Tempted by Darkness (26 page)

Tristan was already laughing as Jameson hit
the door at a dead run. He hurdled the banister of the large
stairway and was bounding up the stairs three at a time when he
heard the distinctive sounds of his mate’s pleasure. He left a
trail of clothes through their suite, his cock was rock hard by the
time he launched himself onto the bed. The scent of his mate in
heat was quickly pushing rational thought out of his head. They’d
enjoy a run under the full moon later tonight—probably a lot later.
If they had enough energy, but for right now, their bed was the
perfect place to begin working on a cousin and playmate for Angie’s
baby.

Kit stood outside in the cool misty morning
looking down at the engraved marble marker in front of the lab
where she and her granny had shared so many laughs. She could
hardly believe it had been a month since she’d lost her colorful
grandmother. She missed the high top wearing witch with the
lightening quick wit more and more each day. She’d wanted to come
out early and share a few quiet moments alone before everyone else
joined her. Kit was still fuming that her parents had yet to show
up—how her mom could be so callous, she simply couldn’t
imagine.

There had been nights when the scene in the
cavern played over in Kit’s mind until she was convinced she would
go mad. The weeks she’d been in heat had been a blessed
distraction, even if it had left her completely exhausted. Running
under the full moon and fucking in the meadow until she hadn’t had
the strength to run home had helped too. Smiling to herself, she
thought back on how her mates had been forced to shift back into
their human form so they could carry her home. They’d taken her so
many times her limbs had been as useless as overcooked
noodles—there hadn’t been a chance in hell she could make it home
under her own steam. Well, may “been forced to” might be a bit
harsh considering the fact they were still bragging about it to
anyone who would listen.

Staring down at the small monument, she
laughed at the multi-colored stones embedded in the rock of the
high tops. The multi-faceted stones would glisten in the sun making
them appear to shimmer and sparkle just like her granny’s always
had. Squatting down in front of the marker, Kit ran her fingers
over the engraving, “Those who give selflessly sparkle in our
memories forever.”

Kit stood back up and fought back the tears
that threatened to fall. Damn, she was just sure she was pregnant
again and that meant she was going to be weepy for months. “And
just when I was thought I’d cried all the tears I could. But it
really is so perfect.”

“I agree. It’s cute as a button. Who’s it
for?” Kit froze. She was completely stunned for several long
seconds, and then she was too afraid to turn her head and look. Too
terrified that her mind was playing a cruel trick on her, that her
soul deep desire to keep her grandmother close was making her
hallucinate. “Kit? What’s this about?”

When Kit turned to see Granny Good Witch
standing at her side looking completely perplexed, Kit couldn’t
hold back the hysterical laughter that bubbled up from deep in her
chest. All the stress of the past few weeks melted away and she
felt her knees shaking. “Oh my Goddess—” was all she managed to get
out before she wrapped her arms around her granny, hugging her
tight. “How? I saw all the rocks falling. How? You and Cecil were
with the people chanting and then you disappeared in the dust
beneath the avalanche of boulders.”

“Oh, that. No, we took them into custody and
transported them back to the council chambers—which was kind of
ironic since two of them were Supreme Council members. We might not
have managed to get them out if your mother hadn’t shown up just in
time to help. You know how she likes to make an entrance.” Her
granny rolled her eyes like an errant teenager and Kit giggled.

“My mom was there?” Kit couldn’t believe
she’d seen so much, but missed just as much.

“Yeah, but damn she sure did cut it close.
She’ll be late for her own funeral, just you wait and see.” For the
first time, her granny looked up at her, shock etching her
features. “Hey, why the tears? And you look like hell, sweetheart.
Why so sad?”

Kit felt the hysteria building again as her
entire body began to tremble. A warm muscular arm wrapped around
her from behind anchoring her to an equally warm chest.
Trev.
“Nice to see you, Ruby, I have to say, you gave us all
a hell of a scare. Where have you been?”

