Witch Untold by Debbie Cassidy

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The bedroom door swung open and Tor strode in, followed by Rune. They both froze. Rune lifted his head, clearly sniffing the air, and Tor’s nostrils flared as he inhaled.

His gaze flicked to the bed, stripped of duvet and cover, and back to me, holding said duvet and cover. His gray eyes flashed, jaw clenching, vein in his neck throbbing. “Jasper…” His voice was a bestial rumble.

Tor…Rune padded to stand in front of him. We agreed this was okay.

Rune’s voice sounded strange too, lower-timbered and gravelly.

Tor dropped his chin, hands curling into fists, shoulders rising and falling rapidly. He spun on his heel and left the room, bumping shoulders with Leif as he entered.

“Hey?” Leif threw a confused look my way. “What the hell is his probl—” He stopped and sniffed the air. “Oh…”

I sighed. “Jasper was here.”

Leif nodded curtly. “Uh-huh. Yeah.”

Rune chuffed. It’s okay, Cora.

Yeah, if holes in the head were okay. “Is it? Because you guys said you were okay with it, but you don’t look like you’re okay with it?”

And I was saying the word “okay” a lot.

Leif walked across the room and opened the window. “We just need to air out the room.” There was a distinct growly edge to his voice now too. He stood with his back to me for long seconds, breathing in the cool winter air before turning to face me. “It’s fine. You and Jasper are fine, but I think we need to come to an agreement.”

And why was I feeling so guilty all of a sudden? “What kind of agreement?”

“If you want to get sexual with Jasper it can’t be here, in this room, in that bed.” He walked over to me, his body all lean lines and powerful muscle, and for a moment I was tempted to back up. But this was Leif, and there was no threat emanating from him, just tension. He cupped my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “We were raised to learn to share a mate, and although the human part of us understands that you love Jasper, our wolves don’t. Our wolves can’t accept him as part of our dynamic. So, we need to have boundaries. This is our space. You, Tor, Rune, and me.”

That sounded reasonable. “Okay. What do you suggest?”

He closed his eyes briefly, as if it pained him to say the next words. “You and Jasper stay in the cabin when he comes to…stay.”

He meant when we wanted to bang.

He opened his eyes and there was no ignoring the conflict and hurt in them, and in the next moment I felt it too. Their pain, disappointment, and confusion punched me in the chest, forcing me to take a step back and suck in a breath. A vise gripped my heart, bringing tears to my eyes. I knew this feeling; it was the same feeling I got when I thought of them with another woman, something two of them would have to do soon.

No. Don’t think about that. “When will you be doing the procreating thing?”

Fuck, why had I asked that?

Leif flinched as if I’d struck him, brows coming together slightly. “Why would you bring that up now?”

“I just…I don’t know.” I looked at my feet. “Urgh.”

“I don’t want to, Cora. You know that, right?” He hooked a finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. “I love you. We all do. The last thing we want to do is hurt you. There will be trying times, bumps in the road. Like this one…” His smile was wry. “But we’ll get through them. Procreation can wait. It will wait for as long as we can put it off.”

And how long would that be. Fuck. I couldn’t let myself dwell on this shit.

“I’m not sorry for being with Jasper, Leif, but I am sorry about…” I waved a hand toward the bed.

No,Rune said. You have nothing to be sorry about. We should have discussed this. It’s not your fault.

I shot him a grateful glance.

Leif drew me close, as if he was about to kiss my forehead, then pulled back. “I love you, Cora, but maybe you could take a shower?”

“I need to speak to Tor.”

“Then you definitely need to shower first.”

* * *

I tookthe quickest shower of my life, tugged on leggings, a sweater that fell to my thighs, and fur-lined, Eskimo-style, gray pull-on snow boots to match the color of my jumper, then topped it with my fleece jacket and headed out of the house in search of Tor.

My connection to him told me he hadn’t gone far. It also told me he was pissed. I rounded the house and headed toward a strange thwacking sound to find Tor stripped to the waist, standing in the snow, swinging an axe as he cut wood for the fire. I saw the guys naked all the time, but each time was like the first, a slug to the chest and a skip of the pulse.

Steam rose off his torso and his breath made pillowy clouds in the air with each exhalation. If he sensed my presence, he didn’t show it. Muscle danced beneath his taut bronze skin as he bent to pick up another small log with one hand and place it on the chopping stump.

He straightened and finally looked at me. “I’ll be in soon.” He swung the axe, arms flexing as the axe head split the wood.

