Braving the Elements (Darkness #2)(44)

I closed my eyes, my body shaking.

Click, click, click.

“Good news is, we destroyed their hideout. The building had a tunnel leading from their territory to ours. We couldn’t detect them crossing through because our spells are all above ground, and they were below it. Obviously.

Hence the word ‘tunnel.’ So, we should be back to right where that’s concerned. Plus, you shook up Trek—he thought he held the most power in this corner of the world. Now there’s you. If we can get you trained, we can have some real battles! Let you deal with him so the rest of us can beat the piss out of the Eastern Territory!”

The glee in Charles’ voice was unmistakable.

“You nearly died, you’re burnt to hell, but you’re excited about more battles to come. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“In a nutshell? I still have to be your bodyguard. Although, you are entertaining, I’ll say that much. If your moods weren’t so bad, it might be a fun gig.”

“If my moods weren’t so bad? You have way worse PMS than I do!”

Charles raised his chin with an important air about him. “I am a man—I am not moody, I am stressed because I am important.”

I shook my head with a smile. “Idiot.”

*****

It took me two days to get on my feet. Stefan told me he wouldn’t have sex with me because he worried about my wellbeing; but when I took blood from him, then climbed in his lap, the fight went out of him.

We ate breakfast and dinner together, and slept in the same bed—a practice he wanted to continue forever. I wasn’t so sure. What would happen when he had to take a mate? Three people in a bed were too many for my taste. Plus, I wouldn’t be able to share him. I didn’t want another woman so much as looking at him for too long. It made our future extremely uncertain.

Add to that a bigwig coming to this clan specifically to evaluate my strange and usually not working brand of magic and…I needed a fast ride. I hadn’t made Charles scream yet, but I wanted to give it another try.

“Hurry up!” Charles yelled. He’d been waylaid with me, not admitting he needed time to heal. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. He was still my bodyguard, so he got to rest while I did. So, now that we took the opportunity to go for a drive, in which I would absolutely speed, he was antsy.

“Jesus, slow your roll. I had to put on my shoe—“ I cut off.

Sitting in the driver’s seat of my car, wearing a black and gold bowtie, was a ‘me’ sized teddy bear.

“What the hell is that?” Charles asked, staring.

I smiled, my heart filling with love. I felt an answering warmth through our shared link. “Stefan is fulfilling his duty.”

The drive was fantastic, flying over hills and speeding around turns. I felt as light as air. Charles swore three times. And all the while, the teddy bear was in the back, bouncing around like it was in a jumpy-house, grinning happily—a symbol of the love Stefan and I shared.



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ON A RAZOR’S EDGE (BOOK 3)

Sasha’s journey continues in:





Chapter 1


A smile flashed across Stefan’s breathtakingly handsome face in the failing evening light. “You are so hell bent on not blasting me, you aren’t working the blade. Try again.”

I bounced from foot to foot like a football player waiting for hike. Stefan stood in front of me, large sword held lightly, waiting for me to strike. I feinted left and dove right, slashing with my very sharp dagger. The blade hacked down toward his forearm, making me squint in fear that I would hit him, until he easily shifted at the last second. The blade swept by toward the ground.

Stefan’s laughter echoed off the trees as he wrapped his big tattooed arms around my middle to keep me from landing on my head.

This was his special tutoring. Getting up before nightfall, sneaking out to the wooded area behind his mansion, hanging out in a bunch of trees, and laughing at me as he tried to teach me to use my dagger. I failed to see the humor.

“That was good,” Stefan commended. “I like the feint. Believable.”

I sighed with the feel of him. His strength. His power. The man was made well. Very well.

“Hmmm, chocolate chip cookies. I would love to eat you right now.” His lips trailed up my neck as tingles worked between my thighs. I melted into his arms as he sucked the hot skin on my neck. “But we need to get you using that dagger, so I’ll wait.”

“We have plenty of time for training,” I breathed.

Ignoring my roaming hands, he propped me up, held me away from him for a moment so my Gumby legs could straighten out, then stepped away with a mouth-watering smile.

I tried to force my frazzled brain back to the situation. “Except, I missed with that feint. Which, don’t get me wrong, is a good thing, since if I’d hit you you’d be missing an arm, but still. I can’t be that good. My comic timing, however, seems to be perfect…”

“Sorry, lovely, I can’t help it. Your face goes through all these expressions. Determination first, pa-zazz with the feint, fear when you think you’ll get me, and finally relief right before you land on your face. It’s comical. You have no poker face.”