Double Your Pleasure Bundle (42 page)

Damn it
. She saw the sand under her feet first and didn’t have to look up to know she was no longer in her shop.

“Glad you could join us,” a woman said.

Chapter Three

The woman who spoke wore the circular symbol of spirit on her white cloak. Charice had been transported to the Firewick Festival, and now she was standing in front of El-Board. The last place she wanted to be.

Well, shit on a broomstick. Her efforts had been for nothing.

Charice bowed her head because she didn’t know what the proper way to greet the board was. Curtsying? Salutations? Hell, she’d never been in front of them before. Her mother would be ashamed to see her daughter didn’t take time to learn proper board etiquette, whatever that involved.

There were five of them, each representing the five elemental magics of air, earth, fire, water, and spirit. They all wore colored cloaks with their elements woven into the front. All of them sat in a circle around a large bonfire, except the woman who addressed her.

“Mistress of Spirit,” Charice said. At least she knew that the Mistress of Spirit ruled over the board. She also remembered their proper titles. They had no individual names but their element, which was how they were known until they died and another took their place. Maybe that would give her some leeway from them. Hopefully, their punishment wouldn’t be a painful one.

“Were you hiding from us, child?” the Mistress of Spirit asked. The woman’s skin was darker than Charice’s, which made an ethereal contrast to her white cloak and the flickering bonfire flames.

Charice tried to think of a way to be honest without condemning herself. The board could see through lies. “I was reluctant to come tonight, Mistress.”

“It is required to attend,” the Master of Fire said. He looked hard at her from where he sat in the group, and the firelight that danced off his red cloak made him menacing. “It is in direct violation of the board to refuse the invitation.”

“I’m sorry, Master of Fire,” Charice said. “I didn’t mean to offend. I run a business in town, so the sudden invite put me off guard.”

“See,” the Mistress of Earth said. She wore a green cloak on her short and stout figure. “I told you we need to give them further notice. These young people have lives.”

“That will only give them the chance to flee,” the Master of Air said. His long and thin frame was hidden by his light blue attire that swung off his body. The wind picked up a little as he spoke and made the fire dance.

Charice stifled a laugh when she thought of the Master of Air being blown away by his own element. She had to put a stopper in that quick. If she laughed at the board, she didn’t know what they’d do to her.

The only one of the five who remained quiet was the Mistress of Water. She looked like the oldest in the group with her silver hair framing her pale face under her dark blue hood. Her eyes traveled between her fellow board members before settling on Charice. The woman didn’t frown or smile at her. She just watched her closely.

Even though the woman didn’t speak, Charice could sense she was just as powerful as the Mistress of Spirit. She squirmed under the quiet woman’s scrutiny as the board argued back and forth. She knew she had to show the board her respect, but they bickered around her like spoiled children.

“Enough!” the Mistress of Spirit commanded. Her words were backed by her elemental magic that blanketed the area. Everyone silenced as her power reached them like stretching fingers. “This is a debate for another time.” She turned back to Charice. “Now, young one. It’s time for you to meet your warlocks.”

Charice felt nerves creep up in her. Could she refuse and not get in trouble. “But I—”

“Don’t worry, child. You only have to meet them. Remember, this helps strengthen their power and yours, but you don’t have to bond with them for life.”

“I don’t?”

“It would help our people if she did,” the Master of Fire said, his body stiffening in disapproval. “Other supernaturals are gaining in numbers. We need to ready ourselves for possible war.”

The Mistress of Spirit stared at him until he stopped talking, which he wasn’t happy about.

 “No, dear,” she said to Charice. “Nothing permanent needs to happen. At least not tonight. We don’t have this ceremony to force arranged matches on our people. Think of it as fostering new relationships. If something develops, well, that’s up to you and your triad.”

“What do you want me to do?” Charice looked at all of the board.

“Mingle with the others and seek out your warlocks,” the Mistress of Spirit said.

“How will I know who they are?”

“Part of you already knows,” a small voice said behind Charice.

When Charice turned around, she faced the Mistress of Water. The woman had reappeared next to her and was now smiling back. Her face looked familiar, like someone she’d seen before, but she’d never met any of the board members. She shrugged the odd feeling off.