I drifted closer. “Can we talk?”

His jaw flexed. “Not now.”

His dismissive tone was like an angry bite. “Yes now. You have a problem, so let’s talk. Clear the air.”

He slammed the axe head into the stump and strode off toward the treeline.

Seriously? What the fuck? I took long strides after him, catching up to him as he entered the canopy of trees.

He reached for his waistband, obviously about to shuck off his joggers to shift and run.

I grabbed his wrist. “Are you seriously gonna run away?”

His body rippled with tension. “Let go of me, Cora.”

My hackles rose and my instinct was to hold on, but I forced my fingers to uncurl and release him. Instead, I stepped in front of him, peering up at his stormy features.

So much anger. “Dammit, Tor. I get it. The bedroom is our space. It won’t happen there again, but—”

He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me up against the nearest tree. “You think that’s my problem?”

I scanned his unyielding features—the clenched jaw, the slitted eyes and flaring nostrils. I was so fucking confused. “Leif said—”

“What needed to be said.” His grip relaxed and then tightened as if he was fighting himself. “And I did what needed to be done. If I’d stayed, then…”

“What?”

He growled. “Then I would have torn off your skimpy robe, thrown you on the floor, and fucked you senseless to cleanse his scent from your skin.” His eyes brightened, more silver than gray, huge black pupils holding me captive. “I could take you right now, Cora.” He ran his nose up the side of my face. “I could fuck you up against this tree. Bury myself deep inside you.”

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move, but my body responded to his words with an internal lurch, softening and leaning into him. His grip on me loosened and then wet heat kissed the column of my neck. His tongue. His breath. His mouth on my earlobe, teeth catching and dragging.

Was that my whimper?

“You can feel it, can’t you.” His words licked at my ear. “You can feel me inside you.”

I was throbbing, body clutching at something that wasn’t there. “Tor…”

He pressed his thumb to my parted lips. “Suck it.”

I met his gaze, dark with want, and took his thumb into my mouth. The pad was salty and rough as I swirled my tongue around it. He sucked in a breath, chest vibrating as if in approval, then his mouth replaced his thumb, and I was lost. The hard bark of the tree didn’t matter, the chill was a distant thing; there was only Tor—the slant of his mouth, the rasp of his tongue against mine, and his expert hands beneath my clothes. Calloused fingers slipped past the thin cotton of my underwear and deep into my wet heat.

He wasn’t gentle, but I didn’t want gentle, I wanted this. This claiming, this possession. But I needed to claim him too, to find his heat, take it in my hand, and drag him on this journey with me. He was silk and steel, his tip wet with desire as I worked him.

He dragged his mouth from mine, lips kissing my cheek while he rolled his hips against my hand. “Cora, fuck.”

My eyes rolled as he pushed deep, hitting the hungry spot that would push me over the edge. Our mouths gravitated toward each other, locked as we came, swallowing each other’s guttural cries as the world shattered, taking us with it.

* * *

The guys were alreadyin bed, waiting for me to join them. Fresh sheets and an aired-out room waited. Damn, I needed to stop and think before acting next time, but passion could be like that, all-consuming, all caution out the window.

I finished brushing my teeth and froze as my eyes flashed silver in the mirror. I blinked and an electric-blue ring bloomed on the outer edges of my irises.

“Fuck.” I leaned in to study my face. Was it leaner? Was my chin sharper?

My hands throbbed and I looked down at them. Something was wrong. My fingers…shit, what the fuck was wrong with my fingers. They looked wrong, longer. I held my hand up to my face, pulse speeding as my fingers visibly elongated. A scream clawed up my throat, accompanied by a burning in my fingertips, and then black talons pushed out of my skin.

My shrill scream pierced the air.

The bathroom door slammed open. “Cora!” Leif rushed in behind me and froze. My gaze flew to him in the mirror, but his attention was on my hand.

“What is it?” Tor crowded into the bathroom. “Fuck. Again?”

But this was worse. My hand was no longer mine. It was a huge, misshapen thing that didn’t belong on my body.

My insides trembled, fear and horror digging claws into my mind. “Make it stop. Leif…Tor, make it stop.”

Breathe.Rune’s tone was like aloe vera, cool and soothing. Just close your eyes and breathe.

I did as instructed, taking regular, even breaths and willing my hand to stop being a freak.

Warm fingers gently gripped my wrist. “It’s okay, Cora. You can look now,” Leif said.

“I’ll make hot chocolate,” Tor said softly.

We’re going to need marshmallows, Rune added.

