Mystical Seduction: full-length sensual paranormal romance (The Protectors) (24 page)

And then a force more powerful than anything Faith had ever
experienced knocked her breathless. Hands rubbed up and down her back, peeling
off her clothes. Lips rained feather-light kisses over her face. A loving mouth
breathed life back into her body.

“Faith, I love you, too.” Horace squeezed her so hard she
worried her ribs might crack. “You can have your life in Chicago. I’ll do
whatever it takes to give it to you. Just…just don’t die. And don’t ever let me
push you away from me again. I need you, Faith. I need you as fiercely as I
need the air to breathe.”

He loved her. Hearing him admit his love and seeing the
passion and fear in his midnight blues eyes made her believe in miracles.

He kissed her, sending her heart reeling. The world
dissolved and there was only the two of them. Two lovers being naked and honest
with each other.

* * * *

Unfortunately, kisses never lasted forever. The unearthly
blue light at the back of the cave continued to swirl, waiting. Horace drew a
shuddering breath and with a wave of his hand, their clothes returned.

“This will be a new adventure,” Faith said, trying to sound
braver than she felt. But her voice squeaked, betraying the terror beating in
the back of her throat.

She heard Horace release a shuddering breath. “It’ll be a
new start for the both of us. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Swallowing hard, Faith nodded. This wasn’t the path she’d
expected to take with her life, but it was an adventure nonetheless. She was
prepared. Her parents had taught her to listen to her heart. Right now, she
heard her heart singing. Their love had the power to conquer the steepest
obstacles. The unknown that waited for them on the other side of that portal
couldn’t defeat them.

Horace closed his hand over Faith’s, and they walked toward
the swirling abyss.

Together, they would face their destiny.

Five months later.

The door of The Oblique Café flew open and slammed against
the outside brick wall, nearly shattering the glass.

“Not again!” Jake cried. He dropped the dishcloth he’d been
using on the counter and looked ready to faint.

His patrons leapt to their feet. A few moved toward the
back, fearful of an attack.

But Frank Stone, who’d been expecting this, sat back and
smiled as a mystically charged gust of wind sent snow swirling into the café.
The pair entered as if they hadn’t missed a day in the past five months.

Horace was dressed all in black. His snow-covered overcoat
hung past his ankles. The melting ice crystals dripped on the floor as he
helped his queen with her wrap, revealing her very pregnant belly.

Dallas squealed with delight and rushed to hug Faith while
Brendan squared off with the man he loved like a brother. After a long silence
he grumbled, “I was wondering when you’d remember to visit your friends.”

“I’ve been emailing,” Horace protested.

“It’s not the same.”

“Time moves at a different pace in the other realm, and I’d
been an absent king for nearly seven years. Work had piled up in my absence.”

“That’s no excuse.”

Horace looked different, more confident with his place in
the world. Instead of bristling at Brendan’s disapproval, Horace simply
shrugged and gave a self-depreciating smile. “I was also on my honeymoon.”

Brendan laughed. “Well, that’s an excuse I can understand.
Welcome back, Horace.”

While the two men embraced, Frank greeted Faith. “You’re glowing,”
he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Am I?” She frowned and glanced down at her hands. “I
haven’t done that in ages.”

“He means because of the baby,” Horace said softly. Her
belly had swelled quite beautifully. And a diamond and ruby-studded wedding
band adorned her finger.

“Does this mean Horace’s power is no longer unleashed?” Dallas
asked.

Faith nodded. Her cheeks were rosy in color. “Once we
accepted that we loved each other, his power stopped fighting us.”

“Took the two of you long enough to come to your senses.”

Faith shared a smile with Horace. Neither of them needed to
say anything. Their relationship had finally evolved into what it had meant to
be all along.

“But what’s with the ring?” Dallas asked, her brows
furrowing. She didn’t sound upset, well not too seriously. “Here I was hoping I
could be matron of honor or something.”

“The royal sages of the Otherworld are a pushy bunch. They
insisted we get married right away with some ceremony they’d devised. But we’re
planning a spring ceremony.” Faith patted her round belly and added, “After the
baby is born.”

“Your parents must be thrilled,” Dallas said.

“They’re even more thrilled to know that we’re moving back
to Chicago, and that I’m resuming my work at the university after the winter break.”

That seemed to surprise everyone. “You can do that?” Brendan
asked.

“I’m king,” Horace said proudly. “I can do whatever I want.”

“Does that mean you’ll be—?”Derrick started to ask, his
shoulders bunching. He’d been helping Brendan run Club West in Horace’s
absence.

“No,” Horace answered without hesitation. “I won’t have the
time to be a hands-on owner at the club anymore. And I hear that you’re doing a
fine job acting as manager in my absence.”

Derrick’s shoulders relaxed, and the two men started talking
business until Faith interrupted. “Don’t forget the other reason we needed to
come to the café today.”

“Oh, right.” Horace reached into his coat pocket and pulled
out a silver baby’s rattle. “Brendan, the present you gave me for my birthday
this summer, I just got around to opening it.” He dropped the rattle into his
friend’s hand. “How did you know?”

Brendan turned to Dallas, his mouth gaping. “Dallas had
bought it and wrapped it. I never even looked in the gift bag.”

“You’re not the only one who can have a vision or two,
husband of mine,” Dallas said with a laugh and patted her own belly. “Perhaps
one day we’ll be shopping for a rattle of our own.”

Brendan nearly fell on the floor. Everyone laughed. Even
Frank found pleasure in the moment, which had become rare lately. Holding his
small group together seemed to be growing all the more difficult. All the more
tiring. At least some of his friends had found happiness and love.

Seeing the pleasure in Horace’s expression when he’d touched
Faith’s growing belly made the sacrifices he’d been making for them seem worth
the effort.

“There’s something else that needs to be said,” Faith said,
her tone growing dark.

“You found out what we are?” Dallas asked hopefully.

“I did,” Horace said, and then grabbed his head. His
complexion turned pasty. Frank could feel some of the roiling pain that must
have sliced through Horace’s temples.

“They won’t let him tell you,” Faith explained as she rubbed
her husband’s shoulders. “They won’t even let him think about it without giving
him a pounding migraine. Sorry.”

“We’re definitely part of the mystical realm, though,” Horace
managed to grind out.

“I suppose that means we can cross aliens off our list of
possibilities.” Derrick sounded disappointed.

“Nope, no aliens,” Horace said. Some of his color had
returned. “And Faith is right. There is something I need to tell you.”

Frank had suspected as much. He’d felt a dark ripple in the
air for a few years now. Lately, it had been growing. “It’s about the future,” he
said.

Horace nodded gravely. “All of the turmoil in the mortal
realm, the killing and the rampant hatred, is stirring up the mystical world.
Long-dormant dark forces are awakening. The sages warn that a war is brewing.
Many lives may be lost. Civilizations may fall. And the Protectors will be
called on to balance the scales of justice. That is one reason why they picked
one of us to be king.”

“I don’t like how that sounds,” Frank said.

“You shouldn’t. It’s going to be especially hard on you, Stone.”
Horace sucked in a sharp breath. He must have said too much, been too specific.
“It won’t be easy for any of us.”

“I suspected as much,” Frank said.

The café fell silent.

“I’ll be around, and I’ll do whatever I can to lend a
helping hand,” Horace promised.

Faith hugged her husband’s arm. “We both will.” Her smile
lit up the café. “So let’s not waste our time drowning ourselves in worry about
what may or may not happen sometime in the foggy future. We have a wedding to
plan!”

MYSTICAL SEDUCTION

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For Regency and mystery author,
Dorothy McFalls
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Dorothy also writes cozy mysteries as
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