“The water of life drives you as it does all of us,” the Mistress of Water said. “Use that with your token to find those you seek.”

Token? Charice was confused as ever. Then she remembered what remained in her hand. It was the spelled cloth, the one that belonged to the men who came into her shop. Kye and Warren. As she thought of them, longing filled her. It was an all-consuming emotion that she’d never felt before.

She looked back up, but El-Board had vanished.

Charice stood alone on the beach, but she felt power all around her. She could feel magical people nearby but couldn’t see them. 

She focused on her surroundings. Voices filled the empty beach as bodies blurred into view. Charice closed her eyes and opened them again to find a large group of people, witches and warlocks socializing around the same bonfire. Multiple bonfires lined down the beach, each with groups of people around them.

Bodies were everywhere huddled close together and spread out. Some were in groups of threes, possible triads testing their powers for a match. Others roamed around, probably crashing to enjoy the festival. There were too many of them. How was she supposed to find the two warlocks here for her? Did she even want to?

Charice had an inner feeling that she knew from the beginning who they were. Who was she fooling? She felt they were hers from the moment they walked into her shop. A small part of her ached to see them again. Okay, a large part of her wanted it, but it scared her just how much. They were strangers, but her inner voice screamed that nothing as irrelevant as how short of time they knew each other mattered. This was stronger than that. A magic that expanded across generations.

Slowly, she made her way through the crowd. Magic floated through the air like an invisible cloud of smoke that filled her lungs. It was almost stifling. She was never good at socializing at parties, and that’s what this felt like. One large Wiccan party.

She had to move away from everyone, so she could focus on finding them. Her warlocks. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. 

Her feet did the work for her and took her closer to the water’s edge.
The water of life drives you
, the Mistress of Water had said. Small waves hit against the sand and foamed back into the darkness. She took her sandals off and dug her toes into the wet sand. The warm water crashed against her ankles, causing her to sink further into the sand. Here. This was where she needed to be to find them.

She unfolded the cloth, but something was different about the words. They were the same exact words she had chanted before, that was clear, but light from the moon illuminated only a few words on the cloth. One word from each line glowed in a diagonal direction. A hidden message within the spell. How had she missed that before? She read the slanted words.

“Powers take my soul to thee.”

***

Kye stood at the edge of the Gulf, his feet partially in the heated waves that lapped at his skin. The large bulbous moon reflected off the water’s surface giving a luminescent glow to the night. The bonfire wasn’t far off and lit up the dark from a distance.

She was here. Kye could feel her near. Now, all she had to do was find them. That scared the shit out of him. For the longest time, it was just him and Warren. Their powers worked well together as they went through the district keeping the peace. He was content in his duty. Sure he wanted to settle down eventually, but not now. Then he met Charice in her shop, and everything he wanted changed.

He could feel her power consume his soul as if it already belonged to her.

Kye was dead set on going against El-Board about their decision to bond him and Warren in a Triad. Their reasoning was, as enforcers for the board, they needed to be bonded to reach their ultimate power as warlocks and set an example for the people they oversaw. He wanted to fight them, and with one board member in particular.

He knew Warren desired the bond more than anything, so that kept him from going against their wishes. By linking their powers, they shared an emotional connection along with the merging of strength. He felt Warren’s loneliness on more than one occasion. He was missing the other part of them. Kye felt for his friend, but deep down he had to admit that he wanted it too.

“You always felt the calmest near water,” a voice said next to him. “Your most powerful element.”

He didn’t have to look to know it was the Mistress of Water.

“I think my mother had something to do with that,” Kye said.

“I can’t take all the credit,” she said. “Your power is also your own.”

Silence passed between them as they watched the gentle waves roll over the water.

“I met your chosen,” she said.

“I know she’s here,” he told her. “I felt when she arrived.”

“All she has to do is seek you out. She’s intelligent and strong. A beauty too. Much better than your past trysts.”

“Your point, Mistress?”

“You can call me mother away from the others.”

Kye continued staring out across the water.

