long swig.
She pulled up a chair, and sat down next
to him. “That was your brother?”
She handed the jug back.
“One of them.” When his hand
steadied, he took a sip.
“How many do you have?”
“Two. And a sister. Josh is the
oldest, next is Jack, then Kathy, and last
but not least, your one and only.”
“Must have been nice…” She picked
up a small framed photo of her mom and
ran her finger along the crack in the
glass, a small frown playing on her lips.
“Having such a big family.”
“Most of the time.” He leaned back
and studied her. He couldn’t imagine not
having his family around. How lonely it
would be.
A heavy thud vibrated through the
structure and the sickening crunching of
glass sent a shiver down Jace’s spine.
Terra flinched and set the photo back
on the table.
Another thud and a growing spider
web of cracks grew wide across the
large pane of glass.
“Mother fucking hell,” Jace spit out.
“The window’s going to give out.”
“Oh my God.” Her face paled as she
watched, eyes wide.
A heavy thump above and the veins
grew another few inches.
“Move,” Jace ordered, jumping from
his chair.
There was an ear-piercing screech
and the window shattered. He barely had
time to pull Terra against the back wall
before pieces of glass mixed with dirt
and rocks tumbled through the window.
“Pumpkin,” Terra screamed.
The stupid cat hissed when Jace
reached for it, claws out. Despite its
protests, Jace held tight, not letting it get
away.
The ceiling above them groaned and
creaked, then slowly split open, causing
more dirt to fill the space. Jace wrapped
an arm around Terra’s waist when the
structure shifted and she lost her
balance.
“You need to use your powers.” The
dirt was already up to his thighs and
falling fast.
“But the people above–”
“In one second, we’re going to be
completely buried. Do you have enough
power?”
She gave a small nod, then closed
her eyes and dug her hands into the dirt,
now up to her chest. The crack in the
ceiling opened wider.
“Do it,” he ordered, clearing away
dirt so they could breathe.
The ground trembled, and so did
Terra. Energy vibrated off her in a
strange blue glow, growing in intensity.
His body zipped and zapped along with
hers, pulsating. As she drew more
power from the earth, their connection
grew stronger. He moaned.
If he wasn’t about to die, he
would’ve been completely turned on.
Holy hell the woman was potent.
The blast that suddenly poured from
her small body cut through the earth
above, opened a five-foot crevice, and
exposed the blessed sky above. Dirt and
stones fell like rain, and he used his
body to shield her. The damn cat
squirmed and hissed against his chest.
One more tremor and the hole spread
open to twenty feet or more and the
loose dirt fell away from their bodies.
After a few moments the ground went
still, and so did Terra. Her head lolled
against him, her breathing weak, face
pale.
Jace sucked in a long, shallow breath
and tried to clear his mind. The cat
meowed pathetically as he held Terra’s
unconscious form tight. After the dust
settled, he blinked up at the blinding
midday sun. Adrenaline, mixed with
Terra’s scorching energy, made his heart
beat like a jackhammer.
“You all okay down there?” A rescue
worker lowered a rope.
“Yeah, but we need to get her out.”
He kissed the top of her head, still
buzzed on the energy she had produced.
A soft moan escaped her parted lips.
Despite the dirt streaked across her face,
she was the most beautiful thing he’d
ever seen. And holy hell was she
powerful. He hadn’t realized that the
members of the Earth clan could produce
that much energy.
“Terra.” He brushed his lips against
hers, then pulled back when he realized
what he’d done.
“Jace,” she murmured, her eyes still
closed. She wasn’t waking up, but with
how much energy she burned, it was to
be expected.
“You’re going to be all right.” On his
life, he’d make sure of it.
Rescue workers lifted Terra up on a
board, but Jace insisted on climbing on
his own. Once out, he all but kissed the
ground. The damn cat, none the worse
for wear, rested in his lap while he held
tight to the scruff of his neck. They
seemed to have reached some sort of
accord as he patted it and it purred.
There was something about almost
dying that made a person reassess their
life. One thing was certain, Terra wasn’t
just a witch. She was a damn powerful
one. And quite possibly a perfect match
for him.
Chapter 10
From his penthouse suite in Vegas, Mic
watched the desert scene unfolding on
the TV.
“Shit.” He snatched the remote of his
seventy-five inch Samsung and turned up
the volume.
A blonde bombshell spoke in front of
the camera with that news-anchor hyper-
concerned face. “They can hear them,
Jim. Thank goodness. They’re alive.”
The TV switched to a helicopter
view of a sunken pile of rocks in the
desert. At least fifteen police cars and as
many ambulances parked nearby with
lights flashing. A crane and a bulldozer
puffed diesel smoke while a crowd of
over a hundred cheered behind yellow
tape.
His cell phone vibrated on the
granite bar, Mic glanced at the incoming
number, and answered, “I said scare
them, not bury them alive. How the hell
can you fuck her if she’s dead?”
“Listen, Mr. Luggerio, I can ex-”
The whole building swayed and the
dishes in his cabinet rattled as Mic’s
blood pressure skyrocketed. “Shut up. I
want to hear this.”
The camera zoomed into a worried-
looking man, captioned, ‘CEO of
Extraordinary Earthships.’
“...due diligence was done before we
built. Seismic studies showed no faults
in the area. This was a terrible, yet
unavoidable accident...”
The guy squirmed some more, and
the camera zoomed to a fissure in the
desert floor. The pattern was
recognizable, at least to a witch. Dammit
all to hell. What were his men thinking?
They’d expose them all.
When the TV went to commercial,
Mic changed the channel. A recent video
of one of the Fialko brothers flashed
across the scene. A close-up revealed
him dressed in a tux, exiting The
Marquee with a high-priced escort on
his arm.
“Sources say, Jace Fialko, brother to
billionaire, Jack Fialko, was here for
some rest and relaxation when...” The
announcer went on with some drivel
about the family. Who gave a rat’s ass?
What the hell is he doing in my
desert?
Before he could focus on that
problem, another face popped up on the
screen.
It can’t be.
Stunned, he walked across the
pristine oak floor and stood nose to nose
with the TV screen. An emergency
worker placed a woman on a stretcher
and the camera zoomed in.
The blurry black and white photos
hadn’t down her justice.
He remembered her mother. Same
blonde hair, same high forehead, and
same sexy, sultry look. The kind of look
that would make a strong man take what
he wanted. And he had.
After all these years of searching for
what his seed had produced that night,
she was right under his nose. The urge to
laugh hysterically mixed with the need to
break something.
Never taking his eyes off the screen,
he said to Eddie, still holding on the
phone, “Get my car. We’re going to the
site. And call whoever else was in on
this fuckup. We’ll pick them up on the
way.”
Inside his walk-in closet, he tugged
on a designer shirt and a pair of Dolce &
Gabbana jeans. Quickly, he checked his
appearance in the full-length mirror. Still
trim and fit at sixty years of age.
He set the alarm on his apartment and
excited via the elevator to the garage.
After twenty-odd years he’d found
his daughter. She’d no doubt be stronger
in talent then her mother. He blew out a
deep breath and grinned.
“Hello Mr. Luggerio. We’ve got your
car coming.”
Pedro? Or was that his brother,
Peter, who interrupted his thoughts? The
two looked so alike dressed in crisp
cotton uniforms.
He followed the young man past a
Volvo, a Maserati, and Yellow Cadillac
to the pick-up area. While he waited, he
planned.
That little witch was going to come
in very handy.
Chapter 11
Every healthy body for miles around
must’ve come to the rescue scene.
Several guys in yellow hard hats stood
by a bulldozer, drinking beer, and
chatting. Two TV trucks with news
crews worked to get the last shots, and
even more cars were arriving up the
road to see the show. Jace shook his
head.
One guy with a red cross on his
white shirt tried to stop him when he
ducked under the yellow tape. “You need
to let me look you over.”
“I’m fine,” Jace grumbled, searching
the chaotic scene for Terra. The stupid
cat hissed in his arms and scratched to
get free. He glared down at the animal.
“Not even a chance. You’re going in a
cage as soon as I find one.”
From twenty feet away, he spotted
Josh and his sister-in-law, Nicole.
Thank God.
“You look like shit,” Josh said,
breaking the distance and pulling Jace
into a quick hug.
“Feel like it too.” He handed his
brother the cat. “Here, take care of this
for me.”
Josh raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t ask,” Jace said, shaking his
head, while continuing to scan the circus
of activity. “Where is she?”
“They took her to the medics.” Josh
pointed across the sand toward a white
van, red lights still rotating overhead.
Terra laid out on a stretcher with an
oxygen mask over her mouth, eyes still
closed.
Jace’s chest constricted when a
scrawny, Native American man, pushed
past one of the paramedics to get to her.
What the fuck?
Ignoring whatever his brother had
been saying, Jace stormed towards the
man who now leaned over Terra, one
hand placed intimately on her chest, the
other on her forehead.
“What the hell are you doing?” Fire
begged to come forth into his palm, but
he tamped back the urge. Too public.
The man glanced over his shoulder
and sneered. “None of your business.”
“She is my business. Step away,
now.”
The paramedic, who had been
hovering nearby, skittered away, no
doubt going to inform the authorities.
“Back off. I’m healing her you
arrogant prick. She’s got extreme energy
burn.” The brown man with high cheek
bones shut his eyes and concentrated.
“You’re a healer?” Jace squinted at
him, not ready to let go of the urge to
burn him to a crisp.
The man grunted.
“Let me guess, Falcon?”
A small smile played at the corner of
his lips. “She talked about me, did she?”
Jace glowered. “Yeah, she told me
some interesting things about you. Like
the fact you’re the only person who
knows where her mine is. You better
hope to hell you keep that little secret.”
Falcon went pale.
“Everything okay?” Josh’s face held
consternation as he approached, still
holding the cat.
Jace scrubbed the back of his neck
and fought the urge to kick Falcon’s ass.
The man was only trying to help, but
Jace couldn’t deny the possessiveness
that overcame him. Just seeing another
man touch her made his blood boil.
“There’s scorch marks on the
ground,” Josh said quietly. “This wasn’t
an accident, was it?”
“No. There’s some serious shit going
on.”
“You trust the girl?” Josh nodded at
Terra, who had begun to stir and moan.
“Yes,” he said, albeit hesitantly. She
was hiding something. Of that he was
certain.
“Not sure about her boyfriend
though.” When Jace glanced at Falcon, a
low grumble vibrated at the back of his
throat.
His brother’s eyes widened. He
opened his mouth to comment, then
smartly shut it when Jace gave him a
pointed look.
“Falcon?” Terra’s lashes fluttered
and she opened her eyes.
Damn if his heart didn’t almost rip
out his chest when she spoke someone
else’s name first.
Falcon whispered in her ear, she
nodded, then glanced over at Jace, a
tight smile on her lips.
“Pumpkin?” Her brows turned down,
and her little mouth quivered.
For the first time, Jace was glad he
hadn’t let go of the damn cat. “He’s here.
Safe and sound.”
“Thank you.” She let out an audible
sigh and gave him a sweet smile. “I’m so
tired.”
“You need to rest.” Falcon kept his
hand on her chest, despite the fact that he
was no longer pulsating healing powers
into her. He didn’t even try to hide his
smirk.
Jace ground his teeth, about to say
something, but a group of shouting
reporters breached the yellow tape. The
police stepped in and held them off.
Terra’s eyes opened wide, then she
scrambled to sit. “I need to get out of
here.”
“I’ll take you back to my hotel.” Jace
moved in, shoving Falcon aside with his
elbow.
“No.” Her eyes darted around the
scene. “I can’t go with you.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because she doesn’t want to.”
Falcon puffed out his chest and stepped
in.
“I wasn’t asking you.” Jace’s fist
clenched.
“Oh my God. He’s here.” Terra’s
voice rose an octave and her mouth
dropped open.
Jace followed her gaze. A well-
dressed middle-aged man exited a black
SUV, followed by a few of his goons.
Mic Luggerio. He’d never met the
man, but he’d seen pictures and knew
what to expect.
“Falcon, take me to the reservation.
Your grandfather will know what to do.
Please.”
“I-I can’t.” Beady eyes flickered
back and forth between the oncoming
gangster and Terra.
“Falcon. Please.” She grabbed his
wrist. Pain clouded her beautiful eyes.
“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” The
little weasel turned on a heel and bolted.
The look of rejection on Terra’s face
made Jace want to punch him in the
nose. Something wasn’t right. What was
up with the skittishness?
Jace would’ve followed to find out,
but he wouldn’t leave her. Not like this.
“Come on.” He placed an arm under
her knees and another one under her
shoulder and picked her up. “I’ll take
you wherever you want to go.”
She shivered uncontrollably in his
arms. “He knows who I am. That’s why
he’s here.”
Jace had a bad feeling she was right.
They needed out of there, fast. He
doubted Mic would try anything with the
media around, but who knew how
fucking crazy the man really was. If the
stories about him were true, Terra was
in a shitload of trouble, and he’d just
stepped right in it with her.
He placed her in the passenger seat
of his truck and shut the door.
“What are you going to do?” Josh
handed him the cat, blessedly in a
carrier.
“I don’t know yet.”
“I booked a suite at the Vdara. Meet
us back there. We’ll regroup and we can
figure out our next move.”
“Sounds good.” Jace ran a hand over
his chin. “Sorry you and Nicole were
dragged into this.”
Josh shrugged as if the whole world
weren’t being shifted off its axis.
“Nicole has family here that she hasn’t
seen in a while.”
“Thanks for being here.” He gave
Josh an appreciative smile, then headed
around to the driver’s side.
In the truck, Jace leaned over to put
the cage on Terra’s lap, then turned on
the ignition. “You doing all right?”
“I don’t know.” Her fingers shook as
she poked between the front grate and
rubbed the cat’s nose.
“Keep your face down. I’ll get you
out of here.”
He had to dodge several newscasters
and a couple of firefighters, but after a
few minutes, they were free and clear.
“My brother booked a room on the Strip.
You can stay with us until we figure
things out.”
“I can’t stay with you.”
Not this again.
He took a deep breath and tried to
keep his voice calm. “Why not?”
“Who knows what Mic will do. I
don’t want to involve you.”
“I’m already involved.” Turning onto
the highway, he glanced in the rearview
mirror. No one appeared to be
following.
“Still…” She rubbed her arms and
shivered.
He could hear her teeth chattering.
Ignoring his common sense, he
reached out and placed his hand on hers.
Instead of pulsating heat, her skin was
ice cold. Shit. She was most likely in
shock. The little weasel had done a half-
ass job healing her.
“Stop…the…car.” She was shaking
uncontrollably now. “Ple-please.”
“Okay.” He pulled off on a gravel
road and put the truck in park.
Terra tumbled from the truck, took a
few wobbly steps and doubled over,
clutching her stomach with one hand, the
other gripping the gravel like a lifeline.
A heart-wrenching cry tore from her
throat.
He raced from the truck and
crouched beside her. “What can I do?”
“I…just ne-need…a…moment.” The
words came out in small gulps.
Screw that. The last thing she needed
was to be left alone. He wrapped his
arms around her, pulling her up and
holding her tight against his chest,
ignoring the energy that pulsed between
them.
Silent sobs shook her body.
“Everything’s gone.” The
desperation in her voice cut him.
“We’ll fix it.” He tried not to notice
how perfectly she fit against him.
“Whatever you lost, we’ll figure a way
to get it back.”
“I can’t go back there.”
He held her tighter, knowing she was
right. A sense of guilt washed over him.
If he hadn’t shown up, ignored the
trespassing signs, none of this would
have happened. Or maybe it would’ve
and she would have had no one to
protect her. His body tensed at the
thought.
“We’ll get you settled. You can come
back to Jersey with us. With me.” He
cupped her chin and forced her to look at
him. “Mic won’t be able to touch you
there.”
“Now that he’s sure I exist, he’ll find
me.”
“Not with my family’s help. I
promise I’ll never let him anywhere near
you. You’ll be safe. I promise.”
“Why would you do this for me?”
She blinked up at him.
There was suspicion in her eyes. But
hell, after everything she’d gone through,
why wouldn’t there be?
His heart tightened painfully in his
chest. The need to protect her rode him
hard. The need to possess her, even
harder. He clenched his jaw, fighting for
control.
“Because I can and I don’t want to
see anything bad happen to you.”
She pulled her bottom lip between
her teeth and looked down. When she
finally looked back at him, there was
acceptance mixed with resignation in her
gaze.
“Okay,” she said softly.
He breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Good. Now let’s get you to the hotel so
you can rest.”
“First, I need to show you
something.”
Chapter 12
They drove past the Air Force base at
Indian Springs, then Terra instructed
Jace to drive north on Mercury
Highway. Nothing but blue sky, scrub
brush, and telephone poles for mile after
beautiful mile. At high noon, desert
shadows vacated, making the area seem
even less populated.
“Turn off here.”
A familiar dirt road led deep into the
hills and the truck’s shocks took a
beating as he gunned the engine.
About an hour later, she tugged on his
arm. “Stop.”
“Here?” He parked, shielded his
eyes, and searched the terrain.
“C’mon. Let’s go.”
Her mine’s entrance was a hidden
slit between two boulders, about twenty
feet up the hill.
While he sat and changed his shoes,
she opened the windows and placed the
cat carrier on the back seat. Pumpkin
meowed sadly.
“We won’t be long.”
Jace rolled his eyes and she couldn’t
help but laugh. Renewed by the freedom
and the stones nearby, she took the lead
and climbed, while his ass dragged
behind. His breath warmed the back of
her neck when she stopped for him to
catch up. She squeezed between the two
rocks.
“I found this place when I was
eighteen.”
He put in one shoulder, then frowned
and backed away. “I’m nowhere near as
small as you.”
She raised her eyebrows and glanced
down his long muscular torso. Man, he
was built. But he was also right, he
wouldn’t fit through some of the smaller
crevices. She’d have to make the
opening bigger.
Closing her eyes, she placed her
hands on the warm rock. The earth
trembled and the stones shifted,
widening the gap.
Exhaustion hit her like a brick wall.
Her hands fell to her side and she
swayed.
“You okay?” Jace gripped her
shoulder to steady her.
“I’m fine.” Her body lit up at the heat
his touch produced.
They walked a few feet into the dark
mine, letting their eyes adjust to the
flashlight. She pointed it upwards.
Tilting his neck up, eyes widening,
he whispered, “Holy shit.”
“Yeah.” Terra agreed with a sigh.
The entire ceiling sparkled with pebbles
of turquoise.
“You’ve barely made a dent in here.”
He shook his head and wandered up and
down the narrow path, gaze up.
“Careful. The mine’s floor is
uneven.” Terra pointed the beam of light
down in front of his feet.
“I only take what I need, but that’s
not what I wanted to show you. Here…”
She lit a narrow fissure in the wall and
leaned back so Jace could get a look.
His arm slid around her waist.
“Fuck,” the curse came out in a
heavy breath. He pulled back and stared
at her blinking. “That’s at least ten solid
pounds of dark turquoise.”
“If you close your eyes you can feel
it humming.” The vibration was subtle
compared to the buzz his touch
produced.
“Do you know what you’ve
uncovered here? This shit could have
some serious repercussions if the wrong
person got a hold of it. Damn.” He
scrubbed a hand through his hair. “It
could change the balance of power
between the clans. Between humans and
witches.”
Terra’s breath hitched. She suddenly
realized how isolated her thoughts had
been, how narrow her vision was after
living alone for so long. It wasn’t just
Mic they had to worry about.
“We could bury it. Close the
entrance. The only other person who
knows about this spot is Falcon.”
“You trust him?” His words echoed
in the cave, ominously.
“Yes.” She tried to sound more
confident than she felt, but even she
could hear the hesitation in her voice.
He stared, lips too close, and eyes
too dark. “It’s safe here for now. Without
the proper tools there isn’t anything we
can do. Once we’re back at the hotel, I’ll
call Jack and let him know what we’re
dealing with. The sooner we get this
thing secured, the better.”
“Right.” She glanced up at the ceiling
and blinked back tears.
Everything she’d worked for was
gone, or would be soon. If she went with
Jace, she’d spend the rest of her life
indebted to the Iesco clan.
“Hey.” He touched her arm.
She pulled back as if burned and he
frowned.
“I’m fine.” Or at least she would be.
With or without his help, she would
survive. She always had before.
Blinking hard, she clenched her fists,
and turned to walk the mine, perhaps for
the last time.
Jace grabbed her hand, not letting go
when she tried to pull away. Her legs
went weak when large fingers wrapped
around her much smaller ones. Allowing
him to touch her was a bad idea.
“Thank you,” he said, taking a small
step towards her.
“For what?” The words caught in her
throat.
“For trusting me with all this.” He
didn’t let go, but instead gave a small
squeeze, his warm breath soft against her
lips.
A sizzling warmth radiated through
her hand, up her arm, and down to her
toes. She let out a small moan. It wasn’t
fair what he did to her. Other than the
few kisses that Falcon had stolen, she’d
never let another man touch her, let alone
affect her so much. Every cell in her
body cried out, wanting his lips on hers.
She licked her bottom lip,
expectantly.
“We need to go.” His voice went low
and tight, but he didn’t release her.
“Yes,” she squeaked, then swayed
under the power of his touch.
In the darkness, with just the
flashlight illuminating the small area,
shadows danced across his handsome
features. Just one caress. One taste.
What could it hurt? To know the passion
that his smoldering eyes promised.
He leaned forward
Bracing herself, she closed her eyes
and parted her lips. Her body buzzed
anticipation. One small movement and
his lips would touch hers.
“This can’t happen.” With a ragged
sigh, the air cooled, and he was gone.
Her chest constrained, she opened
her eyes, and blinked up in disbelief.
“Fucking solstice mating heat,” he
mumbled. Letting go of her hand, he took
a step back and raked his fingers through
his hair.
A small tremor saved her from the
humiliation of his rejection.
“Do you feel that?” She squatted on
her toes, with both hands on the mine
floor beside her.
