Audric looked at William and grinned. “Just like old times, my friend. I appreciate you sending the kids home. I never intended for their safety to be compromised.”
“I know why they were here, and they’ll figure it out soon enough.” William looked at the frozen scene in front of them. As soon as Bronx pulled Kenya into the time tunnel, Audric whispered the words that stopped everything taking place in the meadow—even the flames were paused.
William had to admit the man’s command of magic was damned impressive. Letting his gaze settle on the much younger version of his wife, William felt his eyes well with tears. He’d thought losing his son was the most difficult thing he would ever have to endure, but he’d been wrong.
Watching his beloved, Isla, fade into a slow death had drained him in ways he’d never imagined possible. In the end, he’d been grateful she was no longer in pain—but William learned the depth of sorrow and how lost he felt without her. “I know I told Kenya she has a large family on the Fitzpatrick side, and it’s true there is a rather impressive number of extended members of the clan.”
“But she is the only family you have left, my friend… and it was time. Pretending you didn’t know where she was because you were afraid of being rejected was never going to get you what you really wanted. I know we’ve had our disagreements over the years, but it’s time to set all that aside.” Reaching out to grasp William’s forearm, Audric infused the connection with warm energy, letting it seep all the way to his friend’s soul. “I know it was difficult to resist using magic to ease her suffering. Doing what’s right is rarely easy. We are often overly optimistic when our souls come to this world for lessons. Letting her spirit suffer so it could grow and advance to higher levels was a lesson for all of us.”
“She insisted on coming with me to this ceremony.” William chuckled at the memory. “Damn, she was a stubborn woman. When she found out I was the only man planning to attend, she flew into a rage.”
“You were quite the catch, and she damned well wasn’t letting you slip away.” Audric’s words were accompanied by a warm smile, reflecting amusement rather than judgment.
“I knew her family was a source of embarrassment for her. Those who choose the dark side of magic never consider the way their decisions taint the other members of their family.”
Shortly before Isla came of age, her family’s choices made them outcasts in the magical community. The scandal almost derailed her engagement to William, the entire mess something she’d never gotten over. Shaking his head, William turned to the man who’d once been his closest friend. It was time to set all the old competition aside.
“Enough of this, we already know there are only five pieces, but neither one of us can remember the spell used to separate the elements into the medallions our descents have been wearing.”
“Once we hear it again, figuring out how to reverse it should be easy. None of the women will be safe until the icon is reassembled and safely stored in the vault.”
Audric was right about what it would take to ensure the women’s safety, and William hoped it would be as simple as the man standing next to him implied.
“Getting older is a pain in the ass. I helped with the spell and can’t remember the details. It’s damned humbling.”
“The alternative has some serious drawbacks as well. Besides, look at the bright side—we’ve lived long enough, people expect us to say outrageous shit, so we can speak our minds without worrying about the consequences. Naps are perfectly acceptable, we can wear comfortable clothes, and no one bitches about our fashion choices.”
William couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Hellfire, you’re right. I’ve been looking at this thing all wrong.”
“Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Life Force. Magical elements that make up the energy of the Universe.” They listened to the incantation, rewinding the scene twice to make sure they’d gotten all the details. “I recorded this with the snazzy phone Charlotte got me for my birthday, but I’ll be damned if I can figure out how to get anything back on the stupid thing.”
“Will it work? Taking it back to the present?” William could think of at least a dozen reasons it shouldn’t—but in the world of magic, things were rarely what they seemed.
“Sure… well, for me. I made sure I didn’t capture myself on film.”
“Phones don’t use film, you dolt.”
“Fuck you. I suppose you’re one of those… damn, what do they call the lunatics who think everything should be digital?”
“Geniuses?”
“Tell me again why we were friends.” Audric’s words sounded gruff, but his eyes were dancing with mischief. “Techy. That was the word Charlotte used. Gigi will be able to find the damned video if we need help remembering anything.”