When he didn’t respond, she continued. “I wanted you to know I hid your little visit to your chosen’s store today. No one else knows, so neither you nor your witch will be punished.”

He turned to face her. “You covered for us?”

“You’re my son before our enforcer. Remember that. Always.”

“Thank you, mother,” Kye said. The word was odd to him. He was so used to formality between them when they were in front of the board that he rarely called her that anymore.

Kye stared up at the moon beaming down on them. “What I feel for her is different. My power calls to hers, but my mind tells me this could change everything. I’m not sure what to do.”

“What if two other warlocks bonded with her instead of you and Warren? Claimed her for their triad? What would you do then?”

Kye felt rage fill him and a need to protect their witch from others. “I’d kill them.”

“Then there rests your answer,” she said. “Not the most gentle, but an honest one all the same.”

He turned back to her, but she disappeared. She and the board made a habit of that.

It didn’t matter because he knew what he wanted.

Charice’s voice crept into his mind.

Powers take my soul to thee.

She found his hidden message. A proud smile filled his face. She was powerful. Now, all he had to do was wait patiently for her to find him.

Chapter Four

Why the fuck was Kye taking so long? He told Warren he had to take a walk to clear his head. It was starting to annoy Warren that his friend couldn’t accept what was so clear to him. Charice was theirs as much as they were hers. There was no thinking it over. It just was. Every being in his body told him so. He was connected with Kye to know he felt the same, so why was he being difficult? He couldn’t deny the inevitable for long.

Warren chose to stay at the bonfire and wait for her. He could feel her somewhere, but too many people were around. It was also her duty to find them. It initiated the bonding ritual.

A cold beer was shoved into his face. “Have another drink, cuz.”

Warren’s cousin Ryan sat down next to him near the bonfire.

“Not now, Ryan. More alcohol won’t help.”

“You’re really hung up on this woman, aren’t you?”

“It’s more than that. I don’t know how to explain it.” He ran his fingers through his loose hair that hung to his shoulders. He’d thought about cutting it, but Kye said it made him look more menacing when they had to hunt down lawbreakers, so he kept it long. Now, it only served as a nervous distraction of his.

“You’ve only seen her once,” Ryan said,

“Once is enough. Trust me.”

“Well, if you’re any indication of what I’ll go through, I hope a triad match is way off.”

“Royce think that way?”

“My brother doesn’t say much these days. Keeps to himself.” Ryan took a swig from his bottle. “He even refused to crash tonight’s party. Says we’re too old to be coming uninvited.”

Warren could see sadness creep into Ryan’s face. He and his absent twin were usually inseparable. Catching Ryan alone was surprising. 

“Think he may have a point?” Warren asked.

Ryan paused from drinking his beer to actually consider it. He quickly shook his head. “Nah. Maybe. Who knows?”

Warren had to smile at that. His twin cousins made it a tradition to sneak into Firewick every quarter since they were teenagers. At first it was to rebel against their parents and hunt for free beer. Now, at twenty-five, Ryan and Royce were just doing it out of habit, or at least Ryan appeared to be.

The twins were strong, good-looking warlocks. He was surprised they hadn’t received an invitation from El-Board to officially attend Firewick.

Warren felt for his cousin, both of them, but he had other things weighing on him. It involved a curvy witch with a body he’d fight for and an inner strength he’d die for. It didn’t matter that he barely knew her. She belonged with them.

Pleasantries could come later. He was certain they’d get to know each other well enough with her sexy ass snuggled between them at night.

The things he wanted to do to that witch made him hard with longing for her. No human or witch had ever done that to him. He was getting impatient. If the witch didn’t find them, he was certainly hunting her down himself. Bonding ritual be damned. He was an enforcer, after all.

“Did someone die?” a rough voice asked. “Because you two look like you’re at a funeral.” The man came out of the shadows as the firelight filled his features.

“Funny,” Ryan said. “Comedians probably envy you.” He held out the second unopened beer to the man.

“Axel?” Warren asked. “Shouldn’t you be guarding El-Board?”

Axel plopped down on the empty log beside Ryan. Although he wasn’t as tall and muscular as Warren, the man still had some bulk. The log practically disappeared underneath him as he sat down. He shook his head to refuse Ryan’s alcoholic offering.

