Kenya felt oddly connected to the ceremony as if she were a part rather than an observer. It was a strange feeling, and the odd sense of association was strengthened when her gaze locked on a man standing just inside the tree-line on the other side of the meadow. He walked among the coven members, but none of them acknowledged his presence—how peculiar. Thanks to her newfound night vision, Kenya saw the man’s eyes widen in what looked like recognition. How is that possible?
With his eyes locked on her, Kenya felt a magnetic pull toward the man despite the fact they couldn’t possibly know one another. As he came closer, she heard Audric’s muttered curse from behind her, but she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze from the stranger who seemed zeroed in on her.
“I would have recognized you anywhere, Kenya. You are the image of your grandmother. It’s remarkable how much you look like my beloved.” Standing in front of her, Kenya could see the man’s eyes were kinder than they’d appeared at a distance. “You can speak to me, you know. I’m a time traveler, the same as your mate. I’ve been traveling back to this ceremony every full moon since you moved to Texas, hoping one day you’d be here.”
“William, all you needed to do was ask.”
“I’ve already made too many mistakes. I didn’t want to risk making another by trusting someone who has no reason to help me.” For the first time, Kenya saw a spark of heat in the man’s eyes as his gaze flicked to Audric before returning to her. “Does she know who she is?”
What? What was he talking about?
“We will discuss this later. Right now, we need to make certain we have all the details needed to restore the totem, so it can be returned to the vault for safekeeping.”
“You already know there are five pieces, each of the elements of the pentagram, and you know which families end up with the pieces, so why don’t you tell Mr. Adler and my granddaughter why you are really here, Stafford. She is the Fitzpatrick heir and deserves to know the power of her position.”
“Granddaughter?” Kenya felt like someone had just kicked her in the chest. How could she have a grandfather no one had ever told her about? Why would her mother be so cruel? It boggled the imagination.
Don’t fall into a pit of questions just yet, there will be plenty of time for that later.
Bronx felt Kenya stiffen in his arms and knew he was treading on thin ice. Hell, he’d essentially told her to calm down, and he’d dealt with his sisters enough to know those were fighting words.
Hell hath no fury like a woman told her anger should be set on the back burner. When Bronx felt her shaking in his arms, he turned her to face him so quickly, she lost her balance, falling against his chest. Before he could set her back on her feet, he heard tinkling laughter and felt relief wash over him.
“Remind me to thank your sisters for making you self-aware. I’m sure they’ve done a wonderful job of preparing you for mating.”
He’d have been thrilled to hear her finally referring to them as mates if he hadn’t known her words were pure sarcasm. Israel had been listening in on his thoughts their entire lives—you’d think he’d be used to it—but Bronx was still trying to adjust to Kenya being able to hear his thoughts as clearly as he heard hers.
“I’m sure they’ll be happy to regale you with plenty of exaggerated tales of their invaluable guidance.” Bronx sighed and shook his head before continuing, “They’re a lively group, and my sisters-in-law fit in perfectly. You’ve gained a rather large family in a short amount of time—I hope like hell they don’t overwhelm you.”
“The Adlers are indeed a large family, but you also have another large group to call your own, Kenya. The Fitzpatricks are a huge clan, and they’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.” Before any of them could respond to William’s comment, a brilliant flash of green light illuminated the entire area. Goddess above, the glow was probably visible from the space station. It took him a few seconds to realize why Kenya was shaking with laughter again. Rolling his eyes at his own timeline blunder, Bronx returned his attention to the activity in the meadow.
The magical artifact resting in the center of the pentagram was vibrating at such a high frequency, he and Kenya both gasped as they worked frantically to cover their ears. Both wizards waved their hands at the same time, their magic combining to seal the four of them under a transparent dome, silencing the din that had made his ears hurt bad enough, he hoped like hell they weren’t bleeding.
“Sorry, I forgot about your enhanced hearing. Remember, they are separating a piece made from metal and magic.” Audric’s sheepish expression made Bronx roll his eyes. You could bet your ass he’d have remembered if it was his ears ringing from the beating they’d taken.
“I’ve seen the way your generation separates metal. Burning things into pieces is barbaric and changes all the properties at the edges where the flame cuts through the metal like a hot knife through butter.” Kenya turned to him, confusion lighting her eyes.
“What the hell is he talking about?” Bronx almost laughed out loud at the mortified look Kenya’s question elicited in William Fitzpatrick’s expression.
“A cutting torch. I’m not sure when or where a two-hundred-year-old wizard would have had occasion to see one in action, but there it is.”
“Don’t ever underestimate your elders, Mr. Adler. We’ve seen and heard almost everything, and we have low bullshit thresholds. Magicals who continue learning live longer than those who sit on their laurels, watching the world spin around them. I knew your parents, and contrary to what many people would have you believe, they were keenly aware they’d been targeted—and they knew why.”