“Hi, Trev, what do you mean? I’ve been
helping get those traitors settled in prison. Damn they have
compromised a lot of projects the Supreme Council had been working
on, but we’ll get it all sorted out.”

“We?” Kit was finally recovering enough that
she was starting to feel the beginnings of a real good tantrum
building.

“Well, there were two openings on the
Council, and your mom and I have both been asked to fill those
seats.” With a quick wave of her hand, Ruby was wearing deep purple
robes and her high tops were covered in glittering amethysts and
alexandrite stones. “I wanted something a little flashier, but your
mother has become a regular stick in the mud. I don’t know who
appointed her the fashion police of the Council, but I’m stuck with
one color—for now.” Her wink let Kit know the Supreme Council was
probably never going to know a dull moment while Granny Good Witch
was a member.

Before Kit could ask any more questions, they
were surrounded by family and friends who were thrilled to see Ruby
standing in the midst of what was supposed to have been a memorial
service in her honor. When Cecil showed up a few minutes later,
Braden let out a whoop and threw himself in the elderly wizard’s
arms. Kit wasn’t sure which of them shed more tears or which one
tried to hide them more.

It was Braden who finally broke the tension,
“Wow, how cool is it that you get to attend your own funeral—well
sort of at least.” Cecil and Granny Good Witch high-fived each
other as everyone adjourned to the mansion for breakfast.

Kit had hung back with Jameson and Trev, she
just couldn’t seem to stop staring at the memorial. “Even though
she is still with us, I feel like I’ve been changed forever by this
experience. And I keep remembering your mother’s message and how
right she was—that things certainly weren’t as they seemed.”

Turning to face them, Kit was overwhelmed for
a moment at the enormity of the blessing she’d received when Fate
led her into their downtown club. She felt the first tear trail
down her cheek and their knowing smiles almost made her groan. “You
are so beautiful, kitten. You take my breath away.”

“And knowing that you are carrying our
child—well, that makes everything even more perfect.” Trev trailed
his fingers up and down the inside of her arm causing her to
tremble. “Everyone will be busy celebrating for a while—I don’t
think we’d be missed for an hour—or two.” Kit felt moisture rush to
her sex and hoped they managed to find a private place to
play—quickly.

As they moved her quickly into the small
bedroom at the back of the lab, Kit didn’t even try to hold back
her joyous giggle because this would probably be one of the most
successful experiences she’d ever had in the small building she’d
blown up more than once and almost burned down more times than she
wanted to remember.
Oh yeah, I’m going to watch something blow
up and I fully intend to set a couple of hot shifters on fire—yes,
indeed—this lab is about to finally fulfill its destiny.

Published with JK Publishing, Inc.:

The Wolf Pack Series

Mated

Fated Magic

Tempted by Darkness

Masters of the Prairie Winds Club

Out of the Storm

Saving Grace

Jen’s Journey

Bound Treasure

Punishing for Pleasure

Acceidental Trifecta

Book Seven – Coming Soon

Standalones

Taking Out the Mother Of the Bride and other
Christmas Wishes

Published with other publishing
companies:

The ShadowDance Club

Katarina’s Return – Book One

Jenna’s Submission – Book Two

Rissa’s Recovery – Book Three

Trace & Tori – Book Four

Reborn as Bree – Book Five

Red Clouds Dancing – Book Six

Perfect Picture – Book Seven

Club Isola

Capturing Callie – Book One

Healing Holly – Book Two

Claiming Abby – Book Three

I would love to hear from you!

