Authors: Belinda Meyers
“You wanted revenge,” Matt said.
“Yeah. I’d been about to leave, but
I saw him lying there, helpless, and I knew I’d never have a chance like that
again. I could avenge my dad and grandmother, and who knew how many lives I’d
be saving if I did it? Because Walsh would definitely kill again, if he hadn’t
already.”
Matt kissed her temple, which made
her blink. She rounded on him in confusion.
“What was that for?”
He smiled what he hoped was a
gentle smile. “Because you hesitated,” he said. “
I
would have simply torn the bastard’s head off.”
Moisture glimmered in her eyes “So
you don’t hate me? For almost killing him?”
“Hell no! I wish you had. Then we
wouldn’t be here.” Immediately he added, “But I’m glad we are. And I’m glad you
didn’t.”
“Why?”
He grinned. “Because now I
can
kill him.”
“You really think we can?”
“Hell yeah. Anyway, finish your
story.”
“Well, you know the rest. My
hesitation gave Walsh the chance to wake up. When I saw that, I got out of
there, but too late. He recognized me. Put out the alert to all of his
contacts, which are plentiful. I needed a mage to interact with the ring. I
know a few spells, but nothing that could transfer the fire from the ring back
into me. My regular contacts in the Big Apple trembled in terror when I asked
for their help—thanks, guys. So I cast my net wider, looking online for mages
for hire, and came across Tannenbaum. I spoke with him on the phone, and he
seemed nice and honest, and the mountains might be remote enough to be safe
from Walsh. But somehow he was able to figure out where I was going, obviously,
and set a trap for me. I’m so sorry that you’re in it with me, Matt.”
His voice was low and soft as he
said, “I’m not. Not for a minute.”
Chapter 7
Confusion filled Jackie, but also wonder. When she studied
Matt, she only saw honesty and tenderness there. And maybe something else, too.
Maybe … could it really be the beginnings of something stronger? Something
deeper?
She thought so. It frightened her,
but also exhilarated her. She felt a fluttery feeling in her belly and had to
fight the urge to pull away from Matt. She’d never allowed herself to feel for
a man before. Or anyone, really. Not since she’d lost her dad and grandmother.
And after she’d moved to New York, she rarely spoke to her mom anymore.
It was just her, just Jackie,
existing in her own strange, shadowy world, alone and isolated, just as she’d
been since Walsh stole her fire. Sure, she knew people, had contacts. But not
friends. Not confederates. Occasionally she’d tour the bars and drag a man back
to her place for a screw, but that was it. Just physical need, with little
satisfaction, either physical or emotional.
She’d told herself she was beyond
that now. That she was cold. She had no fire, right? It only made sense. If she
wasn’t hot, she must be cold. Like ice. She was Jackie Ice Queen Gage, strong
and proud.
But here Matt comes, all heat and
heart, and strangely—heck, almost magically—she felt her own heart begin to
thaw in response.
“What is it?” he said, evidently
seeing something in her face.
She looked away. “N-nothing.”
Gently, he grabbed her jaw and
turned her face back to his. His eyes met hers like a blow, but a good kind of
blow, and she gasped. She felt like she was staring right into his soul, and he
was staring into hers. The ground seemed to move beneath her. Her breath caught
in her throat.
He crushed his lips to hers. She
kissed back, passionately, playing her tongue against his. She knew he felt it,
too, that connection, that spark. This kiss was something bigger than just a
kiss, it was a seal, a contract—a promise. It was their vow to each other that
they meant something to each other and that their lovemaking hadn’t been a
simple one night stand but the beginning of something larger and deeper than
either had ever experienced before. She knew bear shifters believed in fated
mates, and that if Matt felt this way about her then that meant … that meant …
“Mate,”
she sighed when they parted.
His eyes went wide. “What did you
say?”
She was surprised to feel a smile
tug at the corner of her lips. “Mates,” she said. “That’s what you bears
believe, right?”
“Darlin’, belief doesn’t enter into
it.” He tapped his chest over his heart. “My bear can feel it. In here. It just
is.”
Gulp. “What does your bear say …
about us?”
“He doesn’t speak. He growls.”
She rolled her eyes. “What does he
growl?”
“He growls …” Matt smiled, a huge
wide smile, then ducked his head and buried his head against her navel. He gave
her a loud, growling raspberry, and she giggled and beat playfully at his
shoulders. “… this!”
Matt lifted himself up and stared
into her eyes. Again she felt that connection. There was some humor left in his
face, but there was some seriousness there, too.
“Jackie,” Matt said soberly, “when
my bear growls about you he makes me sad.”
“Sad?”
That scared her.