The knowledge in Fitzpatrick’s eyes was quickly shuttered, leaving Bronx wondering what information Kenya’s grandfather could share. What part, if any, had Fitzpatrick played in his mom and dad’s death.
Shaking his head, William’s shoulders dropped. “I wouldn’t have ever hurt them, Bronx.” Waving his hand to the group, gathering closer and closer to the artifact, he seemed lost in his own thoughts for several long seconds. “The dark forces that claimed your parents also took my son—he was my world, and I’ve never stopped grieving.” Bronx felt like an ass but knew any attempt to apologize would sound condescending, making the situation worse rather than healing the damage his careless assumption had done.
“Look closely at the people in front of you.” Audric leaned close to Kenya, his knotted finger pointing to the group in front of them. “I’m not sure how many people you’ll recognize since you haven’t been exposed to as many magicals as your mate, but I suspect the pictures in your history books will give you some background.” As soon as Bronx focused his attention on the faces rather than their actions, he was shocked to realize he recognized several people.
“That’s you, isn’t it? Oh, my… what do you want me to call you? Mr. Fitzpatrick seems too formal, and grandfather seems presumptuous. Heck, you might decide you don’t want to know me at all when you get to know me.”
All three men stared in shock at Kenya, unable to believe what they were hearing. William surprised Bronx when he was the first to recover enough to speak.
“I’d be honored if you called me grandfather, Kenya. Your father never stopped looking for you. We never knew who was helping your mother with the spells required to hide you from us. Lisa’s magical skill was limited. She simply wasn’t gifted enough to do the magic required.”
Kenya nodded her understanding, but Bronx sensed she didn’t know who’d been helping her mom. If he had to guess, Bronx was going with Lisa tapping into her daughter’s magic for the additional power.
It seemed to him Kenya spent her entire childhood trying to catch up—about the time she would get her feet under her, her mom would pack them up and move, forcing her daughter to begin the whole process again. Her mother kept her off-balance with the moves and siphoning off her magic.
“The answer to your question is, yes, I was here to claim one of the pieces of the artifact for my family. I’m sure it will look familiar.” The older man’s expression softened as his gaze centered on the pendant resting snugly at the base of her throat. She traded the longer chain for a much shorter one at Bronx’s request. He’d had been concerned the longer links could become tangled as they time traveled, and he wouldn’t risk her safety.
When Bronx suggested they leave both of their pendants in the vault in Catalina’s store, Audric shook his head, insisting even without the other pieces, they would offer an additional layer of protection. Knowing they needed every bit of protection available had made him wish Kenya would reconsider the trip, but she’d been insistent, and the truth was, he had no legitimate argument against her claim that she had as much right to be there as he did.
Kenya turned to Audric, her mouth open to speak when she stopped, tilting her head to the side, and reaching for the elderly man. “Audric, what’s wrong?” Bronx turned to see the older man’s eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“You see the woman with dark red hair?” He and Kenya nodded as William set his hand atop Audric’s shoulder in an obvious show of support. “That is my Elizabeth, Charlotte’s grandmother. Lizzy gave Charlotte the pendant to her just a few days before she passed.”
“It’s my understanding the pieces have all been passed down a short time before the owner dies—it’s as if they know their time is nearing an end.” The whole thing was starting to become borderline creepy in Bronx’s view. He was looking forward to putting the entire mess behind them. For the first time, Bronx understood why his brothers had been so anxious to claim their women as mates and wives and was grateful he’d already made Kenya his own.
Keeping his focus on the ritual playing in front of them was becoming impossible as pictures from Kenya’s mind began floating through his own. Damn, his mate was replaying her claiming and the explosive sex they’d had both before and after. When he dialed it in, Bronx was able to feel her emotions along with hints of the physical sensations she’d experienced as he pushed his cock balls deep in her heated pussy.
Before this moment, Bronx would have told you nothing could feel better than the intimate flesh of her wet velvet heat rippling over the sensitive skin covering his cock. But now? Experiencing it from her point of view was running a close second. Grateful he’d learned a long time ago how to block others from eavesdropping, Bronx felt his cock pressing against the unrelenting steel of his zipper and sent up a silent prayer to Goddess charged with making certain his favorite appendage survived the hard-on from hell, his mate’s vivid memory caused.
Isolating the two of them telepathically from the others should have been easy, but Bronx was finding it incredibly challenging to maintain the level of concentration required. Worried his mate’s intimate thoughts were going to be exposed to the two wizards, he reluctantly tightened his hold enough to pull her back to the moment. Leaning down, letting his breath brush over the sensitive shell of Kenya’s ear, he relished her response. Feeling a shiver work itself up the length of her spine made him smile. He could have spoken the words quietly enough for her to hear, but whispering them into her mind was far more intimate.
Unless you want me to pull you into the woods and have my wicked way with you, Cheŕ, you need to tone it down. Those memories are hotter than hell, and feeling it from your side was fucking intense. Unfortunately, I need some of my blood flowing to my brain rather than pooling much farther south. The little minx snaked a hand behind her to grasp him through the denim covering his straining erection. Sucking in a quick breath, his head and cock began battling about the best course of action, having distinctly different ideas about how he should proceed.