William laughed as they set the scene in motion again as he waved his hand, sending them hurtling down through the tube of time. He’d gotten used to the sensation of being hurtled through space, but Audric was looking a bit worse for wear. When they landed outside one of his favorite Irish pubs, Audric looked over at William and chuckled.
“You buying? Damn, I haven’t been here in a hundred years.”
“I’ll buy the fish and chips—you buy the booze. I doubt your tastes have gotten any cheaper or your control any better.” William didn’t move to the door, giving Audric a minute or two to gather his senses. No need to stagger in the door when it was almost certain they’d be staggering out in a couple of hours.
“You still have an apartment down the street?” Audric shook his head, snorting a laugh as he took in the gas street lamps and Victorian dresses and suit coats of the couples walking by. “Time travel always did confuse the hell out of me. Come on, I really need a drink. We don’t have to be back in Texas for…”
This time it was William who laughed. Shaking his head, he slapped his hand atop Stafford’s shoulder and steered his friend toward the pub’s entrance. William could take them to any point time, so it didn’t matter how long they spent in Dublin. He had a feeling neither of them was going to feel up to sliding through a brightly colored tube at Mach speed anytime soon.
Bronx let the tip of his cock slip through the outer lips of Kenya’s pussy and groaned when he found her slick with arousal. “Fucking perfect, Cheŕ. We’ll do sweet and sensual later. This round it’s going to be hard and fast. Hang on to my shoulders, mate.”
“Yes. Hard is good. Really hard is even better. Don’t worry about fast. I’m going to come as soon as you push in. Oh, God, please fuck me.” Her hands were gripping the tops of his shoulders so tight, he could feel her nails sharpening and wondered if she realized how close she was to shifting.
“I’m going to put you over my knee for topping from the bottom after we have a long chat about the rules, but right now, I’m happy to oblige.”
With water cascading down on them from the rain showerhead, Bronx couldn’t take his eyes off the woman who held his heart in the palm of her hand. Damn, he loved seeing her eyes outlined by glistening water droplets clinging to her lashes as the blue orbs glazed over with passion. He knew he’d never forget this moment or the sound of her voice as she begged him to fuck her.
Thrusting his hips forward, Bronx pushed through the heat of her pussy until his tip was pressed against the opening of her cervix. Kenya’s shudder started in her core, then slowly worked itself around his aching erection before quaking to the surface. Pressing her back to the smooth marble wall, Bronx slid his arms under her knees, hooking them over his elbows. The shift in position opened her up even farther to his thrusts, and Bronx didn’t waste any time giving her what both their bodies craved.
Hearing her soft sighs become louder, more urgent pleas for more was music to his ears. There was a deeper tone to her voice, bordering on the growl of her wolf. Bronx didn’t miss it, but since he could hear how scrambled her thoughts were becoming, he doubted she’d noticed. Her body was slowly adapting to the genetic changes, and he was grateful for the more relaxed pace, considering all the other craziness surrounding their mating.
He easily controlled the pace, slowing each time he felt her getting close to tipping over the edge. He wouldn’t deny her orgasm, but he damned well wanted the two of them to come together.
“Don’t come until I give you permission, Cheŕ, I want this to last. Fucking you is melting my mind. Smelling your arousal tests my control in ways you can’t possibly imagine. Your scent calls to my wolf, blanking out everything but my need to make you mine in every way possible. Before the night is over, I plan to slide my cock between your sweet lips and claim your luscious ass as well.”
Kenya’s entire body clenched around him, her nails puncturing his skin as she exhibited the first stages of a shift. He could hardly wait to see what she looked like in her wolf. Seeing the amber lighting her eyes drew his own wolf closer to the surface. Bronx was looking forward to the coming full moon and having the opportunity to claim her wolf by the edge of the lake. He hoped like hell the two wizards weren’t planning their ceremony for the same time. If those two old farts fucked up a round of outdoor sex with Kenya, Bronx was going to be pissed.