Someone was coming.
“No.” His brows drew down.
Without waiting for him, she bolted
toward the two boulders at the cave’s
entrance. Sure enough, a black car
zoomed towards them.
“Get behind me,” Jace demanded,
pulling her back and blocking the
entrance.
“No way.” She squirmed around,
then knelt and placed her hands on dirt.
“I’m not waiting this time.”
With a large burst of energy, she sent
a ripple of power through the ground,
directed at the approaching car. The
tremor undulated through the desert heat
with the sound of a freight train. At
impact, the car lurched, spun, then rolled
several times before skidding to a halt
fifty feet in front of them.
The passenger side door creaked
open, and a body fell heavily from the
upside down vehicle. She was about to
send another blast when she recognized
the man.
“Falcon.” No, no, no. It hadn’t been
one of Mic’s men. What had she done?
She darted towards him.
At the bottom of the hill, Jace yelled
at her to stop.
The driver of the vehicle crawled
through the passenger door, shoving
Falcon’s unconscious body out of his
way.
Mic.
Terra froze in her tracks.
“You have something I want girl,” he
snarled, wiping blood from his forehead,
while keeping his eyes centered on her.
She couldn’t breathe. She knew she
should run, but her legs were cemented
into the canyon floor.
“Give me what I came for and no one
else gets hurt.” The ground began to
tremble.
Falcon groaned, hugging his arms to
his stomach. He was alive. But why was
he hanging with Mic?
With a stomp of his foot, Mic sent a
blast towards her. The earth rocked and
a small fissure opened in the earth in
front of her.
“Terra.” Jace’s truck pulled up
between her and Mic. Through the open
window, he yelled, “Get in.”
“I can’t leave Falcon.” Another
quake sent her reeling into the side of the
truck.
“Get in the fucking truck.” Jace
produced a fireball that struck Mic
square in the chest, making him stagger
to the ground, motionless. “In case you
haven’t figured it out, your boyfriend is
working for your daddy.”
“No.”
“Yes.” He opened the door. “I don’t
feel like getting buried alive again, so
maybe we can continue this conversation
about twenty miles from here.”
Terra glanced back at Falcon, who
was now fully conscious and starring at
her with huge, guilt-laden eyes. Her
chest compressed as she realized the
truth of Jace’s words.
Mic stood, face fuming in deep red.
“ARRGGH!” A stomp of his foot
opened the earth, creating a growing
canyon headed straight towards them.
“Damn it, Terra,” Jace pulled her by
the top of the jeans, held on, and floored
the gas with the door open.
The truck lurched, she bumped her
head on the dash, but managed to get into
the passenger seat.
Jace leaned out and grabbed the door
handle with one eye on the rearview.
“Did he just open a fucking ravine?”
Terra looked over her shoulder and
cringed. “Yeah and it’s still expanding.
You might want to gun it.”
“Going as fast as I can, sweetheart.”
He slammed the door.
Pumpkin meowed pitifully.
“Try to go faster.” She squirmed over
her seat to get the carrier, and placed it
on her lap. Her teeth clenched to stop the
rattling.
The tires squealed and skidded when
Jace sped onto the two-lane highway.
Terra’s white knuckles let go of the
cat, and she whooshed out the breath
she’d been holding when Vegas
skyscrapers loomed in the distance.
And she’d thought her day couldn’t
get any worse.
Chapter 13
After he passed the famous fountains,
Jace maneuvered the truck down into
Vdara’s exclusive parking lot. He
handed the valet his keys, then rushed to
open the door for Terra.
She sat with brows furrowed and
refused to take Jace’s hand when he
reached to help her out of the truck.
“I can’t go in there.” She hugged the
damn cat carrier against her chest like a
lifeline, her eyes huge.
“Why the hell not?”
“Look at me.” She glanced down at
her torn jeans and dirty plaid button
down.
“You look fine.” Better than fine. She
looked sexy and mussed, and he wanted
nothing more than to ravage every inch
of her hot little body.
Not going to happen, he reminded
himself.
God, he needed a drink. Or two. And
a cold shower.
Terra’s eyes glanced around
nervously, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Come on,” he said, self-control
slipping. He gripped her hand and
ignored the heat that burned between
them. “If you’re worried about it, Nicole
should have something you can wear.”
Terra remained silent, her gaze
downcast the entire elevator ride. He all
but had to drag her across the lush
maroon carpet. He dropped her hand to
knock, and Josh opened the door.
“I was starting to get worried about
you.” His brother’s eyes were laced
with concern as they entered.
“Yeah, me too,” said Jace, bolting
the lock.
Josh frowned and watched his
gesture with narrowed eyes. “What
happened?”
Strolling across the room to the bar,
Jace poured himself two fingers of rye,
and downed it in one swig. He poured
another, and one for Terra. She took it
and ventured a weak smile, then bent
over to get the meowing ball of fluff out
of the carrier.
“We had a little run in with Mic
Luggerio.”
“The Brasmatia clan leader?” This
time, Josh headed for the bottles.
“Yeah. And not only does he know
where a large chunk of dark turquoise is,
but he’s a fuck more powerful than any
earth witch I’ve ever come across. I
don’t even want to think about what the
bastard could do with that much power.”
A feminine throat cleared, and Josh’s
wife came into the room, wringing her
hands.
“Jace. Thank God, you’re all right.”
Nicole’s dark eyes roamed quickly over
Terra and the cat. Her mouth twitched
down and then righted itself into a fake
smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh.
You’re both here.”
What the hell was that all about?
Jace toned his voice to sound like his
brother Jack, all command and not to be
disobeyed. “Terra’s going to be staying
with us. She’s going to need some
clothes. I was hoping you could help her
out.”
“Of course.” Nicole’s lips tightened.
“And what about that…cat? We can’t
keep it here.”
Terra visibly paled and held
Pumpkin close.
“The cat stays,” Jace said, firmly.
“I’d appreciate it if you could call down
to the front desk and have them send one
of their workers to get food and litter. If
there’s an issue, remind them of what the
Fialko’s add to their bottom line.”
Nose scrunched, Nicole gave a small
nod and withdrew to another room.
“Thank you,” Terra said softly.
He gave a small nod. Of course the
cat stayed. He hadn’t saved the damn
thing to have it carted off to the pound.
Plus, he knew how much the fur ball
meant to her.
Josh looked between them, brows
raised, and downed his drink.
“Don’t.” Jace warned, knowing
where his brother’s mind was headed.
“We need to focus on what’s important,
making sure that Mic Luggerio doesn’t
get his hands on Terra or that turquoise.”
“We need to call Jack. Let him know
what’s going on.” Josh reached into his
jean’s pocket and pulled out his cell.
Nodding, Jace paced, then stared
down at the fountain below. “We’re
going to need him, and any other men we
can spare if it comes down to a fight.”
“We don’t have time for that.” Terra
stood abruptly, and her cat jumped off
her lap. “Mic will already have his men
sweeping the mine. If he hasn’t found it
yet, he will soon.”
“You saw what he’s capable of.
There’s no way I can beat him.” Jace’s
heart went into his throat at the panic in
her eyes. Would that he could be all that
she needed.
“What do you suggest?” The phone
already to his ear, Josh glanced up.
“We wait for Jack and the others to
arrive.”
“It’ll be too late,” Terra insisted. “I
can fight him. I know I can. If you help,
then–”
“No.” A headache began to form
right behind Jace’s eyes.
“You?” Josh’s brows shot up.
She took in a deep breath and closed
her eyes. Then the baby blues opened,
laced with steel and grit. “Mic is my
father. I inherited his powers. I might not
be as trained as him, but with the pieces
of dark turquoise, I’m sure I can beat
him.”
“No.” What part of that is she not
getting?
“It’s not your choice.” She crossed
her arms over her chest and the cheap
coffee pot rattled on the plastic holder.
That little trick had lost its potency.
“While you’re under my protection it
is.”
“I don’t need you or your protection.
All this”–she waved her arms in the
air–“is because of you anyways. If you’d
just minded your damn business and
stayed off my land, none of this would
have happened.”
He covered the distance between
them, finger pointed.
“Bullshit. You were pawning pieces
of dark turquoise at a dive shop. How
long do you think it would have taken
Mic to track you down? And let’s not
forget the fact that your little boyfriend
has been working behind your back.
Who’s to say he wasn’t the one that led
your dear old daddy straight to your
door.”
The color drained from Terra’s face
and he immediately regretted his words
and posture. He took a step back.
“Wait.” She touched his arm.
His frustrated cock jumped to
attention at the sudden contact. Heat
zipped and sizzled between them, and he
swore the heat in the room elevated ten
degrees.
“No more touching,” he said, tearing
his arm away from her.
At that, Josh choked on his drink,
then laughed.
Jace glared.
Seemingly oblivious to his brother’s
response, Terra pouted with little fists
clenched. “I knew I shouldn’t have come
here with you.”
“And where else would you go?”
Jace demanded.
“Anywhere but here.” She scooped
the cat up, then stormed towards the
door.
“The minute you walk out of here,
Mic’s men will be on you like flies on
shit.”
She ignored him, clicked the bolt,
and turned the handle.
“Goddamnit, Terra, wait.” He
crossed the room, reached over her
shoulder and held the door shut. His
chest brushed against her back. Every
neuron in his body sparked at her
nearness.
He inhaled her intoxicating sent.
Desert with a hint of rye.
“Get out of my way.” Her voice held
a soft quiver. She felt it too.
“I’m not letting you walk out of
here,” he whispered softly in her ear.
She shivered and her breath hitched.
Josh cleared his throat behind them.
“Just an observation, but if you two are a
match, then–”
“Don’t start.” Jace kept his palm
planted firmly on the door and locked an
arm around her waist. His cock begged
to enter her.
“I’m just saying, it’s solstice. If you
mated–”
“Not happening,” he growled.
Terra turned to meet his gaze. Hurt
shined behind her blue eyes as she bit
her lower lip.
“Look, I don’t want to be mated to
you either, but if there’s a way to beat
Mic, then I’ll do it.”
He placed his free hand on the door
beside her head, trapping her. She let go
of the cat and took a small step
backwards, until she was pressed tight
against the door.
“This isn’t a game. Do you even
understand what Josh is suggesting?
What you’d be sacrificing?”
She swallowed hard. “It’s just sex.”
He laughed darkly. “It’s a hell of a
lot more than sex. It’s a fight for power,
for control. If you’re not strong
enough…” He clenched his teeth not
wanting to think about what could
happen to her.
The ground trembled beneath his feet
and the entire structure seemed to
vibrate.
Josh cursed behind him, and Nicole
came out of the other room squawking.
“For the love of God, stop it,” Jace
yelled. “Do you know how high this
building is?”
“Trust me. I’m strong enough.”
Terra’s eyes blazed, but the tremors
subsided. “Maybe it’s you who’s not
strong enough.”
“What’s going on?” Nicole’s high-
pitched voice grated on his already
overwrought senses.
Her eyes went wide and her mouth
dropped open. “Did she seriously just
do that?”
Josh laughed at the bar and poured
another. “Looks like you found yourself
a little hell-cat.”
“More like a badger,” Jace grunted.
“Nicole, let’s go.” Josh’s lips
twisted in a smirk.
“I’m not going anywhere. I want to
know what just happened. Did she just
cause the entire building to shake?”
Not for the first time, Jace wondered
how Josh put up with the screeching.
Josh gripped his wife’s shoulder and
turned her toward the door. “We can talk
about it in the car. You said you wanted
to visit your family.”
She shrugged off his hand. “I’ll go.
Alone.”
Jace didn’t miss the subtle glare
Nicole threw at Terra and the disdain at
Josh before slamming the door shut
behind her.
Josh stared after her, clearly
wounded by her slight. Their marriage
had never been easy, but Nicole was
acting even bitchier than normal. Clearly
even love matches had their problems.
“It’s the desert heat,” Jace said,
shoving his hands in his pockets and not
taking his gaze off Terra. “Makes
everyone cranky.”
The breath that escaped Terra’s lips
sounded like a hiss.
Josh gave his head a small shake.
“I’ll go down to the conference center
and make a few calls. Get Jack up to
speed.”
“You don’t need to leave,” Terra
said, looking uncomfortable.
“Yes he does.” He took a step
towards her and the damn cat nearly
tripped him.
The little demon hissed, as if it was
his fault.
“We need to talk.”
“Right. Let’s talk about how the
thought of mating with me makes you
cringe.” Her mouth quivered. “Sorry if I
don’t meet your high standards.”
“That’s not why…” He scrubbed his
hand over his face and blew out a long
breath.
“Yeah, I definitely need to get out of
here.” Josh slapped him on the back as
he passed. “Good luck.”
Terra glared at Josh’s back as he
departed and crossed her arms over her
chest.
Jace studied her a long moment. Her
face was scrunched up in defiance. Her
lithe body tense, but still she made him
harder than fucking granite. Maybe she
was strong enough to survive mating
with him uninjured, but he wasn’t taking
any chances.
Not again.
What he needed was a cold shower
and an icepack for his aching balls.
Chapter 14
Terra stood beside the door and scowled
at Jace who’d retreated behind the bar to
make another drink. “Stop staring at me
like that.”
“Like what?” Small flames lit the
wide pupils of his smoldering gaze. He
licked his lips.
“Like that.” She threw up her hands.
The man was infuriating. One second he
was rejecting her, the next he looked like
he was ready to devour her.
“You want to mate with me, but you
can’t handle a little heat?” One side of
his mouth went up as he sat down on a
bar stool with arms crossed over his
chest.
What a jerk. “I never said I wanted
to mate with you. I said I wanted to
merge our powers.”
“Same thing.” He flashed a sexy
dimple.
Her cheeks heated like they were on
fire and her hands balled into fists.
Within her chest her heart pounded
erratically.
“I couldn’t care less about the sex
part. I just want to make sure Mic is
stopped.”
“Liar.” He grinned and leaned back
against the bar, legs crossed.
“You’re pretty high on yourself, you
know that.” She wrinkled her nose,
wishing she could wiggle it and turn him
into a toad.
“It’s solstice heat, darling.” He
pushed off the stool and stalked toward
her. “Just because I don’t want to mate
with you, doesn’t mean I don’t want to
fuck you.”
He did not just say that. She glanced
left and right, and saw nowhere to run.
He stood inside her personal space,
and she caught the scent of rye, leather,
and musk.
“Unfortunately for both of us, during
solstice there’s no separating the two.”
Between her legs, she creamed for
him as she backed away toward the
bathroom. Maybe she’d make it in time
to bolt the door.
“So you’d sleep with me as long as
there were no strings attached?”
“I didn’t say anything about
sleeping.” He laughed.
She took a sharp breath at his
mocking, and let it out slowly. “God,
you’re impossible.”
“Says the little badger.”
“Stop calling me that.”
Another bit of self-control fell away
and power oozed out, despite trying to
contain it. If she wasn’t careful, she’d
bring the entire building down on both of
their heads. Closing her eyes, she took a
few deep breaths, but the tremors didn’t
subside. “Shit, shit, shit.”
“Hey.” Jace moved closer, placing
his large hands on her shoulders,
touching her, calming her, and yet at the
same time stirring a desire that seemed
impossible to deny.
“I’m okay,” she said, putting a lid on
the energy. “I shouldn’t be in a building
like this. My powers are too volatile. I
need to get out of here.”
“Look at me.” His fingers threaded
through her hair, while his thumbs
stroked her cheeks.
Green eyes held her gaze and his
breath drew close, warming her lips.
She couldn’t move if she wanted to.
With heart racing wilder than ever, she
lifted her hands and placed them on his
chest. She had every intention of pushing
him away, but his beating heart under her
palms only amplified her hunger.
“Jace, I–”
His lips covered hers, his tongue
taking full advantage of her gasp.
Holy mother of pearls. The heat was
scorching. She opened her mouth, and a
little moan vibrated in her throat.
The taste of his lips made her insides
turn to mush. Her fingers itched to wrap
around his neck, to draw him closer and
never let go.
With a jolt, Jace pulled back,
blinking repeatedly. He sent her a fierce
scowl as if what was going on between
them was all her fault, and said, “I’m
going to have a shower.”
“Now? A shower?” Heat rushed to
her cheeks and her lower lip might’ve
bled, she bit down so hard.
Without giving her any reasonable
explanation, he crossed the room and
slammed the bedroom door.
She stared open-mouthed, took a
deep breath, and then willed the
trembling in her hands to stop. It wasn’t
just her body that’d betrayed her. Her
mind wouldn’t stop conjuring images of
what it would be like to have him naked,
on top of her…inside her.
A shiver raced down her spine,
sending a jolt between her thighs and her
body ached with need. Hadn’t he felt it
too? She knew he had, so what was
stopping him?
Obviously, he didn’t want to be
saddled with her. She groaned, furious at
herself for thinking for one moment he
cared.
Frigging men. She’d never relied on
one before, she certainly wouldn’t now.
Not with him.
If Jace had no intention of mating,
then tomorrow she’d destroy the mine
herself. It was the only way to ensure
that Mic didn’t get the turquoise.
As she was working up to seriously-
pissed-beyond-belief, the hotel phone
rang.
“Hello?” She glowered at the
receiver.
“Terra. It’s Wovoka. Have you seen
Falcon?”
Oh man. She didn’t have the heart to
tell the old healer the truth. “Uh, I
believe he went into the desert.”
“I know a lot more than you think.
He’s in trouble. If you know where he
is–”
“I’ll find him,” she promised. “And
make sure he’s safe.”
“Thank you.”
She hung up and rubbed her
forehead.
Shit. There was no way Jace would
approve of what she was about to do.
When she heard the shower turn on,
she opened the door to the bedroom and
snuck inside. Jace’s pants lay discarded
on the bed. She reached into the pockets
and pulled out the dark turquoise. She’d
need it to have any hope in hell of
defeating Mic, if he showed up. The
stones buzzed and vibrated in her hands,
causing a surge of power to form in her
fingertips. Before she lost control, she
shoved them in her pants.
She continued searching until she
found his key ring. Stealing wasn’t
something she normally did, but
desperate times called for desperate
measures. Besides, she was just
borrowing. In the end, she’d make him
understand. Falcon was family.
She kissed Pumpkin, slipped out the
door, and shut it quietly behind her.
Trying to feel brave, she pictured herself
as Clint Eastwood. Do you feel lucky,
Mic? Well, do ya, punk?
* * *
The sun was ready to set when she
parked the truck at the bottom of the hill.
Falcon sat half-hidden by the long
shadows of the entrance boulders. His
face was bloodied, his clothes torn, and
by the way he held his left arm, she was
sure it was broken.
“Your grandfather is looking for
you,” she said, slamming the door and
working up the perfect mood to give him
a piece of her mind.
Falcon stood. “Terra, you have to let
me explain.”
“Explain what? That you’re Mic
Luggerio’s little pet now?” She climbed
the hill, never taking her eyes off him.
Pebbles and stones rolled under her feet,
making a small avalanche fall down the
hill.
“It’s not like that. He made me–” He
winced when he put weight on one of his
legs.
“Made you what? What did you do?
Did you tell him who I was?”
“No.”
“Just where I lived?” She met him
eye to eye, midway to the cave’s
entrance.
“I’m sorry. Terra, you have to listen
to me, I–”
“You’re unbelievable. I trusted you.
Thought you were my friend.” She didn’t
know him at all. Not anymore. “Shit,
Falcon, you asked me to marry you. Is
that why you did it? Because I said no?”
“No.” His voice trembled as he
continued. “He had pictures of us
together. What was I supposed to do?
And how was I supposed to know the
trouble you’d gotten yourself into. Mic’s
really pissed about these stones. All you
have to do is give them to him, and he’ll
back off.”
“Back off? He tried to have me
killed today.” Since when did the world
revolve around Falcon? What had
changed? Or had he always been this
way and she just hadn’t noticed?
“That wasn’t the plan. He just
wanted to scare you a bit.” He grabbed
her wrist with his good hand. His
healing talent flared, but it seemed sick,
wrong.
“You’re defending him now?” Her
temper flared as she pulled her arm back
and wriggled out of his grasp.
“No. I just–”
“You know what? Save it. Just get in
the truck and I’ll bring you back to the
rez.” She was so angry she barely
noticed the rumbling beneath her.
A black car, like the sedans driven
by Mic’s men, tore up the dirt road.
“What have you done?” She stared
incredulously at Falcon.
“Nothing. I promise. They must’ve
followed you.”
“Hurry. You take the truck.” She
tossed him the keys and all but pushed
him down the hill. “I promised Wavoka
that I would make sure you were safe.”
He slid on the gravel, then ran down
the hill. “Terra–”
“Go.” The ground rumbled beneath
her and Falcon’s eyes went wide.
He nearly flooded the engine as he
tried desperately to start it, then sped off
in the opposite direction as the black
Mercedes neared.
She didn’t have much time. Pulling
the stones from her pocket, she sucked in
the energy, and directed it toward the
mine. The ground trembled, but not as
fiercely as she’d hoped. It seemed like
days, not hours, since she’d climbed out
of her ruined house. She was still weak
from this morning.
Stunned by her loss of power, she
closed her eyes and concentrated, this
time sending a more powerful blast. A
few large rocks tumbled, but the cave
remained exposed. Shit. She couldn’t
believe she’d been so stupid.
What was she going to do?
She looked up the steep cliff. The
hill was high, and the rocks fairly
loose...Gravity could be her friend.
The men below grinned and jeered
as she scrambled up the hill. What were
they waiting for? A dust plume lit by the
last rays of the setting sun answered her.
Three black sedans tore up the desert,
heading in their direction. Mic. It had to
be him.
For a moment, her heart beat out of
control, a real panic attack. Drips of
perspiration rolled down her side and
back. She crouched low inside one of
the crevices.
Car doors slammed shut.
She peered around the rock and
cursed under her breath.
Mic and another suit exited one of
the vehicles. Immediately, five more men
piled out of the second car. The third
idled, windows up, reflecting pink sky
and a few lone clouds.
