Hunted by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #3)(40)

“What is it?” the pilot snapped from the upper floor, and I groaned a little. It was going to be harder to take him if he was on the upper floor, though not impossible.

“One of the women is here to see you.”

“Is that right?” The growl smoothly transitioned into an amused drawl, and I sucked my tongue between my teeth, annoyed. I could practically hear his ego swelling at the idea that he was the first man to be paid a visit by the new hussies in town. He was going to be in for an ugly surprise when he found out I wasn’t here to suck his cock, but meanwhile….

The door swung open and Xiver’s tall form filled the doorway. Unlike his roommate, he still had his uniform pants on, but he’d taken off the top and only a white cotton tank separated my gaze from his muscular torso. The patches of sweat on his tank top and the sheen on his tanned skin told me that he’d probably been doing push-ups or something – with the sun gone from the horizon, the temperature had cooled off considerably.

“What is it, woman?” He raked my form with his dark eyes. The glint in his pupils was identical to the one I’d seen in the cafeteria, and another small shiver worked its way down my spine. “Don’t you know it’s getting close to lights out?”

“Oh I know.” I gave him a slow smile as I drew my gaze down his own body. “It gets cold here at night, though, and I was looking around the mess hall today for someone who could help keep me warm.” I dropped my gaze meaningfully to his groin, then brought it back up to his face. “I was thinking maybe you were up to the job, but if not, I’ve got a few back-up options available.”

Xiver snorted. “Those limp dicks wouldn’t know what to do if you showed up on their doorstep.” Another cold shiver crawled down my spine as he clamped a large hand around my wrist. “Come in and let me show you what a real man can do.”

I let him pull me into the darkness of the cabin, prepared to follow him up the stairs, but as soon as he closed the door he pushed me up against the wall and crushed his body against mine. His chapped lips pressed roughly against my own, and I fought against the urge to gag as a combination of sour and smoky filled my senses.

A strangled noise in the background drew my attention to the fact that Xiver’s roommate was still here. I seized on the excuse as I flattened my palms against the pilot’s broad chest, pushing him away.

“I like a bit more privacy,” I purred up at him as Xiver scowled, rubbing my hands up and down his chest to soften the insult.

Xiver glanced over his shoulder at his gaping roommate, who was sitting on his cot, eyes wide as he watched us. “What, you mean Wilton?” He laughed. “I planned on giving him a show. The way he blushes every time he sees you two in the mess hall, I figure he needs a crash course on how to handle a woman.”

I arched a brow. “Before we do that, I need to make sure you can handle me.” I pressed my tongue between my teeth as I grinned up at him. “I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your friend if I prove to be too much for you.”

Xiver’s upper lip curled. “I’ve never met a woman I couldn’t handle, but if you insist.” His hands were around my waist, and I turned my yelp of outrage into a girly squeal as he hauled me over his shoulder and carried me up the creaky stairs to his room. “Hang tight, Wilton!” he called down the stairs to his roommate. “As soon as I’m done with the shifter, you can have her next.”

We entered the small upstairs room, which was barely big enough to hold the cot and dresser in it. Xiver didn’t bother with a light – the window in his room was one of the few in this town that was still intact, and moonlight washed over the space. He tossed me unceremoniously onto the hard bed, and I considered kneeing him in the balls. But I didn’t need his roommate running up here to see what all the crying was about.

“Strip,” he ordered, his fingers moving to his belt.

I sat up and pretended to fumble with the buttons on my shirt. “I think I need some help,” I said with a shy smile. “It’s hard to see in the dark.” I spread my legs apart, inviting him to step between them and giving him a hint of what he thought was coming.

His dark eyes gleamed with hunger, and he stepped between my legs without hesitation. As soon as he was close, I clamped my thighs around his hips, then drew him into my embrace and whispered the same Word I’d used on the soldier guarding the mineshaft. Xiver’s body stiffened as the magic washed over him, and then every single muscle in his body relaxed as he slipped into a deep sleep.

“We’ve got him,” I told Fenris as Xiver’s forehead knocked against my shoulder and a loud snore erupted from him. “Now come help me get him out of here before I change my mind and kill him after all.”



With our bags packed and a heavy, unconscious Xiver slung over our shoulders, Annia, Fenris, and I snuck out of the camp, heading back into the forest. Fenris and Annia carried him while I forged ahead, making liberal use of the sleeping spell Fenris had taught me on the few guards who were on night watch. I’d knocked out Xiver’s roommate the same way – since we weren’t planning on coming back until after we’d rescued Iannis, there was no longer any point in trying to hide my magic.

We trekked several miles into the forest before we decided we were far enough away that we could interrogate Xiver without interruption. My nose detected no scouting parties in the area, so we tied Xiver to a tree, and I delivered a good, hard slap across his face to wake him up. After the way he’d manhandled me, it felt good.