“Outdoor sex sounds great, but right now, I don’t dare think about it. I’m going to come if I think about you taking me outside.” Bronx would have laughed at her confession if he hadn’t heard the note of desperation in her voice.
“If you come without permission, I’ll paddle your ass.” Her pussy flooded with warm cream, her arousal bathing his cock in heat. “I think you like the idea of being over my knees, my handprints colored bright red against your alabaster skin. We’re going to experiment with that edge of pain, Cheŕ, but do yourself a favor and make it an erotic spanking, not a punishment.” He didn’t want to set her up for failure, so it was time to get both of them to the tipping point.
“Sir? Do you want me to call you, Sir? Anything? Please. I’m going to lose this battle.” Kenya’s plea was all it took to spur him on.
“Hang on to me, Cheŕ. We’re going to kick this up a notch. Come as soon as you’re ready—I’m going to be right behind you.” He wouldn’t let go until he knew she’d gotten what she needed—he’d never leave his mate unsatisfied. The one punishment Bronx never used as a Dom was orgasm denial. He’d never met a submissive who didn’t resent the hell out of being spun up, then left hanging. The ones he’d talked to assured him it became a trust issue, and he’d seen it in their eyes during scenes. Bronx decided years ago, he’d never punish a sub when he was angry and never use pleasure as a weapon.
“This is too much and not enough at the same time. I feel like I’m falling through a hole in the Universe and soaring above the clouds, but most of all, I feel like something inside me is trying to claw its way out, and I’m burning up from the inside out.”
It’s your wolf, Cheŕ. Focus on me, on the pleasure.
He could feel her wolf beginning to come into itself, but it still wasn’t well-formed enough to fully shift. If she tried to force it now, the consequences could be devastating. He’d never seen someone trapped in a partial shift before, but he’d heard enough rumors to know it was a tragedy that usually claimed both mates. Bronx had grown up hearing that one mate rarely survived long after the first passed, but he hadn’t fully understood until Kenya.
Two halves of the same soul can’t survive being ripped apart once they’ve been rejoined during mating.
Kenya was going to lose her mind if Bronx didn’t focus. Holy hat racks for homeless bunnies… he seemed to think she was easily distracted, but she was going to have to step up her game if she was going to keep up with his scattered thinking. It was obvious, he’d forgotten she could hear his thoughts, and the more time that passed since his mating bite, the clearer his internal voice sounded in her mind.
Please. I’m begging you. Harder. I need it harder. She hadn’t meant to share her thoughts, but Kenya couldn’t make her mind focus on anything aside from her need long enough to figure out how to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. The damned mailman could be listening in as far as she knew—or cared.
Bronx growled, the vibrations coming from deep in his chest. The ominous sound made her think his need might be as urgent as her own—that, or he was angry. She pushed the worry aside—no time to worry about that now. His thrusts were coming faster, pressing her incessantly against the marble wall. He took a half step back, just enough to shift his position and change the angle, making certain the rigid ring encircling the flared head of his cock caressed her G-spot with every thrust.
Bronx’s small move was all it took to launch her over the edge into a blinding abyss of brilliant lights flashing behind her eyelids. Kenya felt as if she was soaring. Despite blood thundering in her ears, she heard a woman shout Bronx’s name. It took several seconds for her to realize she’d been the one screaming her mate’s name. Damn, I’ll probably be embarrassed about that later… but right now, I’m just trying to breathe.
Bronx lowered her legs to the floor of the shower but held her close. If he’d released her immediately, Kenya would have collapsed into a heap. When he finally stepped back, Bronx caressed her cheek until her eyes met his.
“Are you okay to finish your shower? I just heard my phone sound the alarm for incoming family.” She must have looked confused because he gave a shrug and grinned. “They enter their code before crossing the perimeter. They think it shuts down the alarm system—it doesn’t. The code changes the alarm to a different tone, telling me who is coming up the drive.”
“Why do I get the idea there is more to the story?”
“The second time my sister Asia walked in to find a gun pointed at her, she announced she wasn’t coming out again until I fixed the alarm system or started answering my phone.”
“Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to answer your phone?”
“Sure, but then I’d have to come up with a plausible excuse to avoid whatever social function she was showing up to demand I attend. This way, I know it’s her, and I lock the place down, kill the lights, and wait until she gives up and goes back to Austin.”
Her soft laughter as she shampooed her hair made her look like a water sprite enjoying an afternoon rain shower. He’d been looking forward to a nice long round of patio sex, but with Austin headed their way, those plans were going to have to wait.
Austin isn’t alone. This is a buy one, get two free deal. Get your ass down here. We need to talk.
What the fuck? I don’t want to play reindeer games with you assholes. Go away and let me spend time with my new mate.
Damn it all to hell. He was starting to wish he’d harassed his brothers after they claimed their mates rather than letting them enjoy the time all shifters were supposed to be allotted for the process.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cry me a river. None of us are happy to be here, either. If you’d get your horny ass down here, we might be able to get ahead of this train wreck before the hungover wizards show up.
Damn it all. Bronx had a mental vision of his plans going up in smoke as he dried off and stalked into his closet. He would set out clothes for Kenya to wear, so she could join them, but if she was picking up on this conversation, he wouldn’t blame her for taking her sweet time getting downstairs. Just in case she was entertaining any thoughts of slipping away, he punched in a command on his phone, activating the underground monitors, so they were sensitive to a much lower weight. A single touch outside a window or door would send a message to his phone. Smiling to himself, Bronx pulled on a pair of jeans and a tattered t-shirt and headed down the hall.
Brigitte Stafford rolled her eyes at Israel’s telepathic communication. She doubted he’d deliberately tried to hide the communication because he would have known it was futile.
“Israel never tries to hide behind telepathic communication. He rejoices in speaking right into his brothers’ and sisters’ heads. It’s annoying as hell.” Gigi raised her brows in surprise at Austin’s sudden outburst. The man who’d claimed Gigi’s niece, Charlotte, as his wife and mate was notoriously in control.
“It’s easier. People,”—Israel gave his older brother a pointed look—“tend to ignore their phones. I’m much harder to set aside if I’m chattering between your ears rather than trying to speak into them.”
“That has to be the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. What’s the problem with you two, anyway? Austin has a baby at home, so his grumpiness might not be so hard to understand if I didn’t know he and Charlotte have one remarkable nanny training another one who, by all accounts, is going to be even better. But you,”—she pointed a blood-red polished finger at Israel—“hell, you should still be in the honeymoon stage of your marriage. I swear the two of you need a session under my lash.” The horrified looks on Israel and Austin’s faces was worth all the lost hours of sleep.
“Fucking hell, that’s never happening. One scene during our Prairie Winds training was more than enough.” Gigi laughed because she knew Kent and Kyle were adamant every Dominant spent one evening as a submissive, so they understood the dynamic. It had been the longest evening in Brigitte’s life.
“What’s not happening? And, what the hell was that bullshit about hungover wizards? If you are talking about Audric and William, when Kenya and I left, they were still watching the separation ritual in the meadow. How did they manage to get drunk? There wasn’t a bar or anything else for miles.” Bronx moved to the kitchen, pulling a beer from the fridge. Turning, he was surprised to find Brigitte grinning at him. “Holy shit, when Israel said there were three of you, I figured it was Kensington or Cleveland. Wait, why aren’t you in Mexico, watching over Denali? Why am I asking all these questions, and nobody’s giving me any answers?”
“Perhaps if you took a breath, they’d have a chance to answer.” Bronx looked up to see Kenya standing at the end of the hall. Dressed in a cropped top that looked like it had been painted on her and a pair of perfectly faded blue jeans, she took his breath away. With the frayed hems framing her pink polished toes, she looked like a fresh-faced teenager.
“Where did those clothes come from? That’s not what I left on the bed.”
She blinked at him in confusion.