“Terra? Come down from there.” The
deep, bass voice had to be Mic. “I just
want to talk. It doesn’t have to be like
this. I’m your father. I love you. I didn’t
realize who you were, but now that I do,
we can be a family. You want that, don’t
you Terra?”
How many times had she dreamed of
something like this? Of having a real
father? A family? Her hope almost
walked her down the hill, but a niggling
in the back of her mind held her back.
This was Mic. Liar. Gangster. Rapist.
“If you love me, then leave me
alone.” Her voice cracked, sounding
weak.
He sneered, and with a wave of his
hand, sent his men to surround her.
“Come out now, Kitten, and no one
gets hurt.”
“That’s what you do, right? Hurt
people when you don’t get your way. I
know what you did to my mom. What
you’ll do to me.”
“Your mother was trash. She spread
her legs wide for me, then ran off taking
what was mine. You belong to me,
Terra.”
Even if she was walking into a trap,
she couldn’t let him get away with
maligning her mom. She dug her hands
into the earth and sent a tidal wave of
dirt rolling down the hill. His car flew
into the air, but Mic braced his legs and
surfed over the top until it settled.
She needed more power. Now.
The men scrambled up the hill
shouting directions.
Dashing into the mine, the dark
turquoise called to her. She reached
through the thin fissure, brushing the tips
of her fingers against the stone, tapping
into its energy.
Mic’s dark shadow squeezed
between the rocks.
This is for you, Mom.
She stomped the ground and started
what she hoped was her strongest
earthquake ever. If need be, she would
bury them all. Killing him was worth the
risk.
His counterblast was lightning fast.
One of the entrance boulders rolled
towards her. She had to send it back in
order not to be crushed.
The half-second that she lost her
focus was all he needed to tap into the
frequency of the turquoise. He sent rocks
flying in her direction, causing her to
expend all her power defending herself
until she lay back exhausted.
“Now.” He rushed forward with a
healer that she recognized from the
reservation.
A needle plunged into her arm and it
stung like hell. The drug rushed through
her veins and her lids drooped, too
heavy to open more than a slit.
Mic shouted something about Jace
and the Fialkos, but she couldn’t focus
enough to understand his words.
One of Mic’s goons picked her up
roughly, carrying her back through the
cave. Her body was useless, her mind a
fuzzy haze.
By the time the man lifted her in the
back seat, her limbs refused to respond
and her head lolled.
“Careful, you idiots, Mic doesn’t
want her damaged.” The screechy
female voice sounded familiar.
Terra forced one eye open and
stared, aghast.
No. It couldn’t be.
Holy shit.
“Hello, Terra.” Nicole smirked with
an air of arrogance that cried to be
smacked off her face.
Terra tried to respond, but Nicole’s
face blurred until there was nothing but
darkness.
Chapter 15
With her taste still on his lips, Jace
turned the faucet to ice cold, adjusted the
jets, and prayed his erection would
subside.
He’d let the little Brasmatia badger
get to him. Thank God an ounce of
willpower remained. Otherwise, right
now, he’d be stripping off her shirt, then
bra, no longer wondering about the color
of her nipples. Were they dark or pink?
Would they pucker when he nipped, or
did she prefer to be pinched? How hard
would they point when he sucked at
them?
After he learned what made her
squirm, he would kiss down to her
navel, find that little ring with his
tongue, while he caressed that sweet ass.
She’d arch for him.
Beg.
He’d unzip her jeans and pull them
down slowly as he tasted every inch of
her. He’d seen the edge of the thin cord
of a thong she wore, and he couldn’t
wait to pull it off with his teeth. A tiny
black thread of fabric. Then he would
bang her until this damn ache subsided
for good.
After he fisted away his aching need,
he wrapped a towel around his waist
and moved into the bedroom.
He searched the suitcases. Josh
preferred designer jeans and polos, but
at least they were the same size. After
putting on the new clothes, he glanced in
the mirror and rubbed the back of his
neck.
How could so much change in just a
few days? If things went as planned,
he’d be on a plane back to Jersey early
next week. Would she come back with
him? The woman was as stubborn as a
mule, but the thought of leaving her made
his stomach twist.
He needed to figure out what he was
going to do with her.
When he went for his wallet, his
heart stopped. Frantically he searched
for his keys as well. And then for the
plastic bag of stones.
“Terra?” He yelled, storming out of
the bedroom.
No response. Fuck it all to hell.
He ran back into the bedroom to
retrieve his cell. Dead. You’ve got to be
kidding. The hotel phone. He picked it
up and called Josh.
“Is Terra with you?” He knew the
answer even before he asked. His pulse
raced.
“No. You lost her already?” His
brother’s voice tensed.
“I didn’t lose her. She took off. With
the stones and keys to my rental.”
“Dammit, Jace. Any idea where
she’s heading?”
“Wherever she is, she’s in a shitload
of trouble.” He raked his hands through
his damp hair. His gut knew where she
headed, what she intended. “She
probably decided to take on Mic. Alone.
This is all my fault. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
“We’ll get her before anything
happens. It’s only been a few minutes.
I’m downstairs in the lobby. Meet me in
the garage.”
Jace hung up, cursing his stupidity
for leaving her alone, even for one
second. He should’ve known she’d run.
The little badger was going to drive him
bat shit crazy before this solstice was
over.
On the lower level, Josh stuck his
head out of a new H3 Alpha Hummer
and gunned the engine.
“Really?” Jace jumped in and
slammed the door.
“It’s safe.” Shrugging, Josh turned the
mammoth vehicle out of the garage, and
into the evening Vegas traffic. “Where
to?”
“Turn right, here. Then, first right
after that.” He programmed the rental’s
TomTom to get them to the Airforce
base. From there, he’d rely on memory.
His brother’s eyes were sunken in
with dark circles. No doubt his harpy of
a wife had a hand in that. “You okay,
bro? I mean with Nicole?”
“Honestly? No.” The deep frown and
twitch said more than his brother
probably intended.
The feminine voice of the GPS
directed them to turn left as they waited
at a red light.
“Want to talk about it?”
“What’s there to say?” Josh’s
knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.
“I still love her no matter what she’s
done.”
“She screwing someone?” He’d had
his suspicion for months now, but he
hadn’t had the nerve to bring it up.
“Someones.” A tick started on Josh’s
jaw.
“Shit.” Another reason to stay the
hell away from love and marriage.
“What’re you going to do?”
“We already visited a marriage
counselor who said I should treat it like
a disease. Take some responsibility
myself. Some shit about not meeting her
needs.”
“Wow. That’s harsh. I’m sorry.” Jace
shook his head.
No way he’d put up with that. And
neither should his brother. He started to
say something more, but held back.
Maybe this wasn’t the best time. He’d
get his sister and mom and dad to talk
some sense into him back in Jersey.
Jack, too. Get a fucking intervention if
that’s what it took.
The familiar airbase flew by on their
right and Josh shifted into high gear.
Slower traffic gave way and they sped
up the road, hitting eighty-five.
“Look for a dirt road.” Jace leaned
forward. “It’s near a big cactus and
some scrub brush.”
“All I see is scrub and cactus.”
“Shit. That’s it.”
Josh squealed out a U-turn and
headed down the dirt road toward the
mine.
He blew out a heavy breath when he
saw his rental truck parked in the middle
of the desert, just off the road.
Something was wrong. He could feel
it.
Josh pulled the Hummer over and
Jace jumped out, racing to it, hoping she
wasn’t injured–or worse. When he flung
open the door, he saw the body and
tensed. It took a moment to realize it
wasn’t Terra. It was the weasel Falcon.
He lay there, moaning, with the
passenger seat flat.
Jace’s heart skipped a beat, then he
growled, “Where the hell is she?”
Chapter 16
Terra moaned, opened one eye, and tried
to clear her foggy thoughts. This had to
be a bad dream. Otherwise, why was
Josh’s wife, Nicole, sitting at a computer
screen with Mic, half-naked, rubbing her
shoulders?
When she could focus fully, Terra’s
blood boiled so hard she felt bile rise in
her throat.
She spit out, “Ho-How could you?”
The click-click of long nails on the
keyboard paused, and Nicole sneered,
turning her head away from the screen.
Bloodless lips pursed. “Do you need
a manual, little girl?”
Nicole stood, wearing only his
loosely buttoned dress shirt.
“But Josh? You’re mated.” Terra
swallowed hard. How could the woman
betray him like this, and with Mic?
“No, Hun. We’re married. Big
difference. No ritual. No increase in
power. Nothing. He’s just a bank account
and a foot in the door to bigger things.”
She batted her eyelashes at Mic.
“You’re insane. Both of you.”
Mic laughed, deep and throaty.
“That’s possibly the nicest thing you’ve
said to me, Darling.”
“You need to grow up and see the
big, bad world for what it is.” Nicole
strode over and sat down on the leather
couch, crossing naked legs. All pretext
gone, an evil smile spread across the
witch’s face. How could anyone ever
have considered her pretty?
“Does Josh know?” Terra tried to
scoot up to sit, and noticed for the first
time her wrists and ankles were bound
with plastic ties that bit into her skin.
“I doubt it. The man is useless. A
puppet. But why do you care? You’ve
got your own problems.” She stood,
sidled up to Mic, and gave him a torrid
kiss.
Terra turned her head and clamped
her eyes shut.
“Now girls, don’t fight.” Mic sat
down on the couch and put a clammy
paw on her leg.
“Stay away.” She flinched, pulling
her knees to her chest.
He chuckled. “Eddie will take care
of that reticence.”
What? Adrenaline coursed through
her veins and a few more brain cells
fired. She fought her bindings harder.
“That’s a girl. Let that anger
simmer.” Mic leaned closer, his rancid
breath hitting her face. “You thought you
had it made, didn’t you? Marry that
Fialko. Give him some of that black
turquoise? Probably figured you’d get
him to fight his older brother for control
of the whole clan.”
She stared incredulously. He really
was crazy.
“Don’t play dumb and innocent with
me. I’ve been at this game much longer
than you.”
Snickering, Mic slid his hands under
Terra as if to pick her up. She kicked
between his legs, missed, and screamed
until her throat hurt.
Annoyed, he slammed a fist to her
face and her teeth cut into her cheek.
“As much fun as this is, I need to call
Eddie. I want your power back in my
clan, kid. And I will have it. Even if
you’re not a perfect match, good
breeding will win out. I always wanted
to be a grandpapa.”
Oh God. He really meant to do it.
Terra moaned, tasted blood, and her
face throbbed. Her worse nightmare was
coming true.
She wished to hell she’d never found
the vein. “You have the mine. With that
you can have everything. You don’t need
me.”
Nicole approached, tapping a
syringe. She plunged it into Terra’s arm
with a sharp prick and smiled.
“Not everything.” Mic’s face
distorted in an awful sneer.
“What else could you want?”
“She really is naive.” Nicole
laughed. “Babies. The future. Mic’s not
getting any younger and we sure as hell
aren’t going to let you mate with a
Fialko. If you’re a match with Eddie,
you can’t solstice mate with anyone else,
ever. And if not, we’ll pass you around
the boys. We’ll find someone who will
augment your powers. Either way, Mic
wins.”
“Do you hear what you’re saying?
That’s fucking sick!” Her words were
starting to slur.
“I’ll be back in less than an hour.”
He kissed Nicole hard on the mouth, then
slapped her ass before turning towards
the door. “Have her ready for Eddie.”
“You can’t do this. Please,” Terra
pleaded with her when Mic was gone.
Nicole shrugged and stepped out of
her three inch heels. “The Brasmatia
power will not be shared with the
fucking flame-throwers.”
Terra moaned. The walls began to
dance, and Nicole’s face skewed like a
Picasso painting. The drugs coursed
through her, making her dizzy. She was
so high, it was scary.
“What did you give me?”
A gargoyle-like smile twisted
Nicole’s face. “It’s great, isn’t it? Wish I
could join you.”
Terra had never smoked weed, nor
joined in the Peyote that some in the
reservation crowd favored. This wasn’t
great. This was just out of control, the
thing she hated most.
Scenes from her life floated in and
out her mind like movies. Then the
greatest ideas took root. She’d start her
own oil company. No, not that. She’d
find previously unknown pockets of
silver. Or gold. She’d rebuild her house.
Wait. That was it. She would build
earthships using Brasmatia powers.
Maybe she’d go to college for gemology.
Each idea surpassed the next as her
mind raced ahead until she thought of
Jace. Oh God, Jace. Gorgeous, fire-
throwing Jace, with the body of an
Olympic athlete, and the face of a Greek
god.
In her mind, they fell into bed, naked.
His lips caressed hers, so soft, so good.
Not having any sexual experiences, her
visions mimicked movie scenes with a
healthy mix from erotic novels. But no
matter the daydream, it was Jace taking
her for the first time.
No one else would do, ever. The
thought sobered her. When had he
become the leading man for all her
fantasies? Terra knew the answer. The
first time he touched her, she knew he
was the one.
Jace would come for her. She was as
certain of that as she was that winter
brought desert rain.
Suddenly, the house alarm screeched
outside. Whoop. Whoop. Whoop. It
blended into Terra’s surreal world of
flashing lights and bright colors. Yellow
Submarine came to mind, along with that
long scene in some Odyssey movie.
Colors swirled around her, mixing
with the noises.
Oh yeah. Kaleidoscopes. She
remembered one as a kid. Triangles and
circles. Around and around and
then...Jace was in those rotating
triangles.
He burst through the door, Josh and
Falcon behind him. He looked pissed.
Meteors of Fialko fireballs flashed
across the room. Nicole’s high-pitched
squeals rang in her ears.
Terra struggled to get free. Her
fucked up brain cells tried to tell her she
was in danger. But she couldn’t move.
Couldn’t even feel afraid, though she
knew she should be.
Something cold was pressed to her
temple. It took Terra a moment to realize
it was a gun.
Nicole held the pistol, grinding it
hard into Terra’s skull. “Stop or she
dies.”
Terra tried to find something brilliant
to say. What came out was, “Sexy, Jace.
Come to rescue me.”
His face was a rock monster. So was
Josh’s. Falcon, not so much. More of a
gecko. She giggled. Falcon didn’t smile.
No one did. “So serious.”
Jace spun fire in his palm, and said,
“Let her go, Nicole.”
The bitch with the gun turned into a
Cockatoo and said, “It’s over.”
Terra closed her eyes, and when they
opened, the white bird was back to
being Josh’s wife again. She tried harder
to follow what being said.
Josh opened his palms and took two
steps forward. “It doesn’t have to be,
baby. Put the gun down. We’ll talk. Make
it good again.”
“Stay back.” She waived the gun in
his direction. “It was never that. Never. I
wanted something more. I deserve more.
But no. You were always content to be
number two. No matter how many
opportunities I handed to you on a silver
platter. This wasn’t what I was groomed
for. I was meant to be a clan leader’s
wife. Time to move on.”
“Then move on, but let her go,” Jace
said, his fire burning brighter.
So pretty.
“Jace. Dear, sweet, fucked-up Jace.”
Nicole cackled, digging the gun deeper
into Terra’s temple. “Don’t you want to
hear how I set you up with my friend,
Megan?”
Jace paled, his eye twitched. “What
are you talking about?”
“I knew what you were. How
powerful. I knew you’d been drinking.
Great opportunity to get rid of one of the
Fialko brothers, no? You were never the
same. One down, one to go.” She glared
at Josh. “But you just couldn’t man up
and take what belonged to you, could
you?”
Josh moaned, “You bitch.”
He rushed toward her.
“Josh, no,” Jace yelled.
The cold steel left Terra’s forehead
and the gun fired at Josh with an eardrum
breaking shot.
Jace’s fiery energy streaked across
the living room like lightning.
In her drugged up state, Terra swore
she could see the bullet as it passed
through the red flaming ball.
Then time sped up again. Josh was
thrown against one wall, blood spewing
everywhere, and Nicole went flying in
the opposite direction.
Falcon jumped to Josh and put
pressure to his shoulder. His face paled
as he spent healing energy. “I got him,
see to her.”
“Terra? Terra, love? Are you
alright?” Jace put a warm palm to her
cheek.
When she nodded, he jumped beside
the couch to check on Nicole.
Love? He had called her love? “I
love you, too.” The words came out all
slurry but she was pretty sure he heard
because he stood and stared with his
mouth open.
His expression was almost comical,
and she giggled again.
She wanted to reach out and hug him,
but her arms wouldn’t work. She
glanced down and didn’t see them. Panic
flared in her chest. “Where are my
arms?”
Jace jumped over the arm of the
couch, pulled out this huge pocketknife,
and cut through her ties.
“Is she okay?” Falcon asked.
Jace held one eye open with his
thumb and forefinger. “She’s been
drugged.”
“I’ve been drugged,” Terra echoed,
rubbing some feeling back into her hands
and feet.
Falcon held a towel tight to Josh’s
chest. “We need to get out of here.”
“Nicole?” Josh’s voice was guttural
as he raised his head off the floor.
Jace gave a short shake of the head at
Falcon.
“Her aura is gone. I’m sorry.”
Nicole’s lifeless body lay in the
corner. Even in death her face twisted in
a scowl.
A small guttural moan echoed from
where Josh lay. Despite what a bitch his
wife had been, it was clear he’d loved
her.
When Terra tried to stand, her legs
turned to jelly and Jace scooped her up
against his chest.
“Put me down.” She slapped his
chest lightly then put her arms around his
neck. God, he smelled so good. “I bet
you taste good, too.”
Jace grunted. “What the hell did they
give her?”
“Mic’s standard mix. It’ll wear off.”
Falcon held his hand out to help Josh to
stand.
“I’m fine.” Josh pushed Falcon’s
hand away, his eyes glazed over, his
expression zombie-like.
“We need to go.” Jace shifted her in
his arms. “Mic could be back any
minute.”
“We can’t leave her. Not like that,”
Josh’s voice cracked.
“We don’t have a choice. She’s gone,
bro.”
“Okay.” Hand pressed against his
bloody shoulder, Josh gave a small nod,
and led them out into the cool night air.
From outside, Mic’s house was a lot
smaller than she’d imagined. Just a
simple cape in the middle of nowhere.
A lone wolf howled in the distance,
and she said, “It’s dark. Spooky. Like
Halloween.”
Josh growled as he crawled into the
back seat of the truck. “Can you shut her
up?”
“You shut up,” Terra snapped back.
Jace sighed and placed her in the
passenger seat of what looked like a
black army tank.
“Stay,” he ordered.
“Sir, yes, Sir,” she said, giving him a
salute.
Jace rolled his eyes, then turned,
producing a huge ball of energy. He
released it, and she watched as the
ginormous fireball streamed through the
desert, cutting through the complete
black of night. It cut through the roof.
Seconds later, the house exploded. Tiny
bits and pieces of burning building shot
out everywhere.
Holy shit. Before she could blink the
image out of her retina, the heat of the
explosion hit. Then, flames shot up from
the interior of the cement foundation. Hot
tar, burning plastic and wood, assaulted
her nostrils.
That was the most friggin’ amazing
display of power she’d ever witnessed.
She’d no idea. My God, if they were a
perfect match, and she was pretty sure
they were, Mic wouldn’t have a chance.
Her mouth dropped open as he
slammed the door and rasped his hand
across his face. Before he could say
anything, she blurted out, “I want to have
your baby.”
Chapter 17
The ride back to Las Vegas might’ve
been the worst in his life. The familiar
lights and the fountain that’d always sent
a chill of excitement down his spine
mocked him tonight.
Jace sighed. He’d killed his
brother’s wife. The scene played over
and over in his head as he drove toward
the Vdara. There must’ve been
something else he could’ve done. But to
conjure a fireball fast enough to change
her aim, it had to be full of energy. If not,
his brother would be lying in a hospital
bed, or worse yet, in the city morgue.
She’d fucking shot at his brother.
What the hell was he supposed to do?
For a moment, his heart raced. The
bullet. Forensics would find it. Most
likely all evidence of Josh’s blood
would have been burned up in the fire,
but there was still a slim chance that they
could trace his DNA.
Jace took a deep breath. No doubt
the gun was registered to Mic, and
knowing him, he’d have the local cops in
his employ. The whole thing would be
written off as an unfortunate gas
explosion.
His head throbbed. He’d have to
make sure that was how it went down.
What the hell we’re they going to tell
Nicole’s family? Or even his parents?
He groaned and shifted in his seat,
gripping his hands around the steering
wheel.
Josh hadn’t said a word since they’d
left. Jace glanced in the rearview mirror
and caught his brother’s distant
expression.
Would he ever forgive him for what
he’d done?
He’d always relied on Jack to take
the lead. Never really thought about the
responsibilities his big brother carried.
It sucked big time.
Terra had fallen asleep beside him.
Her neck bent in an uncomfortable
position. He understood now what Mic
had in mind for her, and the thought sent
a shiver down his spine. Sick, fucking
bastard.
She wasn’t leaving his side again.
And he was going to make damn well
sure that Mic, or anyone else for that
matter, couldn’t mate with her.
From the back seat Falcon spoke
quietly into his cell. The clan leader,
Wovaka, was coming to help heal Josh.
Good. The bullet had passed through his
shoulder, but it was still bleeding. He’d
need at least a couple of stitches, and
more magic than Falcon could provide.
Jace parked, handed off the keys, and
counted out five hundred dollar bills to
the parking attendant. “We’d prefer this
didn’t get out.”
It being Vegas, the guy just nodded,
pocketed the cash, and directed them to
wait in front of the employee elevator
bay. “Just a sec.”
When he returned, he said, “You’re
all set. You’ve got two minutes to get to
your room.”
“Thank you.” Jace lifted Terra,
cradling her against his chest as he
ushered them into the elevator.
Jace sighed as he latched the suite
door and crossed the open living area
with Terra in his arms. Longest fucking
day of his life. He entered the bedroom,
leaned over the queen-sized bed, and set
her down.