I felt them retreat and a crazy laugh bubbled up my throat.

“Cora, look,” Leif urged.

I opened my eyes and stared at my hand. My normal, non-taloned hand. “Leif…what’s happening to me?”

He pulled me into his arms. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”

I allowed him to lead me from the room and tuck me into bed before climbing in beside me.

I grabbed my mobile phone from the bedside table and dialed Ursula. She answered almost immediately.

“Cora?”

“Hey, babe. Any news on my results?” Considering what had happened, I was impressed by how calm I sounded.

She sighed. “Fuck. I’m so sorry. I’ve been on a mission, headed back tomorrow. I’ll check with the lab as soon as I’m back.”

I knew the Magiguard did a whole host of shit, but their mission data was classified, and it wasn’t as if Ursula had control over when she got shipped off. The sample thing was a favor. She didn’t owe me anything.

Yeah, I needed to remind myself of that to keep the annoyance at bay. “Thanks.”

“Is everything okay?”

“My hand just morphed into some freak thing with talons, so no.”

“Shit. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine now. I’m fine.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“So, this thing…it could cause physiological changes…”

“It looks like it. I kinda need to know what I’m dealing with. Fast.”

“Give me forty-eight hours.”

“Thanks, babe.”

I hung up, flung the phone back onto the table, and slumped onto my pillow.

Leif leaned over me, crimson locks falling forward to brush his cheekbones. He stroked my cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”

I ran my hands through his silken hair and his eyes fluttered closed for a moment. “I love your hair.” I sank my other hand into his locks too, marveling at the texture.

He shifted so his torso hung over mine. “And I love everything about you.” He kissed my nose, then the corners of my mouth, before brushing his lips over mine in a butterfly kiss that made my heart flutter. He pulled back. “Best not start something I can’t finish right now.” He looked wistful.

The memory of my intimate time with both Tor and Leif filled my mind, making my heart race.

Leif chuckled. “Soon.” He kissed my jaw and neck. “I’ll speak to Rune about giving us the room.” He kissed the hollow between my collarbones. “We just need to be considerate.”

His hand was traveling across my hip toward my pubic bone, fingers running along the edge of my underwear, and my thoughts tangled and melted into insignificance.

He planted kisses down my body, slipping under the duvet, his lips warm through the thin fabric of my sleep vest. I clutched at his hair as his mouth reached the apex of my thighs, breath hot through cotton as he hovered there.

“Leif, we can’t.” I tugged at him, urging him up.

But he resisted, kissing through the fabric of my pants.

“Leif…”

He kissed me again before peeling my panties to the side and licking me.

“Shit, Leif, what happened to not starting what you can’t finish?”

“But you taste so fucking good.” He flicked me with his tongue again and my hips tilted in response.

Footsteps up the stairs.

“Leif. Stop. The guys are coming.”

He gave me one final deep lick with the flat of his tongue and then rolled off me, leaving me aching and incomplete.

The door opened and Tor entered carrying a tray with mugs of hot chocolate.

Rune padded in after him.

“You wanna watch a movie in bed?” Tor asked.

I knew this tactic. Put the distressed person’s mind elsewhere. I’d used it on Fee enough times. Wait, was that what Leif had done? If so, it had totally worked.

“Cora?” Leif prompted. “You want to watch a movie?”

I cleared my throat. “Sure.”

Tor set the tray on the bedside table and padded over to the TV and our selection of DVDs.

His ass looked ripe and juicy in his snug black boxers. Now that was a distraction.

“Suggestions?” Tor asked.

Leif sat up against the headboard. “What about—"

Not The Notebook again, Rune cut in. Please. He leapt onto the bed and settled across the bottom, his hazel eyes fixed on Leif. I don’t think I can handle all your sobbing tonight.

Leif pouted, leaving me with the urge to suck on his bottom lip. “Hey, it’s an emotional movie.”

“What about Lord of the Rings?” Tor suggested.

Classic,Rune agreed.

“Are you trying to put us to sleep?” Leif said.

Tor sat back on his haunches and gave Leif an incredulous look. “Don’t disrespect the Tolkien.”

What about a musical?Rune suggested.

Leif threw a pillow at the wolf’s head.

I picked a mug from the tray and settled back to enjoy the banter.

These guys had my back. Really had my back, and there was some comfort in that. But there was no ignoring the kernel of icy foreboding inside me that not even the warmth and love surrounding me could melt.

The feeling that something bad was about to happen.

I just hoped that bad thing wasn’t me.