It knocked the breath out of him, almost brought him to his knees. Her power wrapped around him, and his heart stuttered at the unadulterated richness of her emotions, her thoughts, laid bare before him. He saw, felt, tasted, touching her mind with gentle care, humbled by her trust. The depth of her feelings was staggering, such true goodness, such pure hope and faith, and her magic—it was as strong as he’d suspected, stronger even, a power beyond any he’d ever encountered. There was a promise of greatness in her, the potential of her—given more time—growing into a witch of unparalleled force.
He voiced his thoughts directly inside her mind. “Gods, but you’re beautiful.”
Her response was visceral, swift, a wave of affection, shatteringly open and honest, and he soaked it up, bathed in it. If he spent the rest of eternity in the Shadows, this feeling would last him through it.
She held nothing b
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Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 21
After a few minutes and several turns at intersections—the lights leading their way—the tunnel opened up into a room. Roots, as massive as tree trunks, steadied the rounded walls of earth. Here and there, the roots curled into smaller swirls of almost artful delicacy, a natural adornment. In the middle of the room lay a heap of furs and cushions—and on top of it, lounging in languorous predatory ease, loomed a giant black wolf, almost twice the size of a normal canine. Marga stopped dead, her muscles locked in place, her heart pounding with the rush of fear. “Atticus,” she called out mentally, “please tell me Lucas has ordered that wolf not to eat us.”He squeezed her hand. “That wolf is Lucas.” Marga blinked, swallowed, dumbstruck for a moment. “But…he’s not a werewolf.” His aura didn’t have the unique traces of shifters, the kind of otherworldly creatures who wer
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 22
It was dawn by the time they stepped back into Benjamin’s apartment, where they would wait until they received word from Lucas. He’d told them it might take him a few hours to break the spell, so they’d decided they would spend the day resting, hoping by nightfall they could hunt down Marissa’s captor. The morning’s faint light had dispelled night and darkness, and Atticus powers had almost faded completely when he and Marga stepped into the apartment—and ran into the incubus who owned it. The demon stood in the hallway, in the process of zipping up a duffel bag. “Good,” he said to Atticus, his eyes gleaming with amusement, “you’re fully clothed. Was afraid I might see more of you than I prefer when I came in here. I tried to call your witch to let you know I was going to pick up some stuff, but I only got her voice mail.” “Oh. Right. My cell.” Marga rummaged through her purse,
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 23
Marga watched the vibrant colors of the sunset fade into the darkness of the advancing night, her whole body humming with grim excitement. Soon. Soon she’d get to kill the fucking bastard who’d kidnapped and tortured her baby sister, and then this whole nightmare would finally be over. The familial link to Marissa pulsed inside her, weaker than before but not broken. Yet. Her sister was still alive, and Merle would make damn sure they found her in time. Time. Thinking of which… She turned around, laid her hand on Atticus cheek and met his eyes. “I don’t know how fast the Elders are going to find us once we’ve rescued Marissa, but I want you to know that I’ll try to convince them that you’re—” “Atticustastic?” he asked with a grin that could be sold as an aphrodisiac. She almost choked on the giggle bubbling up. “No. I mean, yes, you are, but—wh
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 24
“Where have you been?” Okay, so she’d brought her pulse down to speaking level, but it was still fast enough to make her voice tremble. Atticus face was shadowed, his features strained. “Taking a walk.” He stepped into the kitchen with measured calm, even though an underlying tension vibrated in his movements. “Had to clear my head.” She couldn’t read him like that, without his aura, couldn’t guess at his state of emotions, his intent. Just a few short hours ago, she’d have never believed he’d harm her—well, she’d also been convinced he’d never betray her like that. But he had. He’d taken her powers. The realization speared her heart, pierced through a part of her that had been untainted by the mounting betrayal surrounding her. Not anymore. That part of her heart was shriveling by the second, crumbling to dust. If he was guilty of stealin
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 25
Atticus pressed his lips together, steeled himself, and then ushered in the inevitable end. “I found him.” Marga froze in the process of pulling on a new sweater. They’d come back to Benjamin’s apartment once more, where he’d peeled her out of her soaked clothes, and, ignoring her protests of I-can-do-that-myself-you-domineering-male, had towel-dried every inch of her until her skin glowed rosy with warmth. Of course, he’d also insisted on kissing any spot looking like it might still be cold—just to be sure—with the result of leaving bright red hickeys in strategic places—and a nice blush of arousal on Marga’s face. Now she swallowed several times before speaking, sky-blue eyes wide. “You know where he is?” She’d immediately understood whom he was talking about, and all lingering sense of playful exasperation had left her face as if wiped away. He nodded. “Wh
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 26
“No!” Marga struggled to her feet, slipped in the blood on the floor. Her mind reeling, heart pounding, she stared at Frances. The Elder witch stood above Atticus broken body, gazing down on him. “Don’t!” Marga yelled again. “He didn’t hurt me!” “I know.” Said with such calm, it froze Marga where she stood. “I was hoping he might, though.” Frances eyes darkened with a note of sadness. “Then I wouldn’t have to do this.” As if cut like puppet strings, Marga’s muscles and sinews didn’t hold her up anymore, and she crumbled to the floor, crashing down on the bloodied concrete with a wet-sounding thud. Pain jolted through her hips, her shoulders, her head as they hit the ground hard. Up close, the metallic smell of all the blood in the room assaulted her nose, and she had to swallow down the bile rising in her throat.
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 27
The bedside lamp bathed Marissa’s face in soft light, her features less haunted in sleep. Atticus had encountered his fair share of gruesome cruelty in his life, and still, what he’d seen in that room in the warehouse…it rivaled his darkest memories, chilled his soul. Made him want to kill that fucker all over again. Marga had taken care of Marissa after they’d returned to the old Victorian, had obviously cleaned her up after she’d carried her upstairs by herself, ignoring Atticus offers of help. He understood, though. The only time Marissa had looked at him, her scent had spiked with gut-wrenching terror. He was, after all, a demon of the same species as the one who’d held her captive, and Marissa didn’t know him, didn’t know anything but to fear him. If he touched her, even with the intent to help, it would distress her beyond necessity. Marissa hadn’t spoken a word since they’d
Forbidden Desire CHAPTER 28
The slant light of the afternoon sun streamed in through the kitchen window, glinted off the knife slicing the herbs. Marga watched Marissa wield the blade with calm precision. Her hands were steady, her movements sure, her eyes focused on her task. She was quiet in a way she hadn’t been before. Her temper had always been calm, had never flared like Marga’s, but now it seemed as if a part of Marissa had gone silent. “Here.” Marga handed her the next bundle of herbs to cut. Marissa accepted them without a word, still not able—or ready—to speak. Marga had tried, at first, to get her to talk, just as she’d tried to convince Marissa to rest and recover. Stubborn though as her little sister was, she hadn’t heeded Marissa’s advice. The day after Marga had bound Atticus in the Shadows again Marissa had started to quietly help out in the house while Marga had straightened out the chaos produced when the Elders