When she didn’t let go, he unclasped
her hands from behind his neck and
pointed his finger. “Stay here.”
“Don’t leave.” She sprawled out
seductively and pouted.
Damn.
How much was one man supposed to
be able to endure in a day?
He growled, “Get some sleep. You’ll
feel better once the drugs are out of your
system.”
“But I do feel good. I’d just feel
better with you…” She giggled. “Beside
me.”
“I need to check on Josh. I mean it,
Terra. Stay here.” He gave her what he
hoped was a commanding glare and shut
the door. If there was a deadbolt, he
would have used it.
He considered a drink, then
discarded the idea and made a pot of
coffee to keep his hands busy while
Falcon worked on healing his brother.
Josh didn’t look so good. His face
had a sickly gray cast. His shirt was off,
the wound, red and raw.
He picked the phone and called Jack.
They’d need some clan help to shut this
thing down.
“Where are you?” Jace barked into
the phone, when Jack answered on the
first ring.
“I chartered the private jet. In the air
now. What’s going on?”
“Nothing I can tell you over the
phone. Just get your ass here as soon as
possible.”
“I should be there in a couple hours.”
Jace sunk into a chair, and despite
the caffeine, felt his eyes grow heavy.
He’d never expended that much energy
in a day before. He must’ve slept some
because suddenly he woke completely
disoriented.
The morning sun lit up the rim,
casting a golden glow that made his eyes
hurt.
What time was it?
The events of the previous evening
slammed into his cortex, turning his
stomach like a bad dream. It was real.
Nicole was dead. His brother injured.
And Terra was still in a shitload of
trouble.
He blinked several times until his
eyes adjusted.
An ancient healer stood next to
Falcon, chanting over Josh who lay
unconscious on the couch.
Falcon’s eyes were bloodshot, his
face drawn, and shoulders slouched.
The older man’s long white hair was
pulled back into a ponytail. He wore
aged jeans, leather sandals, and a yellow
button down with sleeves rolled up.
Thick turquoise and silver bracelets
circled his wrists.
When the man finished chanting, he
stood stiffly and looked at Jace, studying
him with piercing black eyes.
“This is my grandfather, Wovaka,”
Falcon said, shifting uncomfortably.
Jace held out his hand, the man took
it, and healing energy hit him like a
double expresso. Nothing before in his
life had prepared him for that amount of
healing energy. Not even his family’s
healer back in Jersey.
They stood like that, with eyes
locked for some time, until the old man
spoke, “I heard what happened. I’ll deal
with my grandson. You take care of
Terra. She’s a special girl. I told her
mom I would keep her safe. Now I give
that job to you.”
Jace nodded and let go. “You have
my word.”
Placing a thumb on Jace’s forehead,
Wavoka chanted under his breath, then
turned and walked out the door,
followed by Falcon.
Jace shook his head and went back to
check on Terra.
What would she think of him now,
knowing he’d killed two women?
Would she remember she said she
loved him? And if she did, would he
expect him to say it back?
Jace sucked in a breath when he
entered the bedroom, his control
unraveling at the sight that met him.
Terra sat on the bed, her shirt and
pants discarded on the floor. In only her
bra and panties, her lithe body stretched
in the glow of the morning sun. Blonde
hair hung down her back in glossy
waves. Fuck, she was beautiful.
He cleared his throat. “You’re
awake.”
“You have to feel these sheets.” She
ran her hands over the bed, seductively.
“They’re so soft. Everything feels so
much better.”
“It’s the drugs.”
“I’m not drugged anymore.” Terra’s
chin lifted, and she pouted up at him.
“Why don’t you want me?”
“I’ve never said I didn’t want you.”
Jace ran his fingers through his hair.
“Then fight me witch.”
The floor trembled and a photo fell
from the wall.
“Stop that.” Jace moved quickly,
pinning her to the bed. “Do you want to
kill us?”
She squirmed under him, arching
against him. “You feel good. So hard.”
He rested his forehead against hers
to fight for control, his breathing ragged.
“Do you have any fucking idea how
hard it is to resist you?”
“Then don’t.” Arousal flushed her
face. She clenched her legs around his
waist and he let out a low moan.
She’s drugged. She doesn’t know
what she’s doing, he reminded himself.
“Please, it hurts so good,” she
begged, wrapping her arms around his
neck and pulling his mouth towards hers
in a bold, hot kiss.
Despite what he knew was right, his
hands roamed over her body. She
shuddered when he teased one nipple
between his fingers.
The need to touch her, feel every inch
of her silky skin, drove him. Hunger was
like a fever raging inside him, pushing
him forward, demanding more. His
mouth found her nipple, sucking and
licking until she moaned in pleasure.
His body hummed with the tension
and magic building inside him. Raw,
crackling energy.
Shit, what was he doing? He pulled
back, unlocking her arms from around
his neck. “Get some sleep.”
“I’m not tired.” She yawned and
rolled on her side, her eyes heavy. “Stay
with me. We don’t have to kiss
anymore.”
“Trust me, beautiful, if I get back in
that bed with you, there’ll be a hell of a
lot more than kissing going on.”
“Like what?” Her eyes widened and
she grinned devilishly.
He grunted and pulled the heavy
curtains closed. “Don’t worry, Darling, I
plan on showing you. Just not until I
know we won’t bring down an entire
building on top of our heads when we
do.”
Chapter 18
“I thought you said someone was here.”
Mic shone his high power flashlight up
and down the walls of the narrow mine
one last time. His black beauties
sparkled and called to him. Later, my
lovelies.
“They’re supposed to be.”
A bat fluttered overhead and Eddie
jumped beside him.
The man mumbled under his breath
and shuddered.
“Something on your mind?” Mic’s
gaze narrowed. Never trust anyone. Not
even easy-going Eddie. That was the
motto that had kept him alive all these
years.
“Something just feels...off.” He
shifted uncomfortably.
That wasn’t good. Eddie’s instincts
were almost as exact as his own.
Mic exited the cave and his sat-
phone rang as if on cue. Caller ID said it
was from one of the guards he’d left at
his safe house back in Boulder City.
“Talk to me.” He put the phone on
speaker so Eddie could hear.
“Your house is in pieces. You should
have warned us the Fialko brothers were
in town. They torched the place. The
explosion lit up the whole area.
Firefighters are on the scene, and the
local cops are looking for you, Mic, and
asking a lot of questions. They think
someone might’ve died in the explosion.
They even called in the Feds for help.
Found a bullet already and the gun is
registered to you.”
“Dammit. Who was in the house?”
Was it Nicole or his fuck-able daughter?
Nicole was just a disposable piece of
ass, but he had big plans for Terra.
How could he be gone less than sixty
minutes and everything turn to shit?
“Don’t know.”
“I pay you to know these things.”
Mic’s ears burned, his blood pressure no
doubt spiking. “Call me as soon as you
find out anything. Understand? Tell the
cops I’m camping in the desert.
Unreachable. That I’m expected back in
a few days.”
He hung up and called his plant in the
Vegas police force. When he was certain
there would be no repercussions, no
bodies–nothing but an unfortunate gas
leak, he called his cousin, Mattie.
“Get the boys out here. I’ll text the
coordinates...Yeah. All of them…That’s
what I said. No excuses. The clan is
under attack.”
Eddie waited, face expressionless,
and narrowed eyes alert. He knew
enough to shut up. Smart man. Might live
through this.
“Who the hell called you and said
someone was out here?”
The witch’s face paled and his jaw
ticked. “Your new pal, Falcon. Said he
wanted to make things right.”
Mic sent a rockslide crashing down
the hill and raised his voice enough to
scare the piss out of his fuck-up of an
assistant. “I want him dealt with.
Personally. Do you hear me?”
Jumping back, Eddie swallowed
hard and nodded. “Sure thing.”
“Those fucking flame-throwers think
they own the place. Coming here all high
and mighty and messing with stuff they
got no business messing with.” He
pounded his fist against the rock and a
large fissure opened. “How much black
stone did we get out of here so far?”
“About five pounds. Hard to get at it
all. The place falls apart when we dig.
Then we need to shore the walls up,
and–”
“Did I ask for excuses?”
After working for him for ten years,
you’d think the guy would know better.
“No, Sir.”
“I know the Fialkos. They’ll come
out here eventually. Riding their fucking
white horses, swords blazing. When they
do, we’ll be ready.” Mic laughed as he
fingered a piece of black turquoise in his
palm and made the ground tremble. “I
want all of what we got so far brought
here. All of it. You get me? Then, make
sure this place is sealed off. Shut down
the whole area. Gas leak. Radiation. I
don’t care what. Just make it happen. No
witnesses.”
He chuckled, thinking of how he’d
bury them alive…slowly, brutally. Make
them suffer.
“The Fialkos are as good as dead.
Just too stupid to lie down. We’ll wait
for that son of a bitch, Jack, to arrive.
Then we’ll take them down together.”
Eddie’s eyes narrowed, looking a lot
more interested than usual. “How will
you deal with the clan counsel? The
other clans will rise up. You can’t hide
wiping out one of the most powerful
lines on earth.”
“Eddie, Eddie.” Mic smacked his
palm hard on the man’s shoulders.
“You’re thinking too small. With that
black turquoise? We can wipe out all of
the clan leaders, the counsel. No more
censure. Eventually, we will take over
the clans, the economy, the government,
and then, from there, the world.”
His assistant’s face twitched and his
fist clenched ever so slightly.
So that’s how it was? Mic pretended
to laugh and turned. Eddie was dead. He
would’ve killed him now, but first he
needed his sperm.
He went back into the mine, sucking
in the dark energy.
So fucking good. Better than sex.
With the dark energy coursing
through his veins, he could stay up for
days, maybe even weeks, all the while
becoming more potent.
With that much power he would be a
god.
Chapter 19
“Rise and shine.” Jace opened the heavy
curtains with a screech that rivaled chalk
across a blackboard.
The scent of bacon and eggs made
her stomach churn. He placed a tray on
the bed table and showed her the small
alarm clock before moving it aside. Four
in the afternoon? How had that
happened?
“Go away.” She pulled a pillow over
her head and burrowed deeper into the
comforter. The humiliation of throwing
herself at him the night before flooded
through her and she groaned.
“We’ve got a lot to do and you’ve
already slept most of the day away. Get
up. Shower and get dressed. You’ve got
an hour, then we’re heading out.”
“Where?” She peaked out from under
the pillow. Damn. His jeans hugged his
fine ass, and biceps bulged under the
short sleeves of a plain black t-shirt.
“Camping.” Green eyes met hers
from across the room, crinkling at the
edges.
She sat up and noticed she wore a
clean nightshirt. Her cheeks heated as
she imagined him undressing her.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No. We need an open space. I want
to see how strong your powers really
are.” He stopped at the door and
inclined his head, brows raised, and a
wide grin spread across his lush lips.
“Plus, I made a promise that I fully
intend to keep.”
He caught her exasperated sigh and
laughed as he left the room. She threw
the pillow at the closing door.
Adrenaline rushed through her body
at what he was suggesting. Holy hell,
was she really going to do this?
Mate. That was a huge step.
Her body cried out, yes, yes, yes.
Everything about being with Jace
seemed right, but how did she know it
wasn’t just solstice heat? They were
from two completely different worlds.
As different as night and day, or fire and
earth. She smiled at that. What would
their combined powers produce?
She swallowed hard, then flung
herself backwards. That was the only
reason he was doing it. For power. To
protect the turquoise from falling into the
wrong hands. Was that really a reason to
mate with someone?
He didn’t care about her. At least she
didn’t think he did.
Still…
What if it was more? She shook her
head and stood, moving to the shower.
The man had gotten under her skin.
Did he want her the same way she
wanted him? He sometimes acted like he
did, but then...Oh God. He’d rejected her
last night when she’d come on strong.
Obviously, there was no room in his life
for someone like her.
“Face it, Terra,” she said into the full
length mirror. “When it comes to men,
you’re clueless.”
Her head throbbed from all of the
unanswered questions and last night’s
drugs.
She closed her eyes and let the warm
stream of water wash away her
reservations.
Right now, that kind of future wasn’t
what she should be thinking about. She
had to kill Mic. That was a hell of a lot
bigger than whether or not Jace Fialko
could ever love her.
“Shit.” She banged her head softly
against the shower wall, remembering
her admission of love the night before.
What had she been thinking? She
hadn’t, that had been the problem. But
she knew those words hadn’t come from
nowhere. She had feelings for Jace,
whether she liked it or not.
“I don’t even know him,” she
mumbled to herself, even as her body
ached with the need to feel his warm
skin against hers, to have him possess
her in ways she’d never allowed a man
to touch her.
A small moan tore from her lips as
she moved a hand over her breast, the
other between her legs. Her hunger for
him was like a fever burning through her
very soul. It was an agony she’d never
experienced before.
Her body begged for release, for the
pleasure she knew only Jace could
provide.
If this was solstice heat, she didn’t
know how anyone ever denied it.
Saying goodbye would be hard, but
not letting him have his way with her
would be even harder.
Chapter 20
Jace put the truck in park and took a
deep, steadying breath, then glanced
over at Terra whose face was a mask of
calm.
What was she thinking?
Dark, violet mountains loomed in the
distance, surrounding them. They were
alone. No one would disturb them this
far out in the desert.
“Terra, if you don’t–”
“I want to.” Her lush lips turned up
in a small smile, even though her voice
was hesitant.
Blonde hair appeared silver, exotic,
in the full moonlight. Blue eyes
shimmered like dark storm clouds right
before lightning hit.
Damn, she was beautiful.
He wanted her so fiercely that his
heart ached more than his cock.
Slow. I need to go slow.
How could he, when every inch of
his witch DNA screamed fight? Last
time...Last time he was a kid, he
reminded himself. And drunk. And setup
by that bitch, Nicole.
“What’s wrong? Do you not want to
do this?” she asked quietly.
He was fucking things up, but he
couldn’t get that night out of his head.
“More than anything in the world.”
Jace rubbed his temples. “It’s not you.”
Her brows furrowed.
“How much do you remember about
last night?”
“Not much. Things are fuzzy.”
Closing his eyes, he exhaled heavily.
Maybe if he told her everything, she’d
understand. Maybe she wouldn’t. But if
she was going to be mated to him for
life, she deserved to know the truth of
his past.
“Jace?” Her palm rested on his arm,
sending currents of energy coursing
through his body.
“I need to tell you something. About
my past. Once I do, I’ll understand if you
don’t want to do this. I’ll respect your
decision.” He opened his eyes and fell
deep into the pools of blue.
Tilting her head, she said, “Okay…”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve gone
through the mating ritual.”
“You’re mated already?” Her hand
released its tight grip, and he shivered
throughout his entire body.
“No.”
“I don’t understand.”
His fingers scrubbed across his face.
“I was young. Drunk. I didn’t realize
until last night, but Nicole set me up.”
Terra remained quiet, so he
continued.
“The girl’s name was Megan. She
was…beautiful, and she wanted me. It
was the first time I’d ever experienced
solstice heat. I’d been drinking.” He
clenched his fingers around the steering
wheel. “There was no excuse. Even
drunk I should have known. She was a
half-breed, almost powerless. When I
threw the first real blast of energy at
her–”
“Oh, Jace.”
With a shake of his head, he
continued. “She died in my arms. I killed
her. Even knowing now that Nicole was
behind it doesn’t change the fact that I’m
the one that took that girl’s life. Do you
really want to be mated to someone like
that?”
Silence hung heavy around them. He
was almost afraid to look at her.
Terra shifted in the seat beside him.
He didn’t realize what she was doing
until she was straddling him, her hands
resting on the sides of his face. Her lips
brushed against his, once, twice, then
pulled back, tears brimming in her eyes.
“I understand why you hold onto the
guilt. And I also know nothing I can say
will take that away.” She rested her
forehead against his. “But what I do
know is that you’re a good man, and you
didn’t hurt that girl on purpose.”
“Terra, I–”
She kissed him again, harder this
time. When she pulled back, the most
breathtaking smile lit up her face. “Yes. I
want to be mated to you.”
He closed his eyes, inhaling deep as
her words washed over him.
The click of the door, and the warm
rush of desert air made his eyes open.
Terra hopped out of the truck and a
wicked grin spread across her face.
“Are we going to do this or not?”
He laughed, feeling lighter than he
had in years. “Hell yeah, we’re doing
this.”
It took less than fifteen minutes to set
up their tent and start a bonfire. Then, he
laid a heavy blanket on the ground, sat
down, and opened his arms for her to
join him.
The night couldn’t be more perfect.
The air was warm, the moon large and
bright, the only sound was the crackling
of the fire, and noises of the wilderness.
His arms wrapped around her when
she sat down, pulling her close, to meet
his kiss.
“I’m ready,” she whispered against
his mouth.
Shaking at her complete trust in him,
he conjured a ball of energy, and said,
“Put your hands between it.”
When she did, her eyes went black,
her lips parted, and she moaned.
“I feel you. As if you live inside
me.”
He amplified the energy and smiled
when her eyes closed and a small
whimper vibrated in her throat.
“I need to know you. In the same
way.”
“I’m not sure I know how.”
She was earth and he was fire. He
wasn’t sure how her powers worked, but
he had an idea.
“Come here.” He leaned back.
“Straddle me and put one palm to the
ground and one palm to my chest.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she
obeyed. The sides of her inner thighs
gripped his waist, and he moaned.
Sudden thumping of the earth under him
matched his heartbeat, as her essence
entered him.
Sweetness. Pure heaven.
She lowered onto her forearms.
Take her now. His cock screamed at
him as thousands of years of evolution
kicked into play. He sucked in his breath
and tried to keep his talent from frying
them both.
She must’ve felt it too, for the earth
rumbled, and stones flew into the air.
“Oh God. It’s happening. I don’t
know if I can do this. I might hurt you.”
Eyes wide, she jumped off him and
scooted away on hands and knees.
He stood and raked his fingers
across his face, and everything around
him buzzed with energy.
“If you don’t want this, sweet thing,
run, now. Please. I don’t know if I can
stop what’s about to happen.”
His body convulsed as he held back
the energy he needed to throw into her.
Damned if he wasn’t just as scared.
“I want this.” Her eyes met his, she
balled her hand into a fist, and pounded
the ground. The dirt under his feet
disappeared and he fell flat onto his ass.
Between his feet a geyser spurted twenty
feet into the air, drenching him with
warm water.
When he stood back up, his little
witch was grinning. “Did I get you wet?”
“Oh, that’s how it’s going to be?” A
fireball flared in his hand, stoking it with
all the sexual energy he could muster.
“Go for it.”
“Fight me witch.” He threw his
energy at her center.
She fell back and frowned. “That’s
all you got?”
Wow. His ego did a deep dive.
Damn. He needed to up his game. Never
imagined she would be the one
demanding more.
“You can’t be afraid of hurting me or
this won’t work.” She shook the earth
and a two-foot glowing puddle formed
in the ground between them.
Holy hell. Lava pooled from the core
of the earth.
Her eyes glowed red, fully absorbed
by the mating ritual.
The harder he tried to connect to his
mating energy, the more elusive it
seemed. His next blast, even he sensed,
was wimpy.
Her next attack, however, hit the
ground under his feet, and he sunk up to
his neck in loose warm sand. It swirled
around him, making every inch of his
body crave her.
“Are you man enough to take what
you want, Fialko?”
He recognized the ritual phrases. He
knew what to expect. But he couldn’t do
it. Fear held him back. He couldn’t risk
losing her and yet that was exactly what
might happen in the few seconds if he
didn’t give her his everything.
“Say it, Jace. Say you belong to me.”
When he couldn’t respond, the
blazing in her eyes dulled, and tears
welled in the corners.
“Terra. Wait.” At the thought of her
leaving him there, energy surged from
his core like never before, not even with
the black turquoise in his hand. Sand
crackled and burned around him.
Her mouth dropped open, eyes wide.
He forced the swirling sand back
with his heat-energy, and blue flames
shot into the dark. Then thick glass
surrounded the inside of a cylindrical
hole where he was trapped moments
before. He put his hands on the surface
and jumped out, energy snapping around
him. His footsteps in the sand turned to
solid blue crystal.
She stared, his flaming body
reflecting in the dark centers of her eyes.
“You going to fight me or not?” he
said in a hoarse whisper.
She grinned and a boulder from a
nearby hill hurled at him. He set it on
fire to create a meteor that soared across
the sky, then exploded over their heads.
The sparkles lit like the embers of a
firecracker around them. With each drop
of her essence that fell upon his head, he
went crazy wild, like nothing else
mattered, or ever would again.
“Terra.” Shivering uncontrollably, he
reached deep within his soul, the part he
thought had locked away long ago, and
added it to the energy ball that flamed in
his palm. Would she run or embrace his
pain? He released it like a bucket of
water over her head.
She closed her eyes and gasped. Her
chest expanded toward the sky with her
arms outstretched.
Tears ran down her cheeks. She
pulled him to her body, and wrapped her
legs around his waist when he lifted her
against him.
Surrounded by their mixed energy, he
laid her upon the sand. It trembled and
turned soft.
He could feel her. Her soul opened
to him, and he embraced it with his
entire essence.
Pure. Sweet. Tangible. Emotion.
He found her mouth and devoured
her. She tasted of honey and hope.
“Say it.” She fumbled with his jean’s
button, released him, and surrounded his
cock with her fingers. She pulsed a
tremor into him, and grinned up at him.
Holy hell.
Unwilling to remove her hand, he
used his power to dissolve her clothes
into ashes.
“Oh my God.” Wide eyes glanced
down at her naked body, then back up at
him. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Neither did I,” he chuckled. “But
it’s convenient.”
The beautiful sound of her laughter
filled the desert.
She fell back as he kissed down her
body. A soft moan escaped her lips. She
started to close her legs when he moved
between them.
“Jace?”
“Let me taste you.” He placed his
palm over her soft, wet mound, and
pulsated a gentle heat into her.