“They dismissed us for the night,” Axel said with a groan. “Said they had important matters to discuss without us lurking around.”

“And you just allowed them to go unprotected?”

“You expect me to argue with them?”

“No,” Warren said. “I guess not.”

Fighting with the Elemental Board was never a good thing because they always won. As the strongest witches and warlocks in the Southeast region, no one dared to go against them. They didn’t really need bodyguards either, but Kye insisted, especially since his mother was one of them.

“Have you seen Jett around?” Axel asked.

“He wasn’t with you?” Warren asked. The two guarded the board together and shared power as a Warlock Pair. All they needed was a witch to seal their bond.

“Nah. You know Jett. If we aren’t working, he scatters. He wanted to leave when they dismissed us because he hates these bonding bonfire things, but I thought we should hang around in case El-Board changes their mind about us guarding them. They’ve never dismissed us like that before.”

“Sorry,” Ryan said. “Haven’t seen him.” Ryan took another swig of beer and nodded to Warren. “And this one’s been too edgy all night to notice anything because he found his third.”

Axel’s eyes widened. “That true? You and Kye found your witch?”

“Yeah. Just waiting.”

“For what?”

“Her to start the ritual.”

Then he heard it. A voice. Her voice. Charice’s voice and it was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard.
              The words were soft, but it was like she was right next to him, whispering into his ear.

Powers take my soul to thee
, she said.
              Her essence caressed him, and all he could think about was claiming her. He felt her pull and couldn’t refuse her call.

“Gotta go, fellas,” Warren said as he stood. “My witch beckons.”

***

This transportation thing was getting dizzying. Saying the words had taken Charice further down the beach and away from the party. Thank the goddess for that.

The only light around came from the moon that drenched her. It wasn’t full, but strong light flowed down from it.

“I shouldn’t have doubted you,” someone said behind her.

She recognized his voice immediately. Her body relaxed at the thought of being so near him. She could sense his power along with another. She turned to face the men who were her warlocks. Across from her stood both Kye and Warren. Her warlocks. The more she thought it, the more natural it sounded.

If she thought they were sexy before, she was mistaken.

Moonlight made them primal, and their power radiated off of them in bursts. Warren’s shirt hung open to reveal perfect abs, toned muscles, and skin that begged to be touched. His hair hung around his face, and she thought about it dropping over her as he bent down to kiss her and claimed her mouth.

Kye was just as dreamy with his shirt completely gone. He was nothing but muscle and hotness.

Her mind drifted to her licking that chest and roaming over his nipples to test his sensitivity with her lips.

Charice closed her eyes to regain focus. “What did you say?”

“I shouldn’t have doubted you,” Kye said. He slowly made his way toward her as he spoke. “Warren knew. He could tell just by looking at you, touching you.” 

He was so close that his body hovered over her and his mouth so near that she could feel his breath. He smelled like the heated Gulf.

Charice stared up at him in awe. An overwhelming need to have him kiss her swept over her like the waves crashing nearby.

“And now?” she asked.

Kye’s hand cupped her chin and forced her to stare in those deep blue eyes. “Now, I know you’re ours. Forever.” He wasted no time before claiming her mouth. 

After the initial surprise passed, Charice’s body molded to his. The feel of him emitted power and sex. Kye’s magic spread from his lips and danced over her skin. His tongue taunted hers and picked up a rhythm that commanded she follow. Her hands dug into his arms to hold her body steady. He felt right and all hers.

She could feel their magic testing each other, attempting to merge together to make something mighty and new.

But shouldn’t she be fighting this? 

Someone came from behind her and nuzzled her neck. She didn’t have to turn to know it was Warren. His power joined with theirs, hovering around their melded bodies. Her pussy ached from the sensation and would have knocked her down if it wasn’t for the two powerful men supporting her. These two men trapping her between them. Their aura radiated off them and into her. They were strangers, and already she was ready to roll around naked with them. Among other things.

