Suvi's Revenge: Rowan Sisters' Trilogy Book 3 (8 page)

“You can talk moons and magic later, love. Right now you’re all mine,” Caine said, grabbing her hand, dragging her to the make-shift dance floor.

“Moons and magic, I like the sound of that. That could be the theme of our mating ceremony.” Her wheels started spinning with all kinds of thoughts for the ceremony. First on her list was finding the perfect pair of shoes.

Caine pulled her close and began a slow dance despite the upbeat tempo of the music currently playing. “Speaking of our mating, I think we should do it on the full moon in a few days, rather than wait.”

“That anxious to be mated to me?” she husked into his ear.

“You have no idea how anxious I am to be mated to you,” he murmured, grabbing her ass and tugging her closer so she felt the hard line of his erection.

“Mmmm, I think I have some kind of idea. And, I really want this pain in my brand to end. It grates on my nerves, always keeping me on edge.” She didn’t mention the unsettling feeling she had in her gut that the rug was going to be pulled out from under them. Cele was out there and more pissed than ever. Suvi had no doubt that the High Priestess was going to retaliate in a big way.

“It’s not the brand that is keeping you on edge. The unresolved threat is what’s eating at you. At least we have each other now and nothing can keep us apart,” Caine promised. She gazed into his green eyes and felt some of her worry seep away. He was right. They were stronger together which was why Cele had tried so hard to get rid of Caine before they could be joined.

Donovan’s scream cut off that line of thought and had her turning around to see what was going on. Black smoke filled the air on the other side of the pool where Donovan was splashing and playing. She glanced to her sisters and saw Isis running to get her son. Suvi was in motion at the same time Pema was. Suvi searched the black smoke, expecting to see Cele, but didn’t immediately see anyone. She remained on guard given that the smoke appeared the same as they’d encountered the night they had saved Donovan from Cele’s grasp.

Malicious intent radiated from the smoke like a plague, seeking to infect anything it contacted. Caine latched onto her left hand at the same time she took Pema’s. They halted at the side of the pool just as the smoke cleared, revealing a stunning female sorceress with dark brown hair. She recognized the mocha skin and eerie black eyes.

“Angelica,” Jace hissed from close behind her. Hatred and contempt poured off the sorcerer in waves. Suvi and her sisters had helped Jace discover a spell that Angelica had cast on him during a time when the female had held him prisoner. This female had done unspeakable things to Jace, and in Suvi’s opinion, was just as evil as Cele.

Isis reached back and touched Pema’s arm, joining the three of them together, preparing to defend an attack, if necessary. Suvi glanced down and saw that Donovan was almost to the edge of the pool and still vulnerable.

“What do you want?” Zander demanded from a few feet away. Suvi glanced around and noted that most of their guests had retreated to the other side of the property. The sprites were flying frantically around the top of the barrier Suvi had cast earlier. They zoomed around the balloons in their agitation, causing several to pop.

Angelica waltzed to the food table and picked up a truffle, popping it into her mouth. “I only want what is mine. Jace and the Mystik Grimoire. Relinquish them to me and I will leave peacefully.”

“Over my dead body!” Jace yelled while shoving his mate behind him, shielding her with his body. “I’m not yours, Angelica. I never was and I never will be,” Jace spat.

“As for the Grimoire,” Zander interrupted, “you will never lay one hand on the tome. It would never allow it.” Suvi had heard rumors about the magical book and its ability to appear and disappear. It contained prophecies, ancient spells, and knowledge about how to access any realm, which was no doubt why the female wanted to get her hands on it.

A dark light began to glow between Angelica’s fingertips, alerting Suvi that she was about to attack. She squeezed Pema’s hand. “Let’s do a protection spell,” she whispered.

Angelica’s head swiveled in their direction as if she heard the soft-spoken words. Without hesitation Suvi and her sisters chanted, “
cosaint.”

Angelica’s rebuff was instantaneous. Black light left her hands and hit their barrier, sending sparks shooting into the air. Several balloons popped as the magic hit them while some of Angelica’s spell seeped around the barrier before they had cast it. A couple of the band members cried out and collapsed against the floor. Zander and his Dark Warriors rushed to form a wall of muscle between the loose magic and the rest of their guests.

Suvi was about to rush to their side when Jace and Gerrick simultaneously called their staffs to them, dissipating the spell before anyone else fell to it. Feeling triumphant, Suvi turned back to smirk at the sorceress when her face fell. Angelica was laughing loudly as if she had been thwarted. Suvi glanced at her sisters silently asking if they understood. They both shook their heads in confusion.