I don’t understand why we’re here. What difference is it going to make if Audric finds out who got the pieces? He knows who has them now, and I think he knew how many there are. There’s more going on here, and I don’t know what it is.
Bronx hadn’t known either until William walked up to them—what he didn’t know was why Audric had taken such a roundabout route to reunite his former friend with his granddaughter.
Refocusing on the small group in the meadow, it was easy to identify the ancestors of his sisters-in-law. Proving how powerful human genetics could be, it was easy to match the witches to the women he now considered family—with one notable exception. None of the participants looked Native American or Alaskan Eskimo. Kensington’s wife and mate, Denali, was a product of both sides of her family, but none of the people gathered around the shimmering metal totem resembled either of those indigenous groups.
“No one here is related to Denali.” Audric had tuned in to Bronx the moment he’d dropped the shield. “The piece Denali wears represents the water element, and the hand of fate knows nothing of coincidence. Her grandmother found the piece partially buried in the wreckage of a ship along the shore of a small Aleutian Island. The woman you see at the side of the meadow is planning to steal the pendant from her sister. It’s an age-old story of lost or stolen love, depending on your point of view.”
“Who is Denali? I thought it was a place, not a person.” Bronx smiled at the two men as he turned Kenya, so he could look into her eyes as he answered.
“Says the woman named Kenya?” Realization brightened her eyes, and he looked forward to seeing her smile more often… naked. Oh yeah, naked and smiling was a great plan. “Denali is my sister-in-law. She is married to my brother, Kensington. He rescued her when she was thrown off a bridge into a freezing cold river.”
“Kensington? The actor Kensington Adler is your brother? Why didn’t I know this? Nobody ever tells me anything. My mother kept me under a damned rock, and now I look like a blooming idiot every time I turn around. This frosts my cookies. How many Adlers are there? I know you said it was a big family, but no one mentioned movie stars. Damn… let me guess, there are Nobel Prize winners and famous singers, too.” All three men were staring at her Kenya in disbelief before William’s booming laughter broke the silence.
“Damn, she’s a Fitzpatrick, alright.” William waved a hand, covering them in a shower of glitter. What the hell was with wizards and glitter? Bronx was never going to get that shit out of his hair. “Take her home. We’ve drawn too much attention. I’ll make sure Audric gets back. We’ll meet you in Texas tomorrow, and we’ll come to the front door.”
Bronx understood what Kenya’s grandfather was saying, but he could see his mate’s frustration slowly morphing into confusion—her bewildered expression the last thing he saw before he pulled her against his chest and whispered the short incantation sending them hurtling back through the tunnel of time.
Watching the brilliant bands of color fly past as they slid along the tube had begun to feel old hat before he mated with Kenya. Now that he’d traveled with her, seen the look of wonder in her eyes as they raced back to the present, Bronx once again understood how truly remarkable his gift was.
“I still have trouble believing this is real.” He wasn’t sure if she’d spoken the words aloud or if he was becoming so attuned to her, he was hearing her thoughts without realizing the communication was telepathic. “If I hadn’t experienced it, I’d have never believed it was possible.” She turned her face to his and grinned. “You have to admit, this is totally dope.” He must have looked confused because she giggled, “Sorry. I picked up some of the younger student’s slang whenever I could afford to take classes. I’m probably woefully out of date now. I hope I can find a job soon. Even with a steady paycheck, it will take me a while to save up enough money for tuition.” Looking around her, Kenya seemed shocked to discover they were sitting on his sofa in front of the fire.
“It’s a huge turn-on to know you are so focused on our conversation, you’ve blocked out everything else, but it also makes me worry for your safety.” As Kenya became more acclimated to her new shifter traits, Bronx was convinced her situational awareness would become more acute, but after someone fired shots at the house, he wasn’t willing to take any chances with her safety. He only hoped once the pieces of the magical icon were once again joined together and the Council of Magic had the powerful metal sculpture tucked away in a vault, the danger to Kenya would be over.
“We’re going to have a long chat about you enrolling in college. If you want to finish, we’ll make it happen. Hell, I might even be able to work in a couple of schoolgirl scenes at the club. This is a conversation we’ll be having… later.” Several hours later, if he had his way. “First, we’re going to make some new memories to go along with the hot ones you were sharing with me in front of two of the oldest—not to mention, most powerful—wizards in the world.” Scooping her up in his arms, Bronx stalked down the hall toward what he now considered their bedroom.
Her laughter and squeals of delight were music to his ears. Getting her alone was a blessing; getting inside her would save his sanity. As close as he could figure it, he’d have her naked and in the shower in under ninety seconds. Add another ninety to make certain she was ready for him. Perfect. He’d be buried as deep as he could go, her toned legs wrapped around his waist in three minutes or less.