She broke Kye’s kiss, and she could feel her power’s anger at the broken connection. It wanted him, both of them, as much as she did. “Wait. Shouldn’t we slow down a bit?” Her breathing came out shallow as they caressed her with hands and mouths. “We don’t even know each other.”

“Do you wish us to stop?” Warren whispered against her ear before nibbling the tip.

“No,” she said. Her head tilted back instinctively to give them better access. What they were doing set her body on fire from the inside out. She shook her head. “I mean, I don’t know. I don’t even understand how those words brought me here.”

“I hid them in the spell,” Kye said between licks and kisses.

Charice froze. “What do you mean?”

“I planted them in the spell so it would bring you here.”

She wedged her hands between both men and pushed them back, which took a good deal of effort since they were lust driven. Both of their eyes shimmered with their magic, but that wasn’t distracting her. “Are you saying you deceived me here?”

Kye started to speak but looked over at Warren.

“Answer me!” she demanded.

“I wouldn’t say deceive,” Kye said. “More like guided.”

“We wanted you to find us,” Warren said, taking her hand. “Needed you to. We meant you no harm.”

“See? This is what I mean.” She shook off Warren’s grip and walked away, putting some much needed distance between her and their sexy and scorching gazes, which she swore had the ability to melt her panties off. It wasn’t impossible. They were warlocks after all. “We started this relationship with lies. You didn’t even tell me who you were when we first met.”

“So you do think of it as a relationship?” Kye said with a smirk until her fuming stare made it vanish. “That would have scared you off.”

“No,” she said. They watched her in silence. “Maybe not. We’ll never know will we?” She turned to storm back off, forcing herself to be angry. At least that was an emotion that made sense. Not this all-consuming urge to have Kye and Warren take her body and soul. That made no sense at all.

Charice took a few steps until her feet stopped. She was stuck in the sand, and she was sure one of them caused it.

“Let me go,” she said.

“Oh, no,” Kye said. “You don’t get to leave that easily.” 

A light blue light glimmered around his eyes, which meant he was using his magic to hold her there.

Damn him. It was infuriating. She never wanted to slap someone and kiss them just as hard.

“We can tell you want us, Charice,” Warren said. “Your magic tastes of arousal. Don’t fight it.”

“It’s my choice to bind with you or not, remember?” she snapped.

“I know.” Kye smiled at her. “I also remember you deceived us as well.”

“I did not!”

“No?” He lifted her arm to his mouth and licked. 

His tongue swirled over her sensitive flesh and made her body jerk with longing. She should’ve been offended. Instead, she thought it was one of the most erotic things she’d ever seen.

“You taste like passion stone,” Kye said. “If my memory’s correct, you said you weren’t sure if you had one. You knew though, didn’t you? Instead of helping a customer, you chose to use it for yourself.”

“You weren’t even real customers,” she snapped back at him.

How dare he turn this around on me?
Charice thought. It also frustrated her that she knew he was right. 

“You didn’t know that at the time,” Kye teased. “Isn’t the first rule of business to keep customers happy?” His fingers slid up her side, making his words seductive.

It was getting hard to hold on to a clear thought as the anger started to evaporate into nothing. She was in serious trouble.

Warren stared down at her as he drew closer. He wrapped his arm around her waist. “Don’t let something petty keep us apart. Kye can be an idiot sometimes, but he means well.” 

“I’m right here,” Kye said.

Warren ignored him as he placed his other hand on Charice’s cheek, the same way he had when they first met. This time, there was so much more behind his touch. A deep desire calling out to her. “You may not know us, but our magic knows each other. They did from our first meeting. You can’t deny that.”

“No. I don’t deny it.” She could admit that at least. Even then, she could feel both of them flowing over her, begging to be let inside.

“Then let our magic weave together.” Kye spoke this time, all his joking gone. “You’re our third, Charice. Take us for what we are, and we promise to never let go.”

She noticed she could move her feet, but instead of running, she stayed right there as Warren took his turn to kiss her.

His intimate pursuit was raw and hungry while remaining delicate. He tasted slightly of beer and something else that was all Warren and masculinity backed by strength. His body pressed against her, and she could feel just how excited he was for her, since the evidence brushed against her hip.