“He makes me realize I
was
sad. Before you came along. Before
you, I’ve never connected with anyone outside my crew, not since I came back
home from overseas. But as soon as you stepped into that bar, something changed
…” He shook his head, as if at a loss.
She reached and stroked his jaw,
then propped herself up and kissed him again.
Softly, she said, “It changed for
me, too.”
“Really?”
“Really really. In fact—”
Clomp,
clomp.
“Shitfire,” Matt said. “It’s one of
them again.”
“What should we do?”
“Can your magic make us invisible
again?”
“I think so,” she said. “But these
golems are keeping us pinned down till Walsh arrives. He’ll be on his way, and
when he arrives …”
“We’re screwed. And not in the good
way.”
“We need to find Tannenbaum,”
Jackie said. “Maybe working together, he and I can find a way out of this
mess.”
Matt stood and helped her to her feet.
Swiftly she began dressing. Matt, of course, was still as naked as the day he
was born. It was a good look for him.
“I think my bear can come out to
play now,” he said. “It’s had some time to rest. And you’ve given it new reason
to fight.” He slapped Jackie’s butt as she buttoned her black jeans, and she
stifled her laughter. “If I can get you to Tannenbaum, you think you can get us
free?”
“I think so. Yes.”
Clomp,
clomp.
The sounds were closer.
“He said he was near water, right?”
Matt mused.
“Yeah …”
“Well, why don’t we wait till this
golem goes off, then scout around, see if we can hear water?”
It seemed as sensible as anything
else. Certainly more sensible than hanging around in the playroom waiting for
Walsh to show up. Though their time here had certainly been enjoyable.
“Okay,” Jackie said. She liked the
confidence in Matt’s eyes. His years as a Navy SEAL really showed in his
take-charge, can-do attitude. If she hadn’t already known he was the sexiest
thing alive, that would’ve done the trick right there.
Clomp,
clomp.
Jackie stiffened. The golem was
almost to the suite of playrooms. She and Matt pressed tightly together as the
creature stepped across the threshold and began touring the main room again;
Jackie could hear its steps growing louder. Quickly she said a spell and
darkened the air around them, and when the golem came abreast the doorway and
scanned this side room it didn’t pause to inspect the room further but
continued on its way. It finished the tour of the suite and left, but not
before Jackie’s heart felt like it would stop from sheer terror.
“Those things are freaky,” she said
when it was gone.
“Never come across one before?”
“Nope. Only the most powerful mages
can use them. I guess it’s kind of like a magical artificial intelligence; you
turn them on and set them to run and they can manage themselves for the most
part. And the mage can see through their eyes whenever he wants, and take
direct control of them on a moment’s notice. He would have needed help, though.
Walsh must have had a man on the ground here to mix the clay for him and lay
the initial spells that allowed Walsh to reach through the planes and activate
it.”
Matt gave her a long look. “Okay.”
She smiled. “Don’t worry, I know
what I’m talking about. But that man on the ground …” Suddenly she swore. “That
guy at the bar! Damn!”
“What is it?”
“That skinny pale guy. He said
Tannenbaum sent him, but it must have been Walsh. He was Walsh’s agent all
along. Walsh had his spies out watching for me, and he had his ear to the
ground enough to know that I might come here, but he wasn’t sure, so he sent that
jerkwad in his place—to set the stage in case I did show up. Now that I have,
Walsh will be on the way.”
“Doesn’t seem like he wants you
alive,” Matt said grimly.
Jackie patted her purse, where the
ring was. Where her fire was. It was crazy, after all these years, to finally
have her fire back. So close, and yet so far. It was a part of her, her missing
piece, and she was so close to having it restored.
“All he wants is this,” Jackie
agreed. “If he can’t get it back …”
“What?” Matt said. “What’ll happen?”
“Well, if he can’t find another
dragon to drain the fire from—and they’re pretty rare these days—then soon
he’ll begin to age. Rapidly. Then die.”
Matt grunted. “No less than he
deserves. Still, I hope I get the chance to rip him apart first. That would be
way more satisfying.” He shook his head. “Come on, we’ve got to find
Tannenbaum.” He flashed her a smile. “And get your fire back.”
She felt her throat close up.
Softly, she said, “Thank you, Matt.”
A strange look crossed his face. “
Thank
me? Darlin’, you don’t need to
thank me for anything. This is just what mates do for each other.”
Mate
.
There it was again. The word staggered Jackie, and she felt suddenly dizzy, but
in a good way. In a totally, totally good way.