With a little whimper, she opened
wide for him and the ground under them
rumbled.
His tongue stroked against her
swollen, sensitive folds. He slipped one
finger inside, and her hips jerked up to
meet his touch, begging for more.
He had longed for this moment, but
nothing could have prepared him for the
torrent of emotions that filled him.
Lust. Love. Did it matter? She was
his.
Her juices gathered, saturating his
finger and tongue. Fuck, she tasted like
heaven.
A wail tore from her lips, and her
body jerked against his mouth as her
pleasure ripped through her body.
“Jace.”
“I’m here.”
“I need–”
“I know.” He crawled up, kissed her,
and eased into her slowly.
A small barrier tore, and a pained
cry left her lips.
Fuck.
He gritted his teeth, not daring to
hardly breathe. How the hell had he
missed the signs?
Rational brain fought cock and inner
cavemen as he searched his memories
for some article, something, anything that
described what he should do next. He’d
never breached a virginal lining before.
“Are you alright?” he asked, holding
himself above her.
“I don’t think we fit.” There were
tears in her eyes. She tried to scoot from
underneath him.
“Just a sec, Honey. Don’t move. I got
this.” He reached his hand between
them, found her nub, and caressed her
until she squirmed and mewed.
“That better?” He nipped at her
bottom lip.
“Oh, God, yes.” She rocked against
him, allowing him to penetrate even
deeper.
“Mine,” he growled into her kiss.
“My mate.”
“Yes.” Her gaze locked on him. His
own hunger and need reflected in the
brilliant blue depth.
“Say it.”
“Jace.” Her pelvis lifted high, she
moaned, creaming and wanting. “My
mate.”
He only had to touch her swelling
bud and she cried out, her body
quivering around his cock.
A geyser shot out of the earth nearby.
Sprinkles of warm water washed over
them as she pulsed repeatedly against his
hand, her breathing rough and irregular.
She made love to him as water from the
geyser pooled beneath them. His hands
slid over her slick, muddy body and
cupped her firm ass.
Mine. His inner caveman grinned as
she rode with him into the sweetest
agony he’d ever known. Unable to do
anything else, he met her each time she
arched.
His body screamed for release. He
held on tight to take what he needed and
thrust hard until he met the back of her
womb.
Flames burst all around as he
shouted out, “My mate!”
Mine.
Forever.
He came apart in her arms. Electric
heat sizzled between them. His own
breaths became moans. She matched his
cry of ecstasy as he exploded, spilling
himself inside of her.
The ground opened, and they sunk a
few inches.
“Sorry.” She giggled, breathlessly.
Without hardly a thought, he moved
the dirt back in place with his new
power.
A perfect match. Somehow he
wasn’t surprised.
A sweet smile spread across her
smudged face and his cock stirred, still
inside her. The champagne and picnic
would have to wait. Damn if they
weren’t going to do it all over again.
Chapter 21
Barefoot, and once again in the service
elevator at the Vdara, Terra tugged down
on the huge hoodie. Her summer dresses
showed a lot more leg, the difference
was she wore nothing on underneath.
“You shouldn’t have burned my
clothes.”
“You shouldn’t have turned the desert
into a mud bath.” His eyes crinkled
when he gave her that cute look.
She couldn’t stop grinning. “It was
worth it.”
“Yes it was.” He lifted her off her
feet, pushed her against the elevator
wall, and his breath warmed her ears.
Heat raced to the parts of her body that
still ached where he’d touched her.
Snuggling closer, she put her muddy
face into his neck, and laughed into the
strong flesh. When the elevator door
pinged open, hand in hand they raced
down the long hall. Jace pulled a wet
wallet out of his pants and held it in
front of her face.
“You did this.” He swiped the key
card that appeared from out of the wet
wallet.
When she reached out to push open
the door, a warm hand covered hers. His
intense gaze made her want to turn back
to the desert and make love until the sun
came up.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked.
Okay? No. She was way better than
okay. She’d never felt so alive in all her
life. The connection between them was
something she’d never dared to dream
of, more than she’d ever known was
even possible.
With a little nod, she said, “I’m
good.”
He opened his mouth as if to say
something more, then stopped, grinned,
and entered the suite’s foyer.
“You look like shit.” A man so
resembling Jace that it had to be his
brother glanced up from a laptop. Light
brown eyes lit up with humor. “What the
hell happened to you two?”
Terra tucked her chin into the hoodie,
unable to meet his curious stare.
“Making a hot geyser spurt all over
the fucking desert.” Smirking, Jace put a
thumb under her chin, and planted a
claiming kiss.
Once she came up for air, she stared,
opened mouthed. Did he seriously just
say that?
“Shit. Josh was right. I didn’t believe
him.” The man stood, his face breaking
into a wide smile.
Jace let go of her face and said, “It
was fucking unbelievable. I turned sand
into glass under the solstice moon. Even
kept a footstep to prove it.”
“I’m going to have a shower,” Terra
muttered. She stopped at the small
fridge, thankful for a tuna sandwich.
“Wait.” Jace grabbed her hand and
winced. “Sorry. I should have
introduced you. Terra this is my brother,
Jack.”
The man gave her a lopsided grin
and held out a small match-like flame in
front of his hand. “Welcome to the
family.”
Family.
She hadn’t really thought of that.
Being mated to Jace meant she was now
part of the Fialko clan. They were her
family. How long had it been since she’d
heard that word and felt like she
belonged? Her heart warmed as she
added her own foreign-feeling flame,
and shook. “Thanks.”
The back bedroom door opened and
Josh exited with hair matted, chin
darkened with stubble. His shirt was
untucked, eyes bloodshot. Her chest
tightened in sympathy.
Jace inhaled audibly. He hadn’t
spoken about it, but she knew he was
holding onto the guilt of what happened
with Nicole. She could see it in his eyes,
in the tension on his face.
“I just got off the phone with
Nicole’s family. Apparently she told her
sister something about her plans with
Mic.” Josh sat down on the arm of the
plush brown couch and dug palms into
his dark eye sockets. “They want me to
go down to the police station later today
and file a missing person’s report.”
“Probably smart.” Jack moved
across the small living area and placed a
hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Once
they do a DNA test on the body, they’ll
be able to trace her back to you. Better
to look like the grieving husband, then–”
Josh slapped away the attempt at
comfort. “I am the fucking grieving
husband.”
Jack jumped back with palms up. “I
know. I didn’t mean–”
“I know what you meant.”
“I’m going to get cleaned up.” Terra
touched Jace’s arm, then started toward
the master bedroom.
The brothers continued to talk, then
Jace spoke softly. “If there was any other
way… I couldn’t let her kill you. It had
to be fast to cha-”
“Did I say I blamed you?” Josh’s
voice cracked.
“You didn’t have to. I’m so fucking
sorry.”
“I know.”
Terra opened the door, and looked
over her shoulder. All three brothers
embraced, foreheads together, and arms
around each other’s backs.
Jack was the first to let go, with an
arm swiping over his red eyes. “It’s time
to make him pay.”
Yes, they would. For
everything.
Terra closed the door slowly, and a
tear rolled down her cheek.
With a giant knot lodged in her
throat, she managed to finish her meager
meal, then started a long, hot shower.
Pulsing jets of pure heaven massaged her
aching body. It took three shampoos
before the water ran clear. Even then,
she stayed until her fingers pruned.
Closing her eyes, she rested her
forehead and palms against the shower
wall.
She was mated.
It still didn’t feel real. And yet at the
same time, it was the most alive she’d
ever felt.
With a heavy sigh, she turned the
water off.
No longer was she just Earth. Fire
power surged through her body, through
her veins, heating her core, and making
everything seem more vibrant.
She stepped out of the tub and held
out her hand. A small fireball appeared,
swirling with red and orange magic.
The power that raced through her
body hummed with an intensity that
begged to be released. Together, she and
Jace had only touched upon the potential
of that power. How much stronger would
it be combined with the dark turquoise?
She closed her fist on the flame, and
the energy flowed back into her body.
Her mind raced with the possibilities
as she dressed in the new clothes laid
out for her. She could finally put an end
to Mic’s reign. Defeat the man who had
destroyed her mother.
A shiver ran down her spine and she
sat down heavily on the end of the bed.
Mic may have been the one who
forced her mother into hiding, but he
wasn’t the person responsible for ending
her life. Terra had someone much closer
to blame for that.
Placing her face in her hands, she let
out a long, uneven breath. God, what
would Jace think if he knew?
She hadn’t been lying when she told
him she understood his guilt.
The difference was, what she’d done
hadn’t been an accident. One stupid
adolescent temper tantrum had killed the
only person she’d ever truly cared about.
There were no excuses. No one to blame
but herself.
No. That wasn’t entirely true. She
had Mic to blame. If her mother hadn’t
been forced to run from the man, Terra
would have been raised with other
witches who understood the kind of
power she could harness. She would’ve
learned to control the power.
Maybe, because she was now mated,
for the first time it dawned on Terra. Her
mother was partially to blame as well.
She’d never let Terra practice her skills.
She’d acted as if Terra was a low level
half-breed, instead of the product of two
of the most powerful witches on earth.
Terra shook her head. It wasn’t her
mom’s fault either. She’d never truly
recovered from the rape. Again, it was
all Mic’s doing. He’d pay for everything
he’d done, and Terra would make sure
he never hurt anyone else again.
A small tremor shook the whole
building. Shit. With her eyes shut tight,
she tried to stop the agitation from
growing within.
The bedroom door burst open.
“What’s wrong?” Brows furrowed,
Jace raced toward her, knelt and took
her hands in his.
“Nothing…” She shook her head as
the Vdara swayed sickeningly. “I was
just thinking.”
“You need to keep it contained. The
building–”
“You think I don’t know that?” She
tugged her hands free and stood. “I’m
trying.”
“Hey.” His fingers caressed her
shoulders as he turned her into his arms.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Nothing. I just want to get this over
with. The sooner Mic is gone, the
better.”
He held her an arm’s length away
and studied her. “We’re going after the
black turquoise. That’s our first priority.
Once we have it secured, we’ll bring
Mic to justice in front of the Council.”
“You’re going to let him live?” She
couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping
open.
A hand raked through his still muddy
hair. “We can’t just go around killing
people. There are rules.”
Her voice came out an octave higher,
despite her best effort. “Rules? And
what about Nicole? Your rules didn’t
stop you from blasting her, and she
didn’t do half the shit Mic has done”
She was sorry the moment the words
came out of her mouth.
His mouth went thin and he shook his
head slowly back and forth. “I can’t
believe you just said that.”
“I’m really sorry. I’m just so angry.”
She touched a palm to his cheek. He
turned his head into it, and kissed.
“It’s been a long day and neither one
of us is thinking clearly. If we have to
use excessive force on Mic and his men
we will, but–”
“When are we leaving?”
His brows furrowed. “You’re not
going with us.”
“What?” Hairs on the back of her
neck stood on end.
“You’re my mate. It’s my job to
protect you. Even if you weren’t, I’m not
letting you go into danger.” His jaw
ticked, like she was learning it did when
he was really angry.
A long life of being bossed around
by her new mate flashed for a second in
her mind’s eye. Her out-of-control mouth
continued, “The only reason we mated
was to combine powers, to fight him
together.”
Jace winced. “I hope that’s not the
only reason.”
“Of course not.” She ground her back
teeth and glared up at him with stubborn
determination. “But you will take me
with you.”
“It’s not just you I’m worried about.”
He stared pointedly at her belly. “You
have to remember that there’s a good
chance you’re pregnant.”
Terra’s stomach muscles tightened
and all the blood drained from her head.
Shit, shit, shit. How could she have
forgotten? Mating during solstice almost
always guaranteed conception.
A bit shaky, she paced the short
length between the two queen beds in the
room.
Damn it. The whole thing was a
complicated mess.
Pregnant with Jace Fialko’s baby.
She closed her eyes and tried to
contain the anxiety from spilling out in a
wave of power.
“Terra.” His hands went back to her
shoulders, rubbing gently. “Everything is
going to work out. I promise.”
Things would only turn out right if
she got rid of Mic. She had to. For her.
For her baby. And for Jace. That much
she was sure of.
“You have to let me go with you.
Please. What if–”
“No.” His voice held command, the
underlying tension audible. “You’re not
going. If anything happened to you, I’d
never forgive myself.” His hands
threaded into her clean hair, and pulled
at the tangles.
“And what if something happens to
you?” She shook her head free and
sighed.
The bedroom door opened and Jack
poked his head around it. “Sorry to
interrupt. We just got word that Mic and
his men are at the mine. We need to go.”
“Promise me you’ll stay here. I mean
it.” Jace’s eyes sparked with warning.
“Unless you’d like to explain away a
sinkhole the size of six city blocks, I am
going with you.”
A deep frown sunk to a perfected
glower. “Fine. I don’t have time to
argue. But you will stay in the car.”
She shot him a triumphant smirk with
raised eyebrows. Then, a pair of flip-
flops sufficed for shoes and she raced
with the men down to the garage. She
ignored the disapproving looks of the
other well-dressed occupants, coming
from the tables.
Whatever. The truly high stakes
tonight are in the desert.
Chapter 22
Low enough that all his men felt the need
to duck, an unnatural meteor sliced the
night sky, momentarily illuminating
cactus and sand. A rumble sounded in
the distance, and the ground shifted
beneath Mic’s feet.
Fuck-it-all-to hell. His slut daughter
and the flame-thrower had to be rutting
under the full moon.
Not much time left.
In the mine, the generator hummed
while twelve lesser witches used old-
fashioned picks at the vein of turquoise.
One large rock fell to the floor and a
man squatted to pick it up without
gloves.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Mic backhanded him. “I told you not to
touch it.”
The whole process was taking too
long. He tapped his foot, paced, and
even picked up a shovel, and began
piling stones into a wheelbarrow. He
dragged it outside and trotted it down the
hill.
There Eddie paced, shouting into a
sat-phone. “...No! Not now. Thirty
minutes ago. I don’t care…Yeah? Well
find another driver without speeding
tickets. Do I need to wipe your ass as
well?” He hung up and shook his head.
“The mining equipment is still a couple
hours away. We’ll need to get what we
can by hand and clear out.”
“We’re not going anywhere.” Mic
seethed. “I want that turquoise. All of it.
What are you afraid of?” He pointed to
the pile of rough-cut gems. “Pick one up,
try it out.”
Eddie backed away. “Nah, I believe
you, Mic. It’s just–”
“I said pick it up and try it out. It
wasn’t a suggestion.”
Since when had Eddie grown a set?
That would not do. Not do at all.
Frowning, Eddie picked up a sliver
of black stone.
“Bigger, damn it.” Mic glowered and
his right hand clenched into a fist as he
pictured pummeling the man.
Eddie’s eyes narrowed and the
ground rumbled. “Listen Mic, you need
someone to keep watch.”
“You going to fight me on this? Think
you will win?” He walked over,
grabbed a two-pound chunk and put it
into Eddie’s hands. “Take it.”
The guy hesitated for a moment, then
took the stone. His eyes rolled back, and
the ground underneath shook in a quake.
“Feel it course through your veins,
take you over, become one with it.”
Mic’s cock hardened and the need to
hold his own black gem became as
addicting as crack.
While Eddie caressed his stone,
higher than a kite, Mic did the same.
Visions came to him, like that one night
he’d shared peyote with the old healer.
That night he’d realized he was a hawk,
a predator, and those weaker than him
existed only to feed his young…his clan.
He was born to bring Brasmatia back
to greatness. No longer would his proud
clan work small mines, or worse, as
minions for the energy companies.
Brasmatia would be great again. His
daughter’s offspring would see to it.
Generations of Brasmatia’s would
come to own the earth. His rightful heirs.
Had he not searched the whole of the
country to find the one woman that
would augment his power? Had he not
sacrificed to be mated with that virgin
bitch?
He cursed. Solstice mating had left
him aching forever, for a witch, long
dead. No matter how much he fucked, it
was never as good.
In his mind, his hawk soared,
swooped, and talons sunk into flesh. He
would destroy his enemies one by one.
“Mr. Luggerio? I think you need to
come up here.”
The voice pulled him out of his
dream-like state and he glanced at his
smartphone. Midnight? How the hell had
that happened? Hours had passed while
he’d been caught up in the stone’s
power.
Out in the desert, Eddie conversed
with a cactus while sitting cross-legged
and rubbing the turquoise where he’d
unbuttoned his fly.
“Eddie. Get the fuck over here.”
The words came out so slurred that it
shocked him into dropping the stone by
his feet. Damn, he wanted more so bad
he ached. He stepped on the stone, and
the high was enough to keep him going.
For now. He’d need more later.
He shivered with anticipation of
bathing in a pile of the gems, infusing the
dark energy into his being.
Up the hill, his men sat sleeping or
messed up. The turquoise was as
addictive as cocaine, and his men were
getting just as high as if they’d snorted
the stuff.
He kicked the stone out of the hands
of the closest drooling idiot. Then,
kicked again, hitting ribs. “Get up.”
The guy woke, eyes glassy, and
nodded. He crawled onto his hands and
knees, and used the cave wall to stand.
“Get everyone out of here. Send them
home.”
“Sure, Mr. Luggerio.” The man
staggered, then began shaking the others.
Cars roared away. He alone, would
stay to enjoy the high.
The stones made his mind race. He’d
made one serious miscalculation. He
should’ve gotten humans to work the
mines. He’d make some calls in the
morning and dig out the rest of the black
turquoise. He grinned. No doubt, a
terrible cave-in would ensue, killing off
any witnesses to what lay within.
Pleased at his decision, he decided
to re-enter his hawk dream, but the roar
of a vehicle made him exit the mine.
A violet tornado-like energy whirled
around a white truck parked below.
He had to shake his head to make
sure he wasn’t hallucinating. But no, two
of the Fialko brothers exited the truck,
the third was no doubt hiding under the
tarp in the back.
No matter. He scrambled up the hill,
over the mouth of the mine, to the very
top. From there, he put a palm to the
ground and focused all his new power.
His cock hardened. The ground shook,
rocks tumbled down the hill, and a giant
sinkhole appeared.
Mic’s grin halted midway when the
gap in the desert closed up like a zipper.
The truck merely bobbed up and down.
That dirty little bitch had mated?
Shared his clan’s power? With the
Iesco’s, no less. Years of careful
planning all gone to shit.
He screamed himself hoarse, “Dead.
You hear me? You’re all dead.”
More turquoise. He would need
much more to deal with them.
“Dead men walking,” he muttered
when he reached the center of the cave.
Large stones nearly hit him, as they
dropped from overhead. Ignoring them,
Mic used his anger to gather the cave’s
power to him. Black gems sparkled. He
grinned, upped his power, and the
generator exploded, leaving him in
glowing black light.
Footsteps sounded from the cave
entrance. It was the leader of the Iesco
clan, Jack, who had the balls to step
forward.
Shimmering inside the violet vortex-
shield, Jack said, “It’s over. You need to
come with us.”
“Sorry boys. You’ve got it all
wrong.” He squatted with his hands to
the ground. When the cave began to fall
apart all around them, the men’s faces
turn from all-balls to fear.
“Stop! Mic. That’s enough.”
What the hell? His blond bitch-
spawn entered the cave as if she owned
the place. The Fialko brothers looked
just as surprised as he was by her
presence.
Momentarily stunned, power seeped
out of his body. My high? Where did it
go?
He gritted his teeth and clenched his
palms. “This cave is mine!”
“No.” She produced two matching
flames, one in each palm. “It’s mine.”
“Terra, no!” The witch who’d mated
with her stepped in front, holding a
spinning pool of lava.
Jack kept the shield going, but it was
lessening in intensity. He had to be
getting tired by now.
Mic chuckled and decided to bide
some time.
“Let my dear daughter talk. You want
to, Honey, don’t you? You know your
daddy loves you. If your bitch of a
mother hadn’t stolen you away from me,
we’d be a family. We can still be a
family.”
“You’re a bastard. I’ll kill you for
what you did to my mom. What you did
to me.” She shook off her mate and
stepped out into the clearing, just as he
knew she would. “You need to let me do
this, Jace. For me. For us.”
The cave rocks glowed as Mic let
her take control. Her eyes opened wide
and the high sunk into her veins. In just a
few more seconds, she’d be hooked.
The leader with the vortex shouted,
“Get her out of here.”
Mic hadn’t counted on her flame-
throwing mate getting hooked, but his
eyes grew glassy as well. Perfect.
“Jace. Dammit, bro. Snap out of it. I
can’t hold onto this much longer.”
The younger Iesco’s eyes cleared,
then his brows furrowed. He picked up
the girl by the waist while she kicked,
clawed, and bit like a wild animal.
Steaming, Mic put both hands to the
floor. He’d bury them. Bury them all.
Stones fell all about and the three fell to
their knees as the cave floor broke into
nothingness. With one final furious burst
of energy, he blasted the cave into bits
and pieces.
His last thought was, “I won.”
Chapter 23
Dust and debris burned Jace’s eyes, and
clogged his throat. He coughed and
collapsed on the hard ground, panting.
“Everyone here?”
Josh moaned an acknowledgment and
Jack stood, rolling his shoulders and
nodded.
Terra lay on her back beside him, her
eyes still glassy, staring up at the night
sky. A giant mound of rubble lay beside
her.
“Hey, you okay?” Brushing his
knuckles across her cheek, Jace sent a
small burst of energy into her body. She
needed a healer, but it would have to do
for now.
“Mic? Is he...” Terra blinked up at
him, blue eyes still unfocused.
“The mine collapsed on him. There’s
no way he survived.” As the dust
cleared, the Rockies materialized behind
the now missing hilltop.
With a small nod, she sat cross-
legged, her face emotionless.
“My mine. It’s gone.”
“I know.” Jace kissed the top of her
head, stood, and brushed himself off.
“We need to get that turquoise to a
secure location.”