“I left those for her. You tried to dress her like one of the boys to keep your brothers from looking at her.” Gigi was leaning casually against the wall, pretending to look at her nails. The low growl her response got from Bronx made Brigitte smile. Shrugging with feigned disinterest, she added, “You’re really on a roll lately. Trying to dress your lovely sub in shabby clothes after shagging her in the shower… I swear your reputation as charming is vastly overrated. And all this after dragging her through several centuries and plopping her down in a dark forest? I assume you’ve figured out my dad used you for a ride and set Kenya up, so she’d meet William.”
All three Adler men stood with their mouths gaping open in shock. Kenya was the only one who appeared to be keeping up—her bark of laughter rang through the silence.
“Audric Stafford is your dad? Oh, I’m so happy to meet you.” Extending her hand, she never missed a beat. “I’m Kenya Star. Your dad is the shit.”
Gigi was speechless for a few seconds before she remembered hearing the young people on Kensington’s movie set using the same expression when they thought something was really great.
“I’m Brigitte, but my friends call me Gigi. My dad is something else alright… to be honest, I’m starting to think he is going through his second childhood.” Turning so she included the men in the conversation, she nodded at Bronx. “I’m sure you’re right about where they were when you left, but they detoured to Dublin. Instead of returning to the here and now, they decided to revisit the pub where they wasted so much of their youth.”
“How did you find this out? It’s not like someone could have texted you. Wait…” Kenya paused, chewing on her lip, her mind spinning so fast, Gigi was becoming dizzy. “That’s not possible, is it? A cell phone working back then without cell towers or electricity? It doesn’t seem like it would work, but then again, the world of magic seems to color outside the lines without any trouble… so who knows.”
Gigi laughed out loud. “Oh, the Adler ladies are going to love you.” Gigi knew they would, to the last one, the Adlers—whether they were born into the clan or mated with one of the five brothers—were all smart as whips and as independent as any women she’d ever met. Each had a unique skillset of magic that was amplified by their mate. The whole family was remarkable. It was easy to see why the Magic Council was watching the group so carefully and tapping their skills when they had a challenge one of the Adlers could help with.
Kenya’s cheek flushed a deep red as her gaze dropped to the floor. Bronx held out his hand to her and smiled when she moved to him without hesitation.
Hell, if Brigitte spent much more time in Texas, she was going to start thinking about finding a sub of her own, and she didn’t have time for a permanent relationship. If her dad didn’t stop acting like a damned teenager, she wasn’t going to have any free time at all.
What the hell was he thinking taking off when the rumor mill was in high gear. What the old fool needs is a nice calm witch to keep him company—someone with a level head on her shoulders to keep him out of Irish pubs and give him a reason to stay in the present.
“Why don’t you give everyone else the Cliff Notes version of all those thoughts, Gigi? Save me the trouble, and it’s better they hear it from you.” She tended to forget Israel Adler was a gifted telepath, and his brother-in-law was even better. Thank the Goddess, Luke Grayson, and his wife, Brooklyn, still lived in New Mexico.
Doesn’t mean I can’t hear you, Gigi. Don’t make me send Brooklyn to Texas. She’s already worried sick about Catalina. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep her home. Knowing her family is ass-deep in alligators is going to be all the excuse she needs.
Gigi wanted to throw her hands up in frustration. This mess was spiraling out of control and her damned sister, Amaya, was too busy worrying about her next yoga class and whether or not her chakras were in balance to help pull their dad back from his drunken foray.
“While you’re at it, maybe you could enlighten us about who has decided our mates should hand over their medallions and how many people have died trying to protect the damned things.” Israel wanted answers, and he got the distinct impression Brigitte was holding back.
“Personally, I’d like to know why the Council didn’t step in a long time ago. Does anyone know if reassembling this magical totem is going to solve the problem because my gut instinct tells me it won’t?” Austin’s frustration was edging closer to the surface, and Bronx saw Gigi stiffen at their questions.
I’m going to kick Amaya’s namaste ass.