Website:
http://www.averygalebooks.com/index.html

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/avery.gale.3?fref=ts

Twitter: @avery_gale

Masters of the Prairie Winds Club Book
One

by Avery Gale

Tobi Strobel was livid…completely over the
top pissed. From the moment she’d burst into her boss’s office at
Austin Gardens and Homes and met Lilly West, her entire world had
seemed to tip on its axis. Tobi had been on a tear about the
interview she’d been trying to schedule with Prairie Winds “cad”
owners, Kyle and Kent West. And she hadn’t even bothered to knock
before she’d blown into the small room like a Cat 5 hurricane. When
the beautiful dark haired beauty had introduced herself as the
“cads” mother, Tobi had wanted to melt into the floor. But Lilly
West had been the epitome of grace and only laughed as she’d agreed
that her sons were a handful for sure, even though she claimed to
be withholding judgment on the “cad” determination. Tobi had felt
drawn to Lilly in a way she hadn’t really been able to explain, and
the only reason she could come up with was because she’d lost her
own mother when she’d been so young. The excuse sounded weak even
in her own mind, but it was the only reason she could come up
with…at least it was the only one she was willing to accept. Lilly
had assured Tobi that her assessment of Kyle and Kent avoiding
interviews was dead on and had promised to help her secure an
appointment the following day. Before Lilly had left the small
magazine’s office, she’d given Tobi a long hug and then kissed her
on the forehead saying, “They are going to be thrilled to finally
find you.”

Later that night Tobi had laid awake
wondering at the woman’s strange words, but her musings had been
cut short by a text message from Kent West giving her directions to
Prairie Winds and asking her to arrive at precisely seven the next
evening. Tobi hadn’t minded the fact she’d be giving up her Friday
evening because she never really went out anyway. It wasn’t like
she had any disposable funds for entertainment, and quite frankly,
her small apartment wasn’t in a neighborhood that was safe to be
out and about in after dark. What she hadn’t planned on was the
fact she’d be facing a storm so fierce she’d been forced to pull
over to the edge of the road because she hadn’t been able to see
where she was going.

Thank God she’d left her seat belt fastened
because she had no sooner put her small car in park than a large
truck had barreled past and barely clipped her back bumper, sending
her ancient Toyota nose down into a deep ditch. The ditch was
rapidly filling with water, so Tobi grabbed her things, wrapped
them in a couple of plastic bags she found under her seat and
climbed back up to the roadside. Amazingly, not one single person
had stopped despite the fact she’d been standing right at the
road’s edge.

The next time she’d seen lights headed her
way, she’d moved to the center of the road and had begun waving her
arms wildly over her head. Just as the enormous black pickup had
gotten close, a bolt of lightning hit in the field to her right and
the flash had illuminated the startled expression of a man Tobi
could only describe as movie star handsome. She’d only gotten a
glimpse of his dark intensity before she’d found herself jumping to
the side to keep from becoming his newly mounted hood ornament. By
the time he’d managed to screech to a stop, she was hopping mad and
stalking toward the large black pickup as fast as her short legs
would carry her. She was only five foot two, but as she liked to
remind those around her, what she lacked in size, she made up for
in attitude.

Tobi had almost reached his truck by the time
he finally stepped out, “You almost ran over me. Holy smokes Batman
you could have killed me with that monster-mobile of yours. Damn, a
drowned rat. My whole life is spiraling out of control faster than
a Kardashian marriage I tell ya. Shit, shit, double shit. My car is
probably floating toward the lake and my stuff is in trash bags.
Trash bags!
That’s a whole new level of the wrong side of
the tracks, even for me. I’m so wet I’m pretty sure I won’t be dry
for a month of Sundays, hell’s fire I’ll probably mold. And you are
freaking huge and probably some serial killer on the top of some
most wanted list. I’ll end up on the evening news and my brother
will never even know what happened to me because he refuses watch
the damned news. My crazy ass neighbors will pick apart my
apartment before the broadcast is even over and I’ll be a footnote
on some unsolved mysteries show a few years from now. And I still
don’t know what Lilly West meant by finding me. Damnation this
sucks big green donkey dicks I’m telling ya for sure.” When she
finally came up for air and realized the tall hunk in front of her
was simply staring at her with his mouth in a grim line, all she
could manage to do was blush. He had to be at least a foot taller
than she was and his dark hair was barely visible under the Stetson
he was wearing. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown that was
quickly turning even darker. She realized she was staring at him
just as he spoke.