“Josh and I will drive the trucks back
to the hotel.” Jack glanced over at Terra,
who now had arms wrapped around her
legs, staring blankly at the collapsed
mine. “You know what this means for
her? For you.”
Jace exhaled roughly and ran his
hands through his hair. He knew exactly
what it meant, but he doubted she did.
“Mic’s men heard him acknowledge
her as his daughter.” Jack’s face was
tight, eyes dark with concern as he
explained, no doubt for her benefit. “As
his only child, she’s the next in line for
clan leader.”
“She’ll be expected to fight for it.
Prove her place.” Jace kicked at the dirt
with the toe of his boot. They both
would. As her mate, he would be
expected to lead beside her.
“I’m sitting right here. I can hear
you.” She glared up at them.
Jack tilted his head, then motioned
him around the new top of the hill,
searching for signs that Mic had
survived. “With your combined powers,
she’ll be strong enough.”
There’s no way in hell Jace wanted
her leading a bunch of gangsters, but he
nodded nonetheless. His chest
constricted when he squatted on his
heels and put a hand onto a pile of earth.
No tremors. No nothing. Mic had to be
dead.
His brother shot him a grin. “You
already care about her.”
“She’s a pain in the ass. Stubborn as
fucking hell, but yeah, she’s gotten under
my skin.”
“Some weekend getaway.” Jack’s
grin widened.
Jace huffed out a laugh, afraid to
believe the worst was truly over. “No
shit.”
One chance encounter with a feisty
little witch and his entire world had
flipped on its axis.
Mated.
Leader of a clan.
Damn.
“Take Terra back to the hotel. I’ll
deal with this shit.” Jack patted Jace on
the shoulder. “I’ll call you when we’ve
got things sorted out.”
“Thanks.” He trotted back to where
Terra still sat, watching them, with both
hands dug into the dirt.
Fuck, she was beautiful. Her hair had
slipped free of the ponytail she wore,
and hung in long golden waves down her
back. Her face was smeared with dirt,
but it only reminded him of their time
alone in the desert.
He cursed his responsive cock.
She’d disobeyed him. Gone against his
orders. He should be fucking pissed, but
all he wanted to do was scoop her up in
his arms and make her his again.
“Let’s go,” he said a bit too sharply.
“Where?” She blinked up at him,
blue eyes finally clear.
“Home.” Because whether he liked it
or not, that was where he was now.
Chapter 24
He’d been silent the whole way home,
the tension as thick as the dust they’d left
behind. Despite his command that she
sleep, she was too wired.
“I know you’re mad at me, but–”
“Mad doesn’t even begin to describe
what I’m feeling.” Jace slammed the
suite door behind them and stalked
towards the bar.
“I had every right to be there.” She
kicked her shoes off and stretched.
The rising sun in the plate glass
window cast long blue shadows over the
Vegas skyline, contrasting with the
orange sky. Behind that, the ever-present
mountains towered over the desert like
sentries.
Jace slammed his glass on the bar.
“I’m trying to keep you safe.”
She escaped his wrath by heading
toward the bedroom.
Heavy footsteps followed behind
her.
She shrugged her shirt over her head
and tossed it on the bed, too tired to
argue.
“What are you doing?”
“Having a shower. Want to join me?”
“We’re having a discussion. You
can’t just–” He groaned when she
shuffled out of her pants and opened the
bathroom door.
Stepping into the shower, she turned
the complex faucet. A myriad of
waterspouts shot forth from of the wall.
As expected, a second later he was
behind her, his hard body pressed
against her back, his lips nuzzling her
ear.
“You’re a tease.” Strong arms
wrapped around her, one hand gently
squeezed her nipple, and the other
slipped down between her legs.
Desire spiraled through her. She
arched back, pressing her ass against the
hard ridge of his cock. He pushed two
fingers inside of her and she moaned.
When she rocked back against him,
his fingers delved deeper.
“I’m still upset with you,” he said
with his sexy voice.
“I know.” Her eyes closed at the
growing pleasure.
His clever tongue trailed down her
damp neck, playing in the creases. “You
taste like pure fucking perfection.”
She turned in his arms, needing more
than he was giving her, and braced her
feet against the ceramic. His soft lips
covered hers and his large hands
bracketed her hips.
A low growling sounded in the back
of his throat.
“I nearly lost it when I saw you there
tonight. Promise me you won’t put
yourself or our child in danger again.”
“You don’t know for sure that I’m
pregnant.” What would she do if she
was?
“You are, and you changed the
subject.” His hand roamed up her back,
tangling in her hair. The air around them
filled with want and need. “Promise
me.”
Her skin prickled at his touch. So
hot. He shot a small blast of energy into
her and her knees nearly buckled. The
musky, male scent of him filled her
senses, making her dizzy. And when he
looked down at her with those green,
piercing eyes, her body seemed to sizzle
out of control.
“I promise,” she whispered against
his lips.
“Good.” His cock, hot and hard,
throbbed against her stomach. His
desire, so intense, it heated her skin.
When his thumb stroked across her
nipple, it sent electric pulses of desire
racing through her body. She ran her
hands down his chest, across his hard
abs.
The shower rattled as Brasmatia
energy slipped unbidden from her.
“You need to control it.” His mouth
brushed over hers, then down her neck.
“Instead of releasing the power, draw it
into yourself, then share it with me.”
Damn, she’d never thought of that
before. Was it even possible?
She sucked in a breath and
concentrated on pulling the energy back
into herself. Jace’s mouth found her taut
nipple at the exact moment, and she had
to grip his shoulders to keep from
collapsing.
A shiver raced up her spine, and
despite the warm water that pelted
against them, goosebumps broke out
across her skin.
“That’s it,” he murmured, as his
fingers slipped between her thighs.
She moaned and arched against him.
“So good.”
“And it can be so much better.” He
smirked, then in a heartbeat, had her
pinned against the shower wall. The
head of his cock pressed teasingly
against her entrance. “Hold on.”
The anticipation of having him inside
her was almost too much to bear. She
wrapped her arms around his neck, her
fingers tangling in his hair.
Her leg lifted, he spread open her
thighs, and eased inside of her.
There was no initial pain this time.
Just the incredible sensation of his long,
thick cock stretching her. It was all she
could do not to completely unravel in his
arms.
He withdrew, then thrust into her,
deeper than before. She moaned and
moved with him as he increased his
pace. Pleasure crashed through her like a
tidal wave, and her body throbbed with
the need for release.
His rhythm became more and more
demanding. He pushed harder, faster,
forcing her closer to the edge.
When the sensation grew to more
than she could bear, she arched her back
and cried out with pleasure. She
exploded and jolted around him. Jace’s
body tensed and he drove into her one
last time, holding himself deep inside of
her as he found his own release.
Unable to stand, they both sunk
slowly into the tub. Terra rested her head
on his chest, and listened to the sound of
their erratic breathing as it slowed to a
steady cadence, savoring the warmth of
his body.
“I like showering with you,” she
murmured.
He laughed and kissed the top of her
head. “I like a lot of things with you.”
She moaned in protest when he
turned off the water. “It’s cold.”
“I’ll warm you up.” He nuzzled his
nose against her ear, and scooped her up
in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom.
Laying her in the huge bed, he lowered
himself between her legs, already hard
again. “I’ll keep you warm all day and
all night long.”
Chapter 25
Jace held his cell to his ear with his
shoulder while buttoning his shirt. He
glanced at Terra who sat on the bed,
brushing through the tangles in her
blonde hair. Exhausted, they’d slept most
of the daylight away.
“I’m loading the turquoise on the
plane now,” Jack said through the
phone’s speaker.
“Good. And Josh?”
“He needs to stay and sort out the
details with Nicole’s family. Touch base
with him when you can. He’s not doing
so well.”
“No. I would imagine not.” Jace
pinched the bridge of his nose. What a
fucking mess.
“I’m sending you everything I have
on the Brasmatia clan. The sooner Terra
meets with them the better.”
“She’s not going to like it.”
Terra glanced up at him, frowning,
and mouthed, “I hear you.”
“At least she’ll have you by her
side,” Jack said.
Always. But Jace wondered how
much that really mattered to her. Despite
everything they’d been through, she was
still holding a piece of herself back. He
could feel it, as if there was a tiny piece
of him that wasn’t quite whole.
Was she regretting mating herself to
him?
Jack interrupted his thoughts. “I’ll
call you when I land.”
“Have a safe flight.” Jace hung up his
cell, and stuck it in his back pocket.
“What won’t I like?” Terra asked,
her brows drawn down. She jumped off
the bed and headed toward the smells of
Vdara’s breakfast special.
He followed her to the bar and
scooted a stool under her fine ass.
“We need to go and meet with the
Brasmatia clan.”
The heavenly scent of coffee wafted
as she poured two cups. He made a
mental note. Three creams, no sugar, for
her. She raised her eyebrows at him,
waiting for his preference.
“That’s fine. Black.” The hot coffee
warmed on the way down. Soon the rush
of caffeine would follow.
She frowned and slurped noisily.
“Why?”
“Hmm?”
Not bothering with utensils, her
fingers stole a round sausage from the
serving tray and took a bite.
“Why do we need to meet with
Brasmatia?”
It was hard to take his eyes off her as
he loaded his plate with eggs and bacon.
“With Mic dead, you’re the next
viable option for clan leader.”
She frowned and then grabbed a half
slice of toast. Abruptly, she put it down
on a small plate, opened four miniscule
packets of jam, and dumped them on top.
Despite the abundance of knives, she
slathered it with her index finger,
popped it in her mouth, and licked her
fingers.
Her eating was as wild as her love
making, and for a moment, he lost his
train of thought.
He tried to regather the threads of the
conversation, and said, “You’re his only
child. His men heard him admit it. Not
that anyone would question you once
they’ve seen your powers.”
“No.” She shook her head.
“No, what?”
“I don’t want anything to do with
them.”
Jace scooped up a forkful of
scrambled eggs, and said after
swallowing, “Just because Mic was bad,
doesn’t mean they all are. They’re your
family.”
“I’ve done fine without them up to
now.” The look that crossed her face
made his insides turn–so vulnerable, yet
so full of pain.
“Maybe it’s them that need you.” He
scooted her stool close so he could hug
her.
Snuggling, she murmured into his
chest, “I don’t know anything about
being a leader. And what if they don’t
want me?”
“I’ll be with you every step of the
way. No matter what happens.” He gave
her a squeeze, then handed her a glass of
orange juice. Babies needed vitamin C
to grow.
“You’re ready to move here? What
about your home?” The look on her face
was dubious.
“You’re my mate and you’re needed
here. From now on, where you are is my
home.” When the cat purred at his feet,
he scooped to pick it up.
She frowned and played with her
toast. Not the reaction he was hoping for.
He put the cat down, and it scooted
away with a slice of bacon in its jaw.
Purring just out of reach, it licked its
paws and stared.
“I get that this whole thing has been a
bit of a whirlwind, but we’ll make this
work.”
“You’d really be willing to move
here?”
Big sad eyes glanced up at him. How
could he make her understand that she
was his whole world?
“Yes.” He cupped her face in his
hands and brushed his lips over hers.
She closed her eyes and let out a
long, slow breath. God, what he
wouldn’t give to get into her head and
know what she was thinking.
“We can make a life here.” He ran a
hand over her flat belly, where he was
certain his child already grew. “Raise a
family.”
She chewed on her bottom lip,
frowning.
“If you want something different–”
“No.” She shook her head, but the
line between her brows didn’t
disappear. “It’s just a lot to take in.
Everything’s happened so fast.”
Dark circles marred her pale face,
reminding him of all the shit she’d gone
through. Alone in the desert for years,
most would’ve had a harder time coping.
But Terra was strong. He’d give her that.
Damn. This was falling in love. The
revelation made his chest hurt and his
heart beat erratically in his chest. But
looking into her eyes, he could tell she
was still holding back from him.
“What’s wrong?” He ran his thumb
across her cheek, begging her with his
eyes to open up to him.
“Nothing.” She glanced down and
stared into her mug of coffee.
She was lying, but he wouldn’t push
it. They had time. Eventually she would
trust him, and he would do everything in
his power to make certain of it.
He kissed her forehead and released
her. There was still so much to be done.
“I need to go out for a couple of
hours. Josh is on his way to the Police
Station and wants me to meet him there.
Promise me you won’t leave the room.”
She gave a small nod.
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Good.” He pulled her to him and
kissed her hard on the mouth. “I’ll have
security post a guard at the door–”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I don’t care. I’m not taking any
chances.”
The last thing he wanted to do was
leave her. Hell, he’d spend every last
moment in bed with her if he could, but
there were things to do, and with Mic
gone, she was safe.
Chapter 26
Mic crawled out of his burrow, lay on
his stomach, and squinted into the
morning sun. His body ached all over,
but mostly his right leg. He reached into
his jacket pocket, pulled out his sat-
phone, and called Eddie.
Ring, no answer, not even a machine.
Traitor.
He scrolled through his contacts,
found the number for the sniveling kid,
Falcon, and tapped. After four rings, the
healer answered. “M-M-Mic?”
“Yeah, kid. I’m a mile back from the
wreckage, on the south side. You need to
come get me. Now.”
Silence met him on the other end.
“You there, Falcon?”
Finally, the kid said, “Ye-Yeah. I’ll
be there.”
“You better be.”
Behind him, about a quarter mile
back, a hill of rubble stood where the
vein of black turquoise had been all but
destroyed. From this distance, he
couldn’t make out the faces that
wandered up and down. He didn’t
recognize any of the vehicles, either.
Probably fucking flame-throwers.
Where are my men? Eddie?
Did they all double-cross him?
Planning to take over his leadership?
Get the black gold?
It didn’t matter. Earth power was all
over the world. With the enticement of
the powerful turquoise, his clan would
quadruple in size in no time.
He’d convince the righteous snobs in
the clan council that the Fialko’s had
come onto his turf and declared war.
They tried to kill him, didn’t they? He
had plenty of witnesses, and could buy a
few more.
And they stole what rightfully
belonged to him.
Mine.
The turquoise was his. He’d kill
every last one of them to get it back.
He held the large rough-cut piece of
turquoise that had been his only
companion all night as he dug
underground, and fumed. They had no
right. No right to anything.
He thought of his daughter. She was
his, too. So high and mighty last night.
Bitch. Just like her slut of a mother. She
wouldn’t be so haughty once he tamed
her and gave her to Eddie. And he
would. He grinned, despite all the aches
in his body.
A gecko skittered across the desert
floor and stared eye to eye. Mic reached
out and swatted it flat. It shivered, dying
slowly. That was how he would make
the Fialkos pay for coming out west and
trying to take over his clan.
Chapter 27
Pumpkin wound around her feet as Terra
tried to pull up her jeans. Wobbling on
one leg, she patted his head and giggled
at his antics. “Stop that.”
She buttoned her fly and tossed a
scratchy new t-shirt over her head. She
thought of her comfy clothes buried with
the earthship, and wondered if any
survived. Maybe today she would try to
get at some of her stuff. Now that Mic
was gone, it would be safe, as long as
she was careful and could stabilize the
area.
But she promised Jace she wouldn’t
leave the hotel, and after last night she
thought it best to keep her promise.
She gave herself a quick appraisal in
the full-length mirror. The strapless
sundress scooped low in the front, the
hem resting just above her knees. The
dress fit her well enough, but she’d
never be comfortable in designer
anything. She didn’t see the point in
spending that much money on clothes.
There was a dark bruise on her right
cheek, and a splattering of brown and
black marks along her neck and arms.
Not one for makeup, she glanced at
the pile that Jace had thoughtfully
brought back from the drugstore.
Lipstick, mascara, eyeliner. She didn’t
know what to do with half the stuff.
With a sigh, she put some foundation
over the worst of her bruises. That was
enough.
Her small world had broken open
into endless sparkling possibilities.
Possibilities that scared the hell out of
her.
Jace had given up everything to mate
with her. What did she have to offer
him? A clan of thugs? A worthless mine?
A beautiful earthship sunk deep into the
desert floor.
She hadn’t had time to really think
about what they would do once Mic was
gone, but now it was all she could think
about. Would he demand she move to
Jersey with him? Or would he come
here? Maybe they’d live on opposite
sides of the country. She had no idea
what he was thinking.
Like it or not, the Brasmatia clan was
her responsibility now. She couldn’t
walk away even if she wanted to…or
could she?
A knock on the hotel door startled
her from her revelry. Was Jace back
already? She rushed across the sitting
room to release the chain. Why didn’t he
swipe his keycard?
“Who is it?”
“Housekeeping.” A muffled,
Hispanic-accented voice sounded on the
other side of the door.
“No, thank you.”
“Housekeeping.” The person rapped
on the door again.
“No. Later.”
“Housekeeping.”
“Listen–” She opened the door a
crack to try to explain in Spanish.
God, no.
A man she recognized as Mic’s right-
hand man reached in and grabbed her
forearm.
She prayed the little gold chain
across the opening would hold as she
shoved with all her might against the
door, pressing against his arm.
He growled and pushed harder. The
door opened a bit wider, and his other
hand burst through with a syringe. His
thumb went down and she screamed as
the plunger sent the needle into her inner
arm.
She dropped to her knees from the
initial shock. No, no, no. This couldn’t
be happening. Not again.
The crowbar forced the door fully
open, and the gold chain pulled apart.
Whatever he’d given her was already
taking effect. Her head spun, vision
blurry, and she knew she was in a
double dose of shit.
The man gripped her arm, pulling her
roughly towards him.
Through the open door she saw the
hotel guard Jace had posted, dead or
unconscious on the hallway floor.
“What do you want?” she managed,
her voice already weak.
“Don’t worry, Darling. Just taking
you to daddy.”
Daddy. The words echoed.
She blinked hard, trying to stay
focused, to assess what was happening.
Her attacker dragged the guard into the
suite.
The room dimmed and she had the
feeling of floating.
She recognized the helplessness.
Drugged and tied.
Nicole? Where is Nicole? She had to
get away. Mic was coming for her. But
something was off.
She blinked and the world once
again changed. Where was she?
Shaking her head, as if that would
fire a few brain cells, she registered her
surroundings. Cement. Loading dock.
Trucks. Crates. Mic arguing.
What? Mic is dead. Isn’t he?
Adrenaline coursed through her
veins, causing more coherency. She
remembered the stab of the needle, the
man bursting into the hotel room, then
nothing.
Voices at the dock grew suddenly
angry and loud.
“...dollars then, and five hundred
when delivered.” A short, stout man
stared up at Mic, dressed in blue cotton
work pants and a worn gray t-shirt.
“I said to bring back Jace Fialko’s
head and put it at my feet.” Mic grabbed
the man by the throat.
“I got you rocks. That should count
for something.” His face turned red as
Mic squeezed.
She sat up, and scooted back until
she was leaning against the cold, hard
cement wall.
“I said to kill him. That was our
deal.” Mic released him, then started to
pace.
“Me and what army of witches?” He
rubbed his neck.
“I said to take some of my guys. It
should’ve been easy with all of these
stones.”
The guy took off his baseball cap and
rubbed his sweaty face with the back of
his arm. “You need a reality check, man.
Most of your guys are up at the
reservation. Fubar. Fucked up beyond all
recognition. That Indian medicine man?
He’s called in help from across the US.
Where have you been, under a rock?”
Mic backhanded him so hard, the
smaller man fell to his knees. With a
sickening crack from a kick to the ribs,
the man fell onto his back.
He begged for his life, “No, hold on,
please.”
Her father squatted, put one hand to
the man’s chest. The building shook, and
then...
Oh my God! Blood and gore
exploded everywhere. It splashed onto
the walls, covering her father.
Terra’s stomach lurched. She
swallowed the bile that rose to her
throat.
Her father giggled in a creepy high
falsetto. He was worse than insane. The
man was a psychopath.
Mic grabbed a towel nearby, wiped
the blood from his eyes, then walked to
the truck bed. All the while he muttered
to himself and hugged a stone of rough
gem to his chest.
The man who abducted her came out
from the men’s room, and wiped his
hands on his jeans. His dark eyes took in
the situation in a heartbeat. “Holy fuck.
He’s completely lost it.”
“He’ll do the same to you, and to me.
Let me loose. Please.”
“He’ll kill me.” The man’s face had
turned the same dusty gray as the cement
walls.
“Not if I kill him first.”
“Are you crazy? Do you have any
idea how powerful he is?” Eddie’s gaze
darted frantically around the warehouse.
“Please,” she begged.
He squatted beside her and pulled
out a switchblade, then cut her bindings.
“Get out of here while you can.”
Before she could say more, Eddie
stood, turned on his heel and bolted out
the front door.
She should follow. Do what he said
and get the hell out of there. But the
stones in the bed of the truck called to
her.
Rubbing her wrists, she stood on
shaky legs and inched closer. She
needed more power if she was going to
finally kill Mic. Or at least hold him
here until Jace arrived. And he would.
He would come for her.
Mic jumped off the loading dock and
disappeared behind the truck. A moment
later, he reappeared, holding a stone,
caressing it.
“They don’t understand. But I know. I
know what you and I can do, Marissa.”
He repeated the process. “I’ll just
put you down next to Fay.”
The sick fucker licked the stone, then
rubbed it against his cock.
That was over-the-top.
Just one piece of black stone. That’s
all she needed to stop this nightmare.
“I know you’re watching me,” he
said in a sing-song voice. Turning, he
grinned and sniggered, looking at her
with wild, crazy eyes.
For a moment, she stood, deer in the
headlights, and almost gave up hope. A
whole line of stones flew through the air,
headed straight for her.
Everything seemed to happen in slow
motion.
Knees weak, she called upon her
new fire power.
Nothing. Shit.
She searched for Jace’s presence
deep within, and calmed, his fierce
strength with her. A flame flared up in
the palm of her hand grew blue in
intensity, and then burned so hot it turned
invisible.
She willed the energy toward the
stones flying in her direction. At first,
she thought the stones were resistant, but
then the rock in front smoked. A yellow
flame ignited. Then the stone snapped
and crackled like Rice Krispies, until
disintegrating into tiny pieces that spit
out in all directions.