Angelica’s hand went behind her and then flung forward. Suvi’s beloved lounge chairs went airborne. She had spent hours picking them out and they were about to be destroyed. She ducked as one went sailing over their heads and smashed against the wall of their house. Ronan roared and snatched one out of the air and tossed it aside, salvaging it. Zander was by his side in seconds as well as his Dark Warriors.

Isis crouched and pulled Donovan out of the water while the Vampire King and others kept them safe. “Run to Fen’s hideaway,” Isis instructed the little boy. Fen was at his side in seconds and Suvi saw the tale-tell signs of sprite magic surrounding her nephew. Confident that he would be safe, Suvi and her sister turned back to the battle at hand. Most of their guests were crouching and hiding anywhere they could while some of the braver ones fought back.

Isis screamed obscenities at the sorceress and picked up a tiki torch, throwing it at Angelica. She batted the torch aside and crouched low, muttering something in a language Suvi didn’t recognize and spoke directly to Jace. “Jace, love, come with me. We belong together.” Suvi could feel the power of the compulsion in the words and worried Jace would succumb.

Suvi chanced a glance at Jace. It was obvious the healer was affected, but he didn’t give in. Angelica was furious and flinging every object within reach at them. Most ended up in their pool while others found their mark. It was chaotic as their guests dodged objects and tried to protect themselves.

The sprites joined the fight as well. Sprites were tiny creatures, but some of the most magical Fae in existence and fiercely loyal. Suvi saw Fen rush in, glowing bright red with her anger and clutching a tiny acorn in her hand. She tossed the acorn with greater force than Suvi had expected. A smile broke over Suvi’s face as she watched the acorn hit its target and explode across the side of Angelica’s face, leaving a bleeding divot in its wake. Dozens of sprites began hurtling tiny balls of fire at the sorceress, making her scream in frustration.

“This isn’t over, Jace. I will have you,” Angelica promised before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

Cheers erupted from the crowd and a winded voice next to her had Suvi both cringing and smiling at the same time. “Wow! That was a killer workout. There’s no telling how many calories I just burned dodging chairs. I’m going to have to add that to my work-out regimen,” Plain Paula huffed.

“You do that Paula. I have a dance to finish,” Suvi said, walking away.

“That female really is annoying,” Caine observed from next to her.

“Yes she is.” Suvi grabbed Caine’s hand and walked over to her sisters.

“Check on the band and get them playing again, Suvi. Isis and I will get to work putting the furniture back in place,” Pema instructed. “We aren’t going to let her ruin our night.”

As she glanced around, she could tell that no one was seriously injured and she was relieved. Hell no, they weren’t going to let that evil bitch ruin their night. “Let’s get this party started,” Suvi called out to the guests, taking Caine and planting a kiss on his lips as the band started playing.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“I suppose you guys aren’t hanging around to help clean this mess up?” Pema asked Zander facetiously.

The Vampire King chuckled and slapped Pema on the shoulder. “No’ on your life, lass, but feel free to put Nate to work. He needs to do something other than harass females. We need to talk aboot Angelica’s appearance and I want Jace and Gerrick to cast the new layers of protection around your property that we have around Zeum.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot I could say about that female, but let’s start with the obvious,” Isis snarled. “Why in the hell did she barge into our party and how did she access the same dark magic Cele has? Sorcery and witchcraft are vastly different and don’t tap into the same power source.”

Caine understood little about witches and sorcerers, but he did know that witches used the power of the four elements while sorcerers shaped and wielded the magic of the earth. The way Suvi had explained it seemed like a matter of semantics to him, but then he was a vampire. One thing that was undeniable was that when he came into contact with the magic, he could feel the difference. When Jace and Gerrick had cast their spells during the party there was a dense, heavy atmosphere surrounding them whereas Suvi and her sisters’ was lighter. It was as different as a light drizzle compared to a heavy rainfall.

“She barged into the party because she is a delusional nut-job,” Jace answered, picking up empty cups and setting them on a table. “I felt the same power with Cele that night in the basement when we rescued Donovan.”

“I doona think it is too much of a stretch to say that the archdemon, Kadir, gave them the power. I detected a scent that I have only smelled when I’ve been in his or other lesser demons’ presence,” Zander added.

“The real question is what goal the two females have in common,” Suvi pointed out. “Angelica seems to have her sights fixed on Jace where Cele is focused on us, so what’s the connection? You know her best, Jace. What do you think?” Caine watched Suvi wince and turn pale as if she regretted her words the moment they left her lips.

“Thankfully, I haven’t seen or heard from her for six hundred years. The only thing she has ever wanted was more power and she felt the way to get that was through me and the Mystik Grimoire.”

