She fumed all the way back to her cabin, the dust from the road kicking up with her passage. How dare he? I am not some weakling, some poor female needing a man to protect me. I'm a witch damn it! The words continued stewing a morass of anger in her mind until she reached her cabin. With a flick of her wrist, the door burst open, slamming back against the wall. She continued her rampaging pace into her home, using her hand, as well as her anger, to slam the door shut behind her, sealing out her frustration with Dimitri.Entering the small kitchen area of the cabin, she pulled out a wine glass from the cabinet and then reached for the wine on the counter to pour herself a full glass. She downed half of the dark red liquid with one swallow, and then refilled the goblet as she took a deep breath. She couldn't believe how fast Dimitri went from sweet and understanding to an overprotective moron. It must be a record or something. She had already proved to him that she could take care of her
"Why the hell are you sleeping on my porch?" Adira stood there, her hands planted on her hips, legs slightly apart, which allowed her robe to fall open slightly, exposing her creamy thighs. "I told you I did NOT need protecting, damn it."The panther jerked awake at her words, or rather at the seething tone in her voice. He jumped to all fours, his ears perked back as he stood, braced for whatever was wrong. He jerked his gaze to the left and the right, searching for the attack until he realized that it came from right in front of him. His gold eyes told her he knew just how pissed she was. Then he shifted, his fur slipping back into his skin, his bones popping as his four legs turned to two legs and a pair of arms, his paws shifting to feet and hands, and his body completely naked. As soon as the shift was over, he stood, his thick muscles stretching back into shape from being cramped in his animal form for so long and asleep.Adira couldn't take her eyes off his body, his powerful le
"Shots! We need shots," Alanna called out once they found a table. Adira slid into the empty chair, as did Deputy Lainie Everest and Eve Hartlow. It was ladies night at Everglades, a shifter bar in Holopaw, and Alanna was determined that Adira would have a good time, to unwind and forget men and shifters, especially coyotes. It was a dive bar, really, nothing like Shades back in Draven Falls, but it held its own, rustic charm. It was a wooden structure, appearing to be constructed of discarded planks, rather than finished wood, with scratched up wooden chairs and tables, weak mirrors and flashing beer logos on the walls. Serving girls wandered from table to table, taking orders and flirting with the men patrons, whether the men had dates or not. Country music blared from a broken down jukebox, bouncing off the walls, as couples line danced and chugged their beers. It was the perfect place to get drunk and forget. While they were there to put coyotes out of their minds, there was one s
"You did what?" Dimitri couldn't believe what he heard. "Adira, Everglades is not a normal bar." He turned to Alanna and Eve. "You two know about that place. Why the hell did you take her there?"Eve looked at him like he was crazy. "Because it was ladies night. You know? Two for one? Duh."It took everything he had not to throttle the woman. "Damn it, Eve, this isn't a game." He could feel the panther pushing at him, wanting free to wreak havoc on whomever he could. Fur pushed through his skin a little, claws pushing out of his fingertips, the pain of the shift just beginning. He tamped it down quickly. He didn't need to lose control now, not with so much at risk. He spun to Alanna. "Everglades is a paranormal bar. You should have known they would be there. Hell, Sheriff Einstein even told me they were there the other day, shooting off their mouth." The three women returned to Alanna's cabin when they left Everglades, and Lainie went to the sheriff's department to file a report on the
"Here are the stones you asked for," Josh said, as Ezra and he entered Adira's cabin, both carrying an armload of small ordinary stones. "Planning on hurling them at Bane to drive him away?"A new day dawned and, so far, Bane's threat was unfulfilled. That didn't mean it wasn't imminent, however. Ezra chuckled as he walked over to her kitchen table, piling the stones on top. "Might not be real effective, but I'm sure it would be fun." A cloth covered the table, with various oils and gemstones lined along the edges and circled by a trio of tall white candles flickering shadows onto the cabin walls. A mortar sat in the center of the cloth, the pestle ready for action. At the far edge of the table, sage burned in an incense holder. Soft Native American music played in the background, not because she needed it for the spell, but because it helped soothe her nerves, calming her for what she needed to do. If I can focus long enough to pull the shards of my magic back into a steady pulse of
The evening sun dipped in the west, barely visible through the trees surrounding the small community of Bull Creek. A cool breeze whispered through the branches, rustling the leaves, as Adira eased her way along the trail following the panther, as he led her to where he knew the wards needed to be placed. It was hard not to be mesmerized by the feline's lithe body as he meandered through the woods, keeping his gaze bouncing around their surroundings. A smile spread across her face, knowing he protected her, keeping an eye out for Bane and his coyotes. After her run-in with Bane's thugs last night, Dimitri would not take any chances. She couldn't say that his over-protectiveness upset her. Not this time, anyway. In fact, if she were to say anything at all, it would be that his protective nature made her sex throb. If they didn't have to get the wards up so quickly, she would have loved for him to take her right there in the woods, driving his cock into her, spreading her open before him
Dimitri craved her. As soon as they were back to the cabin, he shifted again, taking her in his arms as soon as he possessed arms again. The entire time he stood by her as they took on Bane and his henchmen, it drove him crazy. Her strength, the passion in her voice as she stood up for herself, the way she defended the others in Bull Creek, it came as no surprise to him that his cock was rock hard when he shifted back. He didn't wait for her to strip. He didn't even wait for her to be in the cabin. He ripped her clothes from her body, tossing the shreds to the ground as he devoured her mouth with his, using his hands to explore her body. He cupped her breasts in his hands, his fingers grazing across her swollen nipples, teasing them. A hum of satisfaction slipped from her lips, her gasps at his touch spurring him to a hotter fire. He felt her hand grip his cock, stroking him, as she begged him to take her, pleaded with him to fuck her.Adira gripped his shoulders, yanking him toward t
Adira watched as Dimitri closed the door behind him. She felt terrible, blaming herself for the attack on Lainie. Dimitri's sister must have been attacked because of the way Adira mouthed off to Augur at the bar. This was the coyotes' way of retaliating. They couldn't get to her, so they went after her friend. Adira came to Bull Creek to help, but so far, all she did was make things worse. Not such a big help, huh? She only hoped Lainie was all right. Adira wasn't sure if Dimitri would forgive her if his sister were seriously hurt because of her. Hell, she wasn't sure if she could forgive herself.Turning to fix herself some tea, she placed her hand on Dimitri's teeth marks, and almost yelped at the touch, the sharp, electric sensations sending tendrils of pain throughout her body. Even without looking, she could imagine the bruise that formed on her lower shoulder. With a deep breath, bracing for the tender stings of pain, she caressed the deep impressions left by Dimitri's teeth, esp