She gave Matt a shaky smile and
squeezed his tight bicep. She tried to form a sentence, but she couldn’t come
up with one that made sense, and she didn’t think her constricted throat would
let her speak anyway. Matt seemed to see it, and warmth spread across his
features. He ducked in for a kiss, crushing his lips against hers, and she
flattened her body against him, loving his hard ridges of muscle pressing
against her softness. She could feel his heat and smell traces of musk and
leather emanating from him. Could he really be … hers? It was a delirious and
heady thought.
All of her life she’d hoped to
retrieve her fire. It was the missing piece of herself she’d always wanted back.
But now, suddenly, as if the world had turned upside down, she wondered if
maybe … if maybe
Matt
were the
missing piece she’d really been needing.
They separated. Taking her hand,
Matt led her through the cluttered main room to the doorway, where he released
her and poked his head out, looking this way and that. She could tell he’d done
this or similar many times before, probably stalking terrorists through
third-world apartments or in the open desert. Even though he was utterly naked
and unarmed, he seemed very professional as he emerged into the hall and
gestured, without glancing back at her, for her to follow. She did so.
He crept to the end of the wall,
peeked out again, then ducked back quickly. He turned and mouthed
It’s here
.
She nodded back, silent.
He waited a moment, then looked out
again, and when he turned back he gave her a thumbs up sign. This probably wasn’t
one of his usual SEAL hand signals, but it was one she understood and she
appreciated it.
He crept into the hall, going the
opposite direction from the one he’d evidently seen the golem in, and Jackie
inched along at his heels. Where were they going? Where could they find water
in this mansion? The bathroom? That didn’t seem likely. The kitchen?
Suddenly something caught her eye
and she stood stock-still. She touched Matt’s arm and he spun to see her
pointing at the wall. He frowned.
She indicated again, gesturing at
the large painting that had caught her attention, and slowly he began to smile.
She did, too; he saw it. Good. The painting depicted a coastal town with a
languid sea breaking along the cold-looking shore of black rocks in a chaos of
foam. Because of the magic Tannenbaum used, or maybe because of some other
power, the painting moved, and the sea actually appeared to surge against the
rocks. Jackie could almost smell the salt.
This
is it
, she mouthed at Matt.
He rubbed his brow, then mouthed,
You sure?
She nodded emphatically. Risking a
whisper, she said, “I think I can get us in.”
He rocked back on his heels. “You
mean …
into the painting
?”
She almost laughed at his
astonishment. He might be a shifter, but he was still a novice to the ways of
magic. “Yeah.”
He seemed to accept this. “Okay.
How?”
She wanted to kiss him again. Her
bear, so brave, so smart. Willing to trust her even in an extreme situation,
and not trust her in any light matter, either, but trust her with his very life.
It made her love him even more.
Love?
part of her thought.
Can it really be?
Yes
,
another part fired back.
I think it can.
She sorted through the pouches on
the inside of her jacket, going quickly. She could distantly hear one of the
golems coming from down the hall. It must have been the second one, because the
one that Matt had seen just moments before wouldn’t have been able to complete
its circuit of the mansion that quickly. If nothing else, the creatures were
slow.
Clomp,
clomp.
Jackie pulled out a glimmering
purple crystal, held it up to the light for a moment, gathering her thoughts,
then spoke a series of words. The world blurred around her and Matt, and she
felt queasy in her belly.
“What the heck?” said Matt. He must
be feeling it, too.
Clomp
clomp.
Jackie felt the energies building
in her. She grabbed Matt’s hand with one hand and pressed the other against the
painting. Energies swirled around her, faster and faster, and she could hear
the roar of wind in her ears. Beside her Matt cursed.
Clomp
clo—
Suddenly the energy faded, and
Jackie and Matt stood on a beach beneath a black sky while a majestic ocean
pounded the rocky beach. Now Jackie really could smell the salt and feel the
seaspray on her cheeks and neck. A quaint little town sprawled beside the shore,
the same one from the painting, and up on a high ridge a lighthouse shone like
a star.
“Amazing,” Jackie said, and stuffed
the crystal back in its pouch.
But when she turned to Matt, he
wasn’t staring at the ocean or the town. He was watching her.
“No,” he said softly. “
You’re
amazing.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay,
let’s find Tannenbaum, restore my fire and get out of here before Walsh comes.
Or find some way to fight him.”
“I’m betting dragonfire would
inconvenience him a bit.”
“Yeah, if he didn’t steal it from
me again.”
“There is that.”
They were still holding hands, and
she started toward town, tugging him along with her. She cast a glance back at
him, enjoying the sight of the naked bear shifter mountain man SEAL hero framed
against the raging ocean while the lighthouse blinked on its ridge above. It
was a sight she knew she would never forget. And she’d been right about his
manhood, too. Though it was even colder here than it had been in the mansion,
his cock hadn’t shrunk at all. Mmm, it looked good.