“Och, that’s it, that’s the connection. Kadir must be promising to give them more power,” Zander interjected. “He is a sneaky mother-fucker playing on realm weaknesses. I’m no’ worried aboot Angelica getting the Grimoire, the tome willna allow that. We need to find oot where these two females are and end them before they can do anymore damage. We need to expand patrols and pull double shifts to include daylight hours since the females are no’ confined to the night. I willna allow my realm members and warriors to be targeted again.”

“We can check with Trixie and ask if Cele has visited her shop recently. Cele wants to bring her daughter back and even if that’s not possible, witches need supplies to perform their magic. She can’t go back to her home or the academy, so she will need to get the items somewhere else,” Pema added.

“What do we do if we encounter them? Both females are unstable and difficult to contain,” Caine observed, hating the idea of his mate placing herself in a perilous situation.

“Yeah, you could say that. Angelica clearly lives in a delusional world and Cele is dangerous and very powerful,” Isis said. “The three of us battled Cele and barely managed to hold her back. I don’t know about Angelica’s power, but I think it’s safe to say if you find them, you shouldn’t approach them without the three of us present. Our best bet of being able to beat either one of them is if Suvi completes her mating on the full moon in a couple of days.” Caine had no doubt that Isis was right. He’d had a nagging suspicion that mating Suvi needed to happen soon and the episode tonight only confirmed it.

Still, Caine had to bite back his protective instincts that wanted to take Suvi away to a remote island where no one would ever find them and live happily ever after with no interference. But, she wasn’t one to be shielded behind steel doors. She was a powerful witch who was destined to take over ruling the witches.

“Sounds like we have a mating to plan,” Suvi said, nudging his side and bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked down at her and smiled broadly. Hell yeah, a mating ceremony sounded perfect. In the midst of all the craziness he had found himself embroiled in, why not add a little more chaos to the pot? Especially when it involved him and the hottest witch he’d ever laid eyes on. He was one lucky male.

*****

Caine pulled his mate’s sport car into his driveway, glad to be home. It had only been three days since Sally was murdered and yet it seemed like an eternity had passed. He shouldn’t be surprised. After all, he faced and overcame a death sentence, found his Fated Mate, survived an attack from an evil sorceress, and so much more. The harrowed murder investigation, birthday party, and daytime outings (when he had never before gone out during the day) were all just icing on the cake. On the brink of becoming overwhelmed again, Suvi’s soul caressed him from the inside. It set his fangs on edge with arousal and calmed him at the same time. And damn, if that didn’t make his mate mark burn like the fires of hell.

He looked over at the female who had become his universe and was captured by her enticing, brown eyes. His gaze traveled over her face and down to the pulse in her neck. His hunger spiked as he saw the blood rushing in her veins. Her panting breaths made her chest heave up and down, drawing his attention. He licked his lips and imagined feasting on her luscious breasts. His eyes traveled to her long legs. She crossed them and he had to agree, the right shoes made all the difference when he saw his mate mark on her ankle. Her impossibly high-heels showcased his mark even more, leaving no doubt that she belonged to him. His entire body throbbed with need as every part of her inflamed him.

“So, this is where you live?” Suvi asked as they climbed out of the car and met his eyes over the roof. He heard the questions she didn’t ask.
Are you expecting me to move in with you? Or, will you move in with me?

He knew she wouldn’t want to leave her sisters now, or at any time. And honestly, he would never ask her to. The three of them were more powerful together and shouldn’t be separated. Sure he had his parents, but they traveled frequently and were rarely ever home. He hurried around the car and pulled her into his arms. “I live here with my parents. Although, most of the time they are traveling. Do you think your sisters would mind if my parents stayed with us at Casa de Rowan when they are in town?”

Her smile beamed so brightly, it could lighten the darkest night. “You really don’t mind moving in with us? Do you think your parents will be okay with that? We can’t leave them alone in this house. My dad never wanted to live with us and decided to move in with his sister and her family.”

“Of course I’m moving in, where else would I be? My parents will love it, they’ve always wanted a bigger family, but haven’t managed to get pregnant again.”

“Oh, Caine. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Your parents can have the room next to Donovan’s,” she said jumping into his arms.

He held her close and nuzzled her neck. “You know, things have happened so fast and we have been on a roller coaster since we met. It’s nice to have a moment to breathe, despite the fact that we still have this urgent life and death matter hanging over us.” He lowered his head, savoring the flare of her pupils and met her lips. The slightest contact with her mouth was like a match to tinder. He went up in flames and the kiss turned harsh and demanding, reflecting his need. It took every ounce of his formidable strength to pull out of the kiss.