One cut into her cheek.
“No. You’re hurting them. Stop it.”
Her father tackled her, and they landed
on the floor with a sickening thud. He
grabbed her arm and put a football size
piece in her hand. “Take it. Let it know
you. Learn from it.”
Pure power poured into her from the
stone.
He had given her the means to
destroy him. She was about to fight back
when the stone’s energy became a buzz,
consistent at first, then growing in
intensity, the power unstable.
Visions formed in her mind. She
could rule. Do good things. Take over all
the Brasmatia clan. But she needed
more. Much more.
The stone whispered to her. “Take
what you need.”
Her father laughed, stood, pulling a
sheet off the largest stone she’d seen yet.
Bright orange copper wrapped around
its six-foot circumference. A smaller red
wire wound down to what looked like
an electric generator. The humming box
had a thicker cable that snaked up and
plugged into a small laptop that sat on a
cheap plastic table.
Electric energy excited the air
around her, and the small hairs on her
arms stood on end.
Fascinated, despite the obvious
danger, she stood, clutching her football-
size rock and moved toward the larger
one. She reached out with one hand and
touched the giant turquoise piece. It
vibrated against her palm. The need to
be one with it, overwhelming.
“Don’t let go,” he sang as he glanced
down at the laptop and typed frantically
into the keyboard.
At his command, she tried to do the
opposite, but her hand stuck, as if pulled
by a giant magnet.
“Perfect.” Chuckling, he attached a
cuff around his wrist with Velcro.
She struggled to pull away, and put
her other hand to the rock as leverage.
Like a Tar-Baby, the more she struggled,
the more she stuck, until knees and
elbows were locked tightly to it.
Her muscles seemed weaker. More
than they should’ve been from the effort
expended. Should the rock let go, her
legs would give out.
“Make it let go of me,” she hissed.
Her shoulder ached from the socket as
she tugged again.
“In due time, daughter. In due time.”
He leaned over, turned some big black
knobs on the generator, and mumbled
something about capacitance. Then
began typing again.
She cried out, her body weak, brain
fuzzy from the high of the stone.
“That’s better, now.” His mad eyes
met hers and his normally tidy gray hairs
frizzed out on end. He sat in a wooden
folding chair and stared at her.
“Shouldn’t take long. Maybe an hour or
so.”
Her eyes grew weak, and her head
bobbed. The rock thrummed to the pace
of her heartbeat, as it seemed to drain
the life out of her. If she didn’t get free
soon, he would win.
“So. While we wait, you might as
well understand what it is that is killing
you.”
Terra moaned, and closed her heavy
lids.
“This is your fault, you know. If you
had just come to me, none of this would
have been necessary.” He tapped on the
box with the antique knobs. “About
thirty, maybe forty years ago, my family
figured out how to harness the energy
from dark turquoise. I can’t explain it.
Quantum physics, reversal of energies.
After all, under the skin we’re all
electrons. Atoms. Way over my head.”
He tapped a finger to his temple. “I just
know that with this program,” he peered
into his laptop and typed, “I can re-
energize. Undo the effects of the stone.”
“Wha-what are you go-going to do?”
She was so tired now, she could barely
keep her eyes open.
He leaned back with hands behind
his head and crossed his ankles.
“Unfortunately, you have to die. This
time, I let the stone take me too far. Only
someone as powerful as you could bring
me back. But I can’t die. You, however?
You’re nothing.”
It was true. She was nothing. But he
was lower than nothing. A maggot. No,
worse. Primordial slime.
She fumed and a small spark fizzled
in a fingertip. Suddenly alert, she tensed
and waited for him to react, but he
hadn’t noticed, turning to type away on
his computer.
That was it. She wasn’t just earth
anymore. She tried another spark and a
fingertip flamed.
How could I have forgotten so
soon? Since mating, she was part Iesco,
as well. That machine wouldn’t be
designed to touch that part of her, or so
she hoped.
Fire, flames, matches. Damn. She
tried to bring her new talent front and
center, but she was so damn tired. Think
bigger. Napalm. Meteors in the desert.
The sun.
Her left foot hit the floor.
Mic kept on typing.
The Great Chicago Fire.
Her right foot slipped off the stone.
Then, she was free. Jace’s heat surged in
her veins as she focused on his strength,
living inside her.
I am firestorm.
A blaze fired up in her palm. Nearby
the pile of turquoise called to her. She
needed it just one last time. Stepping
onto the stones, the surge was too much
to hold. She flung the energy at her
father.
At that second, he turned, and his
mouth dropped open. When the wall of
flames hit him, he screamed, and fell
back on his ass. He tried to scramble
away, crablike, but it was too late. He
was encompassed in fire so hot, it
burned blue and white.
He put his hands to the earth and
shouted, “We die together, witch.”
The building shook, the cement under
her feet cracked, and she fell.
Gagging at the smell of burning flesh,
she turned her head and covered her ears
and nose until the awful screaming
ended. When she looked again, all that
was left of her father was a pile of black
ash.
She stared and tried to feel
something. All she felt was relief and
something else. A niggling need. The
stones under her feet glowed and
whispered into her mind.
Just to be safe. Grab another piece
from the truck. While you wait for Jace.
What if someone comes?
It all made sense until she stepped
into the bed of the truck.
Chapter 28
Jace had nearly lost his mind when he
returned to the hotel and saw the door
busted open, the security guard lying
unconscious on the floor.
He paced along the plate glass
window where below, the Paris Eiffel
taunted him with cheerful yellow lights.
The Bellagio Fountain rose and fell, as
if nothing was amiss.
Jack was on a plane back to Jersey
and Josh wasn’t picking up his phone.
He was on his own.
As a last resort, he dialed Falcon.
“You better not have anything to do with
this, or I swear to God I’ll tear you apart
limb from limb.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking
about. What’s going on?” The healer
sounded genuinely surprised.
“Terra’s gone. Someone broke into
the suite.”
“Shit.” Real fear shook the man’s
voice, and something else…What wasn’t
he telling him?
“I’m heading down to security to take
a look at the surveillance videos.” Jace
raced across the room, cursing
internally, when he realized he’d been
wasting time.
“I can be there in fifteen.”
Could he trust the little weasel? Jace
paused at the elevator and jammed his
thumb repeatedly at the elevator button.
“Look.” Falcon exhaled heavily on
the other end. “I know I fucked up
royally, but I care about her. If I can
help…”
“Fine. Meet me in the control center
at the Vdara. I’ll let them know you’re
coming.”
The elevator jerked and descended,
nauseating him even more. Who the hell
was after her now? He never should’ve
left her alone.
Finding the door marked security, he
barged into the dim room filled with
floor to ceiling monitors. Using the
Fialko name as leverage, it took less
than ten minutes to pull up a video. Two
men carried Terra’s limp body from the
elevators to the parking garage.
Jace slammed his palms on the table,
and a Styrofoam cup filled with coffee
fell to the floor.
“Where the hell were you guys when
this happened?”
“It’s not all that uncommon to see
someone being carried out of here.” The
darker skinned man winced when Jace
sent him a withering glare.
“Can you zoom in on that licence
plate?”
“No need. I know who they are.”
Falcon moved into the room and pointed
at the still shot on the main monitor.
“That’s Eddie Miravito. He’s one of
Mic’s men.”
“Shit.” Jace grabbed Falcon’s upper
arm and dragged him into the hall. “What
do you know?”
The healer’s eyes widened. “I made
a few calls on my way here. They’re
headed to an old warehouse just south of
the city.”
“What the hell do they want with
her? With Mic gone–”
Falcon shook his head. “That’s the
thing. He’s still alive.”
“Impossible. He was buried under
forty feet of ruble. No one could have
survived that. Unless…” In order not to
kill the fucking idiot, Jace let go.
Hands in his pockets, the healer
shuffled, and said, “He could have
harnessed the power of the stone to
create a shield.”
“You know for certain he’s alive?”
Jace glared.
“He called me earlier this morning.
Had me pick him up in the desert.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me this
before?” Every muscle in Jace’s body
twitched to strangle the man. He grabbed
him by the scruff and shoved him against
the wall.
One of the security men exited, hand
on gun. “Do we have a problem?”
Jace turned and growled, letting
paranormal fire light the center of his
eyes. “Give me just a moment, if you
would.”
Paling, the uniformed man stepped
back.
Meanwhile, Falcon squirmed, as if
about to piss himself. “I-I’m sorry. It’s
ju-just he controls my clan. If I didn’t do
what he asked…”
“If anything happens to her, this will
be on you.”
“I know.”
“Let’s go.” Jace pushed him out of
the building toward the parking lot.
“You’re going to show me where this
warehouse is.”
“I-I can tell you, but there’s no sense
me going with you. It’s not like I can
help fight.” Falcon followed behind him,
fidgeting with his car keys.
“You said you cared about Terra.
Well, stop being a fucking coward and
prove it. You drive.”
Ears red, face pale, Falcon gave a
small nod.
“Wait.” Jace knelt and put his hands
to the pavement. After shocks. That’s
what the news would call it. After the
past few days, some might say there was
a new fault in the desert.
But what he felt in the almost
undetectable tremors was her. And she
was in trouble.
“How far is this place?” He opened
the door to the old Ford Escort.
“The other side of town. With no
traffic, maybe thirty minutes.”
“Make it fifteen.” At the stoplight,
Jace stomped his left foot over Falcon’s
right.
Spinning the wheel, to avoid getting
sideswiped, they righted onto a one way
street. Then, after a couple more turns,
Falcon pulled into a driveway.
“That’s Eddie’s truck.” Falcon
pointed at the open bay door. “I see her.
There. She’s in the back, behind the
loading dock.”
“Terra.” Jace jumped out of the small
compact, vaulted onto the dock, and
shouted over the loud hum that came
from the rough-cut turquoise.
With eyes glazed and body rigid, she
stared, expressionless.
“Terra. It’s me.” He took another step
towards her and the cement beneath his
feet shook and cracked.
“She can’t hear you.” Falcon
grabbed his shoulder and tried to yank
him back.
He’d felt the stone’s attraction
himself. Knew how easy it was to be
lost to that much power. Soon, it would
totally consume her mind. Play on her
fears and weaknesses.
If he blasted the stone, there was a
possibility she’d get seriously hurt.
He produced a fireball in his palm,
the familiarity reassuring.
“What’re you doing?” Falcon
grabbed Jace’s arm.
Jace growled low in his throat. Not
many men who attempted that were left
standing. He let the flame rise.
“I need to get her away from the
stone. If I destroy it–”
“You could kill her.” Falcon stared
with real anguish in his black eyes.
Jace tightened his fist and
extinguished the blaze. Frustration made
his mind go blank.
“Then what do you suggest I do?”
“You’re her mate.” Falcon’s mouth
skewed down on the word, but he
continued, “You need to get into her
mind. Neutralize the stone’s power.”
The next wave of her out-of-control
power made the cement floor roll. The
sickening sound of bending metal
groaned all around them.
“And just how the hell do I do that?”
He was shouting now, his heart racing.
“I don’t know.”
Well that was fucking helpful.
“Get out of here. If I can’t control
her, the entire building will collapse.”
Pieces of ceiling rained down as small
cracks grew wider.
Falcon glanced at Terra, then back at
him and nodded. “Good luck.”
He was going to need a hell of a lot
more than luck.
Another of her blasts nearly knocked
Jace off his feet.
Falcon dashed for the door, pausing
to dodge a huge piece of cement that
crashed in front of him.
“Terra,” Jace yelled over the
growing hum.
This time she turned to him, but her
eyes held no recognition. Her pupils
were dilated, rimmed only by a thin edge
of blue, the blackness reflecting the
purple glow of the stone.
“Shit.” He ducked when she threw a
fireball at his head.
An aura of power swarmed and
glowed around her. Streams of light
sizzled and sparked. Her hair tangled
around her face as if she were caught in
an electric windstorm. Eyes wide,
unseeing. It was as if she was sucking in
the essence of the stone itself.
He needed to break the link or find a
way to connect to the stone itself.
Without another thought, he lunged
into the brick wall of energy. Searing
pain slammed at his chest, but Terra’s
hands remained glued to stone. Her rigid
body pulsated with power.
“Let go,” he screamed. “Sweetheart,
let go. It’s killing you.”
She blinked once and pupils returned
to normal size. Then just as quickly, they
enlarged. Within her, an enormous
geyser of power rumbled, about to burst.
Fuck it. He placed his hands on the
stone. It was the only way to stay
connected to her, to equalize the
distribution of power. Electricity shot
through his hands and up his arms, a
siren calling him into a dark abyss.
Clenching his eyes shut, he fought to
gain control.
“Don’t. Let. It. Win.” Every word
was a strain. With tremendous effort, he
slid his hand across the stone and placed
it on top of hers.
Terra’s eyes widened, and in that
moment, he knew. She wasn’t just
fighting against the stone’s powers, she
was fighting her own demons, and she
was losing.
Her memories flashed inside his
head, running like an old black and
white film. And what he saw destroyed
him.
She had given up.
Chapter 29
“Terra.” The voices called out to her. So
many voices that she couldn’t
differentiate one from another. “Terra,
Terra, Terra.”
She wanted to scream, but her own
voice was trapped, muted in the chaos.
The stone held her prisoner, and no
matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t
get free. It attached to her like a leech,
sucking all goodness from her and filling
the void with despair.
Images of the past crashed into her
mind like a tsunami.
“You’re no better than your father,”
the voices whispered.
“Murderer.”
“Killer.”
The words hissed through her mind,
intensified by the growing hum of the
stone.
A woman’s hazy form approached,
her face familiar and at the same time
distorted.
“Mom?”
“Terra. What have you done?”
The image altered. The cold gray
warehouse morphed into the red sands of
the Nevada desert. Another approached.
This time, it was a young girl of no more
than fifteen, her mass of blonde hair tied
back in a messy braid. When she looked
up, Terra’s own eyes blazed back at her.
“I hate you,” she screamed.
Those three words burned like a hot
poker. The horrid thing she’d said before
the ground gave way under her mother’s
feet. Before her small form was sucked
deep into a crack in the earth, gone
forever.
One stomp of her foot, one temper
tantrum, and she’d destroyed the only
person she cared about. The only person
who’d ever loved her, unconditionally.
The scene replayed over and over, a
hellish nightmare.
Stop. Dear God. Please make it stop.
Her soul broke each time her mother
fell, followed by the woman’s deafening
screams before she hit bottom, with a
sickening thud.
The younger self continued to rant. “I
hate you. I hate you.”
Deep blue eyes glared accusingly at
Terra.
It was herself she hated. Not her
mother. Never her mother.
“Let go.”
“Give in.”
The voices taunted, edging her
toward total despair, promising relief
from the pain. If the darkness consumed
her, she’d be able to control the power.
Control the stone.
“Terra.” A new, familiar voice broke
through the anarchy.
Jace.
“Don’t give in. You’re stronger than
this. Fight.”
Fight? For what? Nothing was left to
fight for. She was alone. She’d always
been alone.
“You’re wrong.” Jace spoke as if
inside her mind. “Fight for me. Our
future. Our child.”
A shiver ran down her spine. The fog
lifted for a moment, and he appeared.
“I can’t…You don’t understand…”
His mouth didn’t move, yet she could
hear his words. “I saw what the stone
showed you. You were young. It was an
accident.”
“I killed her.”
The stone screeched, mocking her.
“You had no control of your
powers.” His dark pupils reflected the
purple glow of the stone. “Don’t give
into the darkness.”
“It’s too late.” Cold slithered, slug-
like throughout her body. She clenched
her eyes and shook her head. She
couldn’t save herself, but she could at
least try to save him. “Get out of here.
Before it’s too late.”
* * *
He was not going to lose her, and
there was no way in hell he was going to
leave her like this. Not while she was
shutting down and letting the stone take
what little hope she had left.
As hard as he tried, he couldn’t
neutralize the power. He wasn’t that
strong.
Jace let go of the stone, cupped her
cheek, and forced her to look at him.
“Come back to me.”
A soft cry bubbled up from her throat
and her beautiful face contorted in pain.
The hellish energy threatened to
drive him away, but he planted his feet,
and held her firm.
“Come back to me, Terra.” He
willed her essence forth.
“Everything is gone.” Her pitiful cry
tore him in two.
“Not everything. I’m here. I’ll
always be here.”
Hope soared when a tear slid down
her cheek. “Why?”
“Because I love you. You’re my
mate. And I won’t give up on you. Ever.”
He mustered every last ounce of his
power and shoved it into her. If this
didn’t work he would die with her.
The minute her eyes widened, he
knew he had won.
“I love you, Terra. Let go.” He
forced his dreams of their future into her
head. Images of them together, their
unborn child, happy times, all the things
he dreamed for them to share.
Her body shook uncontrollably.
Then, a loud pop broke over the hum.
As her hands flew off the stone, she
fell backwards, taking him with her. He
rolled midair so she would be on top
when they hit the ground.
The large stone sizzled, glowing with
purple heat. Then with a loud crack, it
shattered, sending jagged pieces flying
across the room.
Jace pulled Terra against his chest,
protecting her body with his own.
Slivers of rock sliced into his skin, and
he gritted his teeth at the pain. He held
his precious world tight, protecting her
from the sonic blast.
Something hard slammed into his
temple. His vision blurred, bright blue
eyes the last thing he saw before
darkness consumed him.
Chapter 30
Jace’s body went limp, and suddenly she
was weighted down by his full mass.
Without the hum of the stone, the
room went eerily silent. Jace’s soft,
irregular breathing, the only sound
besides the ringing in her ears from the
blast.
She pushed on his shoulders, rolling
him over. There was a large ugly gash
just above his left temple.
“Jace.” She shook his shoulders
gently. “Wake up.”
His lashes fluttered, his eyes opening
in small slits. His mouth curved up
slightly, then his eyes closed and he let
out one last breath.
“Jace.” She put two fingers to his
neck. Nothing. No pulse. Heart racing,
she shook his shoulders and begged,
“Wake up. Please.”
He didn’t move. Didn’t respond. She
placed her ear against his chest,
desperate for a heartbeat.
“Terra.” Falcon stood above her, his
face pale. “His aura’s gone.”
“No,” she cried out. Oh, God, No.
She stood and pounded against Falcon’s
chest. “If you ever want me to forgive
you, heal him now.”
Falcon gripped her wrists,
preventing the next hit. “He’s gone. I
can’t do anything.”
“Bullshit.” She ripped away and fell
to her knees beside Jace’s body. A brutal
sob escaped over the knot in her throat.
It couldn’t be. Not after all they’d been
through.
Falcon touched her shoulder. “I’m
sorry.”
“No. You don’t get to be sorry. And
he doesn’t get to die.” She conjured a
giant ball of fire mixed with her earthly
power and willed it straight into Jace’s
heart.
His body lifted for a moment, then
fell back lifeless on the cold cement.
He’d told her he loved her, and she
hadn’t even had the chance to tell him
back.
She blasted him again.
“Terra, stop.” He knelt and tried to
push her away from the body.
“Get away from me, Falcon.” She
blasted Jace again. “Wake up, damn it.”
“There’s nothing you can do.”
With clenched fists, she pounded
against the motionless chest, then fell
across his body with an anguished cry.
“I love you,” she whispered. Placing
her hands on his cheeks, she brushed her
lips over his. “I love you, Jace Fialko.”
A piece of mortar crashed to the
ground and Falcon jumped. “Terra, we
need to get out of here. The building
isn’t safe.”
“Go, then. I’m not leaving him.”
Pieces of the ceiling pelted them,
cutting skin.
“Terra. Now.” Falcon’s fingers dug
into her upper arm and she swung at him.
She had a fireball in her palm when
he tugged at her shirt, but stopped short
when her peripheral vision caught the
subtle movements. There. Oh my God.
Her mate’s chest rose and fell.
“Falcon? His aura?”
“Holy shit.” The healer released her
arm and dropped to his knees on the
other side of Jace, placing his hands on
his chest, pumping healing energy into
him.
Terra gripped Jace’s hand, and
willed life into him as well. A small
breeze brushed by her face, as all free
electrons were sucked into the newly
alive man.
Unable to trust her voice, she kissed
the tip of Jace’s nose, his eyelids, his
lips.
Suddenly, one side of the garage
cracked and bent inwards as if made of
rubber. She screamed and sent an
alternate force toward it.
Adrenaline still coursing through her
veins, she scooped her arms under
Jace’s shoulder and pulled. She moved
him a few feet, before collapsing on the
ground. He was too heavy, and she was
too weak.
“Falcon, help me.”
Another crack and more debris fell
around them.
Covering his head, Falcon ran out of
the garage, shouting over his shoulder, “I
won’t die for you. I’m done”
She was going to strangle Falcon if
she got out of there alive.
Terra pulled on Jace’s belt and he
moaned.
Seconds remained before the
building would collapse. She didn’t dare
touch the turquoise again. But what was
she going to do?
She glanced around wildly, looking
for anything she could use. Finally she
spied it. Four pieces of wood and four
little wheels. A dolly. No magic
required.
Moving quickly, she placed it next to
Jace’s chest. He rolled easily onto his
belly, still limp. Then, she half-dragged,
half-wheeled him to safety. At the end of
the dock, Falcon stood, ringing his
hands.
“Help me,” she barked.
He flinched, then ran towards her.
Jace groaned, holding his head when
she moved him into a sitting position.
Falcon helped steady him as she
maneuvered him off the dock.
“Terra?” Held up between them, Jace
stumbled forward just as the building
collapsed with a deafening crunch.
“I’m here.”
They collapsed onto the parking lot
tar. White dust covered them, whooshing
out of what would’ve been their grave.
“That was close,” Falcon muttered,
standing.
“You jerk!” She jumped up, clenched
a fist and plowed it into Falcon’s jaw.
Falcon’s head snapped back and he
stumbled.
“Shit.” Her knuckles swelled and
throbbed.
Jace chuckled from where he lay on
his back, then lifted onto his elbow.
“Come over here and let me see what
you’ve done.” He inspected it and kissed
away the hurt. “You’ve got a fierce
upper cut.”
“I guess I deserved that.” Falcon
stood, rubbing his jaw.
“Damn right you did.” She pointed a
finger at him and glared. “You’ll be
lucky if I don’t tell Wovaka everything.”
“You wouldn’t.” Falcon went pale.
“Get the car. I’ll think it over on the
way to the rez.”
Grumbling, Falcon stuck his hands
into his pocket while he jogged to his
car.
With her help, Jace stood. He pulled
her to his chest and kissed her fully on
the mouth. “You are one mean little
badger.”
Chapter 31
Sitting semi-upright in the backseat of
the car, Jace’s whole body hurt like a
son of a bitch.
Falcon leaned over him, pulsing
heavy-duty healing energy, and the
whole car buzzed.
By the time the Escort pulled off onto
the packed dirt road, Jace’s vision had
finally cleared. He took in a deep breath,
exhaled fully, and caught his mate’s
worried gaze in the rear-view mirror.
“Terra.” Leaning forward, he
reached between the seats and squeezed
her thigh.
She gave him a tight smile, and
stretched out her hand for him to take.
“You okay?”
“I was only dead for a little bit. No
worries.” His attempt at lightheartedness
was not well received, but under the
circumstances, he thought it was pretty
good.
Twenty minutes later, she silently
parked the car next to a round mound of
dirt topped with grass. It had a polished
cedar door and smoke poured from a
chimney.
Where the hell were they now?
The healer, Wovaka, walked out of
the adobe hut, followed by four native
men, dressed only in loose bathing suits.
Black runes covered their chests, backs,
and ran up and down their arms.
One woman in a native print dress
followed, carrying a three-foot rain
stick. Bright beads and feathers swung
from the bottom.
Unfolding out of the back seat, Jace
leaned on the larger of the two men who
came forward to help.
Terra opened the driver’s side door
and into to the waiting arms of Wovaka,
who hugged her into his chest. Then, the
ancient man handed her back to Jace
with a nod and firm handshake.
Falcon stood on the other side of the
car, eyes to the ground.
“Hmph.” Wovoka caught his gaze and
pointed toward a second modern
building. “Go.”
“I should help.” Falcon tried to enter
the shelter, but his grandfather put out his
arm as a barrier.
“Your aura says you’ve already done
much to save these two. Be proud and
hold your head high. We’ll talk more
later.”
Falcon nodded, seemingly puffed up
by the praise.
Jace raised an eyebrow at Terra who
gave a small shrug.
“He will grow. He just needs time.”
Wovoka watched Falcon as the little
weasel strode into the adjacent building.
Jace wasn’t convinced but he
wouldn’t argue the point. Not now.
“Come.”
The old man opened the cedar door
and steam poured out, soaking their
clothes. Inside, a pile of stones sat in a
wire basket, atop a cast iron furnace.
Despite the rustic exterior, the inside
was modern, with new redwood slats
and benches. A shining tiled shower area
sat off to one side, with large chrome
showerheads.
“Clean first, then we will begin.”
Wovaka dunked a large ladle into a
bucket of water and poured it out onto
the stones. Steam hissed, filling the
small space. He repeated the process,
then left them alone. Outside, his voice
led the others in a Native American
chant.
Whatever ritual they were
performing was filled with healing
properties, and Jace’s raging headache
began to subside.
He still had no idea what was going
on, but he figured it had something to do
with Terra’s new leadership.
“We need to shower first.” Terra
took his hand and led him to the shower
area.
Her face was drawn, her expression
detached. When she looked at him, it
was as if she stared straight through him.
She turned the water on and started to
undress.
“Terra. Stop for a moment.” Her soft
cheeks surrendered to his palms and she
gazed up, blinking hard.
Large blue eyes filled with tears, and
he all but cried when he saw her pain,
deep within.
“It’s over, honey. You need to let go.”
When her lower lip quivered, he
tugged her t-shirt over her head, pushed
down her jeans, leaving her in black
sexy underthings.
“Jace–” His name was a cry on her
lips.
Not bothering to remove his clothes,
he wrapped his arms around her. Tiny
shaking sobs turned into wracking cries
of anguish.
The shower had to be adjusted so the
water wouldn’t hit her in the face. Then,
he rubbed her back and muttered
soothing words of nonsense. After a few
minutes, her crying got to him.
Swallowing hard, he held her close,
until his own tears were under control.
She needed him to be strong for her.
When her sniffles turned to hiccups,
he tossed his shirt to the side, and
stepped out of his sodden jeans, all the
while not letting go. Never. She was his
mate, his life, and his savior. Now it
was his turn to save her.
“I almost lost you. You we-were
dead.” She turned her head out of his
chest, but didn’t look up.
“But I’m not. And you’re not.”
“But you were.” She began to sob
again. “If you were smart, you’d run as
far away from me as possible. I kill
everyone I care about.”
“Sweetheart. I’m not going
anywhere. You’re my mate.”
A plastic bottle labeled ‘soap’ sat on
a tile shelf. With her face pressed tight
to his chest, and her small fingers
grasped onto his back, he reached and
pumped the plastic top. Honey smelling
liquid poured out into his palm.
Knowing how much she needed the
contact, he washed her back and down
her buttocks, then gently massaged her
scalp until it was all sudsy.
She sighed, her muscles relaxed
under his fingertips, and she leaned into
him. The white dust from the building
went down the drain, and with it, some
of her pain.
Her grip softened, she sighed, and
looked up at him with the saddest eyes
he’d ever seen.
“I’m sorry,” she hiccupped. “I never
cry. Not even when…my mother died.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and
kissed her. When he pulled away, he
caressed her cheeks and his thumbs
wiped at her tears. He struggled for the
right words and came back empty.
“Terra, I–” He cleared his throat and
rested his forehead against hers, glad for
the water that hid his tears from her.
Unlike the last time they had showered
together, this time he needed her to know
how much he cared, beyond the sex,
beyond the mating. He tucked her chin
and made her look up at him. “I think
there are times when crying is good.”
“I was always afraid if I let go, I’d
be swallowed whole by the depth of my
sadness and never be able to climb out.
Know what I mean?”
He understood completely.
“After I killed Megan, I felt the same
way. I never thought I’d be free of the
pain, the guilt.” He brushed his lips over
hers. “Until I met you. You’ve changed
everything.”
When the next tear rolled down his
cheek, he let her see it. She reached up
and brushed it away. Then he tugged her
into his chest, afraid she might
disappear, and the moment be lost
forever.
“From now on, I promise, we’ll cry
together. I won’t be afraid.” Her small
arms wrapped around him.
She unglued him and at the same time
put him back together. How was that
possible?
The chanting outside grew louder,
and Wovaka tapped on the door.
Jace rubbed his eyes, grabbed a light
terry robe from a metal hook, and held it
up for her. Then, he found a pair of
trunks for himself, and opened the door.
“It is time.” Wovoka added more
ladles of water to the stones, until the
steam was thick as fog. Barefoot, he
walked over the slats of wood while
charcoal runes dripped off his dark skin.
Staring at Terra, the ancient healer
reached into a pottery jar and sprinkled
ashes onto her blonde hair. Then he put
both hands to her head and chanted a
long string of native syllables with his
eyes closed.
Although he couldn’t see her aura,
Jace knew the moment it changed. He
felt it in his shoulders and the muscles in
his jaw.
She was going to be fine.
Nodding and chanting, Wovoka
motioned for him to sit next to her, then
rained more black ash above their heads.
Two ancient yet firm hands rested
solidly upon his skull. Waves of potent
healing energy surrounded him. He
exhaled, momentarily stunned by the
powerful force.
When Wovoka finished chanting, he
grabbed both of their right hands and
clasped them between his.
“I leave you now, as one.” He started
to walk away, then turned, winked, and
said, “You might want to lock the door.”
Jace stared at the closing door,
speechless. The chanting stopped, some
laughing followed, and then car tires
crunched on the gravel. Engines roared
away, leaving just the crackling of logs
and a lone whippoorwill lamenting
nearby.
“That was it?”
She shrugged. “What did you
expect?”
“I don’t know... but not that.” He
smiled and wiggled his eyebrows,
turning the deadlock. “I suggest we do as
he asks.”
She looked around the room.
“But...there’s no bed.”
Her sweet and innocent face made
his chest tighten. She was such a dynamo
in the desert, he kept forgetting her
inexperience. His cock swelled at the
thought that no other man had ever
known her, nor ever would.
He nibbled the top of her ear and
whispered, “We can figure this out.”
When the softest lips met his and
firm fingers dug into the back of his
neck, a bit of Iesco power released from
his core. The wood fire sparked to life,
and the stones crackled.
Without depriving his mouth, he
found her robe’s tie, and she shrugged
the fabric onto the floor. One hand slid
down her back and found her muscular
ass, the other cupped her soft breast,
kneading the tender flesh.
She moaned and her firm nipples
pressed into his hand, begging for more
attention. He pulled her down onto the
warm wooden floor, so that she knelt in
front of him.
“Straddle me.” He sat, legs crossed,
cock hard, wanting nothing more than to
feel her soft warmth around him.
With a small smile, she licked her
lips and moved slowly towards him,
placing her hands on his shoulders as
she positioned herself so that her folds
rested just above his heavy erection that
stretched the material of his shorts.
Swallowing hard, he gripped her
hips to keep her slightly above him,
while he suckled on the rosy tip of one
breast. When it hardened, he nipped.
“Jace.” Her head fell back and she
arched to give him access to the other.
He complied with her silent
demands.
Her breath grew short and the
building started to shake.
He chuckled and calmed the ground
with his own power.
“Take these off,” she begged, pulling
at his trunks.
With a small smirk, he shifted under
her and pulled off the thin material.
Eyes wide, she stared at him and her
mouth made a little O. One hand reached
forward and a fingertip tortured him up
and down the length of his aching need.
She wrapped her fingers around his
length, and a bead of cum escaped.
Seemingly fascinated, she leaned down
and licked.
“Terra. Oh man.” Never had a
woman held him so entranced.
Her eyebrows raised, and she slowly
took him in her mouth.
There was no way he’d last.
“Not this time.” He knotted his
fingers in her hair and gently tugged until
she released him.
“Did I do it wrong?” A little frown
appeared and a hurt look crossed her
face.
“Oh, sweet thing. No. You don’t
understand. It’s way too good.”
He pushed her wet hair out of her
eyes, leaned over, and took her mouth.
When they both panted and gasped for
breath, he released her.
“Something this good needs to be
savored. I would’ve come inside your
mouth.”
A small grin spread across her
beautiful face.
Damn, she was sweet.
“Lie down.” He knelt above her and
spread her legs with his knee, brushing
her folds with his thumb. Her already
slick and swollen lips swelled and she
shivered under his touch.
He moved lower, kissing her
stomach. With circles on her inner thigh,
he approached and touched the prize
with his index finger.
“Jace...” She started to close her
legs.
“Shush.” He pulsed his energy into
her by placing a palm below her navel,
and tapped her knees.
She opened for him fully.
Then, his mouth took what it wanted.
She tasted of tangy honey and orange.
His tongue found her nub and he played
with his teeth until he knew what she
liked best. Tiny little noises escaped out
of her throat as he brought her higher to
the edge of release.
Her eyes closed, breasts swelled,
and nipples hardened, as he teased her,
tasted her. He stroked at the slick cleft
with his tongue, and she gasped like she
was coming up for air. She shuddered
around him, trembling with the first
quivers of her release.
“Jace–” she cried out, her head
tilting back and let go, screaming his
name over and over again.
He was so tuned to her that he could
counter the tremors in the ground
underneath, almost unconsciously.
While she arched, wanting more, he
turned her over on her hands and knees
so that her sweet ass was facing him.
They came together in the dim light
of the sauna. She let out a sweet, little
moan as her body clamped around his
cock.
Every time he moved, it was as if she
knew what he wanted and met him thrust
for thrust. His eyes rolled back, their
bodies glowed from his fire power. The
pleasure mixed with agony.
Bucking and pulsing, he held her
hips, and the small building rattled. He
could barely contain their fires within
his shields. She screamed, her inner
walls tightened, and she found a second
release. He shouted, plunged deep, and
released into her. She twitched. He
moaned and the best fucking orgasm of
his life began to recede.
Chapter 32
Three weeks later
Jace hung up the phone. “Jack says he’s
got the black turquoise under lock and
key in the Iesco vaults in South Jersey.”
Terra looked up from the local news.
“I would’ve never guessed that Mic had
another truck load. By the way, some
more clan members from California
volunteered yesterday to help clean up.”
“I told you Brasmatias would come
out of the woodworks once they had
honest leadership.”
She gave him a grin. “You so love
being right.”
“That’s because I usually am.” He
smirked, leaning over her and kissed her
forehead.
“I was right about Mic’s machine.”
Folding the paper, she put it down on the
table in front of her. “It sucks the power
from the stones. It’s too bad we couldn’t
keep a few...”
“We talked about that. The stuff is
too dangerous to leave lying around. I’ve
got guys watching the cave entrance
twenty-four-seven, until we can put a
better fence around it with alarms.” He
sat down beside her and flipped open
his laptop. “We can’t ever let this
happen again.”
“I just don’t know how you’re going
to keep this from leaking out.” Terra
shook her head.
“We’ll tell the public that it’s some
kind of biohazard. But you’re right, we
won’t be able to keep it from the other
clans. Jack has informed the Clan
Council. Ultimately, it will be their
decision what we do with the mine.”
With a frown, Terra stood, then
paused in front of the television screen.
“Look at this.” She picked up the
remote, waved it at the set, and the
volume increased.
“...Sources say the recent seismic
activity around Las Vegas, Nevada has
ceased. The University of Phoenix
reports that the fault was not a major
one, and suggest more studies are
needed to know what to expect from it in
the future.”
“Dr. Carpenter at the college is one
of ours. We shouldn’t have any problems
there.” She turned off the TV. “What
if...”
He glanced up from his emails.
“Hmm?”
Her cheeks turned the sweetest shade
of red and she whispered, “What if we
want to rock our world? You know? Fire
and Earth. Meteors and Lava.”
She licked her bottom lip, a nervous
gesture that made his cock swell.
He shut the computer down and
pushed his chair back. Suddenly needing
the privacy and open space that only the
desert could provide.
“How about we take a drive?” It was
time he showed her what he had
planned. He prayed to God she liked it.
“Where’re we going?” When they
were downstairs, Terra frowned at the
silver Hummer that pulled up.
The valet jumped out and handed
Jace the keys.
“You’ll see.” Jace grinned and
opened the passenger door.
“I don’t like surprises.”
“You’ll like this one.” He took her
hand and helped her up into the seat.
She swatted his hand when he moved
to put her seatbelt on for her.
“Just trying to keep you both safe.”
He placed his hand on her flat stomach
and gave her what he imagined was the
same goofy grin he’d worn since they’d
confirmed she was expecting.
“Trust me. He’s safe and sound in
there. It’s you who needs to worry if you
don’t tell me where we’re going.”
“He?”
Terra shrugged. “Just a hunch.”
His smile widened.
She gave an exasperated sigh, then
laughed. “I could be wrong.”
“Little badger.” He spoke to her
stomach, then raised his lips to hers,
kissing her until she moaned against his
mouth. “Let’s get out of here.”
Thirty minutes later, he pulled the
Hummer to a stop, then jumped out.
Terra raised her eyebrows at him.
“This is your surprise?”
“Nope.” He grabbed a large metal
cylinder from the back, then spread the
blueprint on the ground, anchoring the
corners with rocks. Then, he stood and
wrapped his arms around her, pointing at
the maze of rectangles and numbers.
“This is.”
“What is it?” Her eyes squinted as
she studied the prints.
“Our home.” He turned her in his
arms. “I bought this land. I can have my
men start digging first thing next week if
you approve of the designs.” He grabbed
her hand and traced her index finger
around a wall. “That is for baby one.”
He circled another, “And this one’s for
baby two.”
Her eyes widened as she grasped the
number. “Just how many are you
intending to have?”
He laughed as she continued to study
the prints.
“Wait. What’s this? Why all the
double lines?”
“It has shock absorbers. See here? In
the corners? And lined with
fireproofing. That’s this line.”
“Oh.” She blushed, “It’s...wow. I
don’t know what to say.”
“You like it?”
“No.” She shook her head, and he
felt his stomach drop. Then blue eyes
flickered with an intensity that left him
breathless. “I love it.”
Epilogue
Jace picked up the crying bundle from
the cradle and grinned down at his son.
“You’re a demanding one aren’t you?”
“He takes after his father.” Terra
smiled from the doorway of their new
earthship. Dressed in a pair of faded
jeans and black tank top, her toned body
was fuller, more womanly than it had
been before.
“You should be sleeping.”
“There’s too much to do.” She leaned
her head on his shoulder, and ran her
fingers across their son’s cheek. “And
you need to be fed, don’t you?”
Ethan Fialko cooed back at her. Jace
hadn’t known it was possible to love
someone so much. No. That wasn’t true.
He loved his wife with such abandon it
physically hurt sometimes. Together, they
were a family. It was more than he’d
ever dreamed of.
The doorbell rang and Terra
frowned. “People are here already?”
“It’ll be fine. We have enough food
to feed a small army.”
“Yeah,” she muttered. “That’s what
they are, aren’t they? An army.”
It had taken months to gain the trust
of the Brasmatia clan, and there were
still those who had a hard time accepting
Terra as their leader. With him by her
side, she had fought and won their
alliance, if not their complete trust, but
in time Jace knew they would come
around.
“Yes. But they’re your army. So be
nice.”
“I’m trying.”
He kissed her forehead and smiled.
“I know.”
Cleaning out the debauchery from
among the clan had been their biggest
challenge. For generations the Brasmatia
clan had been involved in some shady
shit, and there were some who weren’t
too happy with the new rules Terra had
set in motion.
He found that Jack and Zoe had
already let themselves in when he came
into the foyer. Jack placed their daughter
Cecille down, and she toddled off
toward the wall to ceiling windows,
placing her chubby hands against them
while babbling.
“This place is gorgeous,” Zoe said,
staring into the endless desert, rubbing
her slightly rounded tummy.
Jace leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“Thanks. Terra is just feeding Ethan, but
she’ll be down in a few minutes. Is Josh
not with you?”
Jack and Zoe exchanged a look.
“What?”
“He’s not coming.” A muscle in
Jack’s jaw clenched.
“He still blames me for what
happened with Nicole.” Jace exhaled,
wondering how he would ever get his
brother back.
“No. At least I don’t think so. You
have to imagine how hard this is on
him.” Jack glanced at his daughter, who
now had her mouth plastered against the
glass, humming.
“Give him time.”
“Yeah.” Jace scratched his chin and
sighed. “It just would have been nice to
have him here.”
“How are things with the clan?”
“Good.” Jace watched as a buzzard
hung in the sky, casting a small blue
shadow that moved along the sand, and
smiled. He couldn’t believe he’d ever
felt claustrophobic, with the whole damn
desert in front of him. “Mic ran the clan
by fear for so long. Getting them to trust
us will take time.”
“Don’t believe him,” Terra said,
entering the room. “Jace charmed them
all within a week. It’s me they still have
a problem with.”
“Oh, you look incredible,” Zoe
gushed, wrapping her arms around his
wife, then taking Ethan from her arms.
“And look how big he is already.”
Terra smiled, but Jace noticed the
slight reservation in her eyes.
Zoe must have saw it too, because
her expression softened, and she
whispered something to Terra that had
her laughing. His family had accepted
her with ease, as he knew they would,
but he also knew there was still a small
part of her that didn’t believe she was
worthy of their love and acceptance.
“Mama, mama,” Cecille tugged at
Zoe’s pants, clearly upset that she was
holding another baby.
Zoe rolled her eyes and handed
Ethan back to Terra, then scooped up her
daughter.
“They’re here,” Terra said softly, her
brows drawn down.
Jace felt the faint rumbling under his
feet as a long line of vehicles
approached.
“It’s time.” He placed his hand on
Terra’s cheek and pulsated his love into
her.
Today was as much about her as it
was their son. She would stand with her
clan and claim her place.
And what of tomorrow? He
chuckled. If he was still a gambling man,
he’d lay all his chips on her and he
would win.
Lady luck was a tough little badger.
About the Authors
Stella Marie Alden loves
Zumba, yoga, watercolor
painting, and fixing up her
house. Growing up in
Vermont, she loved to make
up stories. Crayons fought
each other over size and
placement in their cardboard
box and imaginary friends
crowded the house. Her
brother often complained.
"Tell her no one's here,
Mother.”
Her career paths have varied.
She's been a librarian, a
classical clarinetist, recording
studio engineer, broadcast
electronics repairman, and
now she architects software
programs. She lives in Bergen
County, NJ with her lifelong
hero and their two cats.
www.stellamariealden.com
Chantel Seabrook is the
author of the Amazon
bestselling fantasy romance,
Cara's Twelve, as well as the
Therian Agents paranormal
romance series, and co-author
of the Mated by Magic series.
When she isn't reading or
writing sexy stories, she's most
likely spending time with her
family, cooking, singing, or
racing between soccer, hockey
and karate practices. She's
living her own happily ever
after with her husband of
fifteen years and their two
daughters.
She loves creating new
exciting characters - from
sexy, bad boy alphas, to the
passionate, fiery women who
love them.
Canadian born and bred, she
started life in Edmonton,
Alberta, and now resides in
London, Ontario. She attended
Western University where she
graduated with an Honors
degree in Anthropology.
Her guilty pleasures include
red wine, pasta, binge
watching Starz originals, and
hanging out with her rescue
pup, Jaxx.
She loves to hear from her
readers and can be reached at
chantelseabrook@gmail.com
Document Outline
- Table of Contents
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Epilogue
- About the Authors
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