She was breathing as heavy as he was and her heart was pounding out a beat that matched his own. Her gorgeous, brown eyes glowed with her arousal. “I’m not so certain that we should let our guard down,” she murmured, but her body was saying the complete opposite.

He placed kisses on the side of her throat and whispered in her ear, “We have tonight, love. Let’s leave everything else for tomorrow.” They weren’t going to solve their problems in the next eight hours, but he could explore more of his luscious mate.

She leaned her head on his shoulder as they made their way into his house. “Cele is a loose cannon right now. She’s lost too much to simply forget about us and disappear. That demon she is paired up with is a force we can’t beat and who knows if she is partnering with Angelica, too. It will be safer if we get back to our place where the protections are in place. I can’t lose you.”

He rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. “You aren’t going to lose me, I promise. We will be safe enough here for the next couple hours. You can cast a spell here to be extra certain.”

She turned to face him and ran her hand up his chest. “What did you have in mind?” Her pulse quickened and his hunger slammed into him like a freight train. The taste of her blood mixed with her arousal was addicting and he needed more than the sample he had when they had made love.

His fangs descended and he clenched his teeth, breathing through his need. He planned on savoring his mate this time and that wouldn’t happen if he gave into his needs this early. That plan nearly flew out the window when Suvi gazed at his mouth, her eyes becoming heavy-lidded. That fast, he was rock-hard. A moan slipped out when she swept her long, black hair aside, revealing her neck in wordless invitation.

He gave up holding back. They had eternity to do it nice and slow, he thought, as he gathered her soft curvaceous body into his arms and ran his tongue over her pulse. Imagining all the ways he would taste her, he sucked her flesh into his mouth and eased his fangs into the vein at her neck. The groan that escaped from her spoke of sex and surrender. The sound caressed his heated senses as her hot blood flowed into his mouth. She arched against him, pressing her breasts into his chest as she climaxed from his bite…the bite of a mate. Satisfaction at how easily he could bring her pleasure had him growling as he drank. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted her skin on his.

He continued taking what she so freely offered and impatiently reached up, ripping her shirt open down the front. Her bra became his next casualty and his hands were filled with lush breasts. The feel of her pearled nipples against his palm had his blood pumping south, lengthening his straining cock. In the excitement, he sucked hard at her neck. He let go of one of her breasts to grab her ass, pulling her roughly against his aching shaft.

He was overcome by a fierce need to possess her body, mind, and soul. His beast clawed to be let free, surprising him. He’d always believed himself a cultured male, above primal animal sex, but his witch had changed all that. He withdrew his fangs and didn’t swipe his tongue over the twin pinpricks, preferring to watch blood trickle down her neck and shoulder blade.

“Clothes off, now,” she demanded, clawing at his shirt.

“I lose my mind when I touch you, love. You sure you’re ready for me?” He drew his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.

“You aren’t ready for me, baby. I’m going to eat you alive,” she cooed at him. Her smile was downright salacious. She walked backwards, pulling him into his living room while unbuttoning his pants. Frantically, she unzipped them and stopped in her tracks when his shaft sprang free. He watched her stare at his erection and then drop to her knees. His mind went crazy with fantasies about what he wanted to do with her. He tested their mental pathway and sent her the images.

“Mmmm, I like the way you think. Where to start?” she wondered aloud. Her hand was bold in its approach and gripped his thick erection firmly. Fuck, he’d never had a female so aggressive before and it felt so damn good. She positioned him before her mouth and he lost his breath at the intense look on her face. She was the most amazing female he had ever seen as she took his cock into her mouth. There was no shy hesitation. She was sure and skilled as she licked the head like an ice cream.

“Goddess, baby. Suck me hard. All the way to the back of your throat,” he ordered. She didn’t hesitate to oblige his request, sucking him so hard all rational thought splintered. There was only her hot mouth and heaven as he gripped her hair, pumping into her. She sucked then swallowed, taking more of his length and his control. He pulled at her silken lengths. “Stop, baby. I’m not going to last.”

An incoherent mumble was her only reply as she continued her ministrations. He jerked his hips back and his cock popped out of her mouth. He couldn’t take another second. He pushed his jeans down and off, then rid her of her remaining clothing as well. “My turn,” he growled and picked her up, setting her down on the back of his sofa.

He spread her legs and settled on his knees in front of her, exposing her core to his gaze. He ran one finger through her velvet soft petals, relishing the slick evidence of her arousal. She glistened in the low lighting. He leaned in and took her mouth in a fierce kiss as he plunged two fingers into her molten core. She was so tight, hot and wet for him.