Dark Tremor (Mated by Magic #2) (11 page)

His body screamed for release. He held on tight to take what he needed and thrust hard until he met the back of her womb.

Flames burst all around as he shouted out, “My mate!”

Mine.

Forever.

He came apart in her arms. Electric heat sizzled between them. His own breaths became moans. She matched his cry of ecstasy as he exploded, spilling himself inside of her.

The ground opened, and they sunk a few inches.

“Sorry.” She giggled, breathlessly.

Without hardly a thought, he moved the dirt back in place with his new power.

A perfect match.
Somehow he wasn’t surprised.

A sweet smile spread across her smudged face and his cock stirred, still inside her. The champagne and picnic would have to wait. Damn if they weren’t going to do it all over again.

Barefoot, and once again in the service elevator at the Vdara, Terra tugged down on the huge hoodie. Her summer dresses showed a lot more leg, the difference was she wore nothing on underneath.

“You shouldn’t have burned my clothes.”

“You shouldn’t have turned the desert into a mud bath.” His eyes crinkled when he gave her that cute look.

She couldn’t stop grinning. “It was worth it.”

“Yes it was.” He lifted her off her feet, pushed her against the elevator wall, and his breath warmed her ears. Heat raced to the parts of her body that still ached where he’d touched her.

Snuggling closer, she put her muddy face into his neck, and laughed into the strong flesh. When the elevator door pinged open, hand in hand they raced down the long hall. Jace pulled a wet wallet out of his pants and held it in front of her face.

“You did this.” He swiped the key card that appeared from out of the wet wallet.

When she reached out to push open the door, a warm hand covered hers. His intense gaze made her want to turn back to the desert and make love until the sun came up.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked.

Okay?
No. She was way better than okay. She’d never felt so alive in all her life. The connection between them was something she’d never dared to dream of, more than she’d ever known was even possible.

With a little nod, she said, “I’m good.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something more, then stopped, grinned, and entered the suite’s foyer.

“You look like shit.” A man so resembling Jace that it had to be his brother glanced up from a laptop. Light brown eyes lit up with humor. “What the hell happened to you two?”

Terra tucked her chin into the hoodie, unable to meet his curious stare.

“Making a hot geyser spurt all over the fucking desert.” Smirking, Jace put a thumb under her chin, and planted a claiming kiss.

Once she came up for air, she stared, opened mouthed. Did he seriously just say that?

“Shit. Josh was right. I didn’t believe him.” The man stood, his face breaking into a wide smile.

Jace let go of her face and said, “It was fucking unbelievable. I turned sand into glass under the solstice moon. Even kept a footstep to prove it.”

“I’m going to have a shower,” Terra muttered. She stopped at the small fridge, thankful for a tuna sandwich.

“Wait.” Jace grabbed her hand and winced. “Sorry. I should have introduced you. Terra this is my brother, Jack.”

The man gave her a lopsided grin and held out a small match-like flame in front of his hand. “Welcome to the family.”

Family.

She hadn’t really thought of that. Being mated to Jace meant she was now part of the Fialko clan. They were her family. How long had it been since she’d heard that word and felt like she belonged? Her heart warmed as she added her own foreign-feeling flame, and shook. “Thanks.”

The back bedroom door opened and Josh exited with hair matted, chin darkened with stubble. His shirt was untucked, eyes bloodshot. Her chest tightened in sympathy.

Jace inhaled audibly. He hadn’t spoken about it, but she knew he was holding onto the guilt of what happened with Nicole. She could see it in his eyes, in the tension on his face.

“I just got off the phone with Nicole’s family. Apparently she told her sister something about her plans with Mic.” Josh sat down on the arm of the plush brown couch and dug palms into his dark eye sockets. “They want me to go down to the police station later today and file a missing person’s report.”

“Probably smart.” Jack moved across the small living area and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Once they do a DNA test on the body, they’ll be able to trace her back to you. Better to look like the grieving husband, then–”

Josh slapped away the attempt at comfort. “I am the
fucking
grieving husband.”

Jack jumped back with palms up. “I know. I didn’t mean–”

“I know what you meant.”

“I’m going to get cleaned up.” Terra touched Jace’s arm, then started toward the master bedroom.

The brothers continued to talk, then Jace spoke softly. “If there was any other way… I couldn’t let her kill you. It had to be fast to cha-”

“Did I say I blamed you?” Josh’s voice cracked.

“You didn’t have to. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I know.”

Terra opened the door, and looked over her shoulder. All three brothers embraced, foreheads together, and arms around each other’s backs.

Jack was the first to let go, with an arm swiping over his red eyes. “It’s time to make him pay.”

Yes, they would.
For everything.
             

Terra closed the door slowly, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

With a giant knot lodged in her throat, she managed to finish her meager meal, then started a long, hot shower. Pulsing jets of pure heaven massaged her aching body. It took three shampoos before the water ran clear. Even then, she stayed until her fingers pruned.

Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead and palms against the shower wall.

She was mated.

It still didn’t feel real. And yet at the same time, it was the most alive she’d ever felt.

With a heavy sigh, she turned the water off.

No longer was she just Earth. Fire power surged through her body, through her veins, heating her core, and making everything seem more vibrant.

She stepped out of the tub and held out her hand. A small fireball appeared, swirling with red and orange magic.

The power that raced through her body hummed with an intensity that begged to be released. Together, she and Jace had only touched upon the potential of that power. How much stronger would it be combined with the dark turquoise?

She closed her fist on the flame, and the energy flowed back into her body.

Her mind raced with the possibilities as she dressed in the new clothes laid out for her. She could finally put an end to Mic’s reign. Defeat the man who had destroyed her mother.

A shiver ran down her spine and she sat down heavily on the end of the bed.

Mic may have been the one who forced her mother into hiding, but he wasn’t the person responsible for ending her life. Terra had someone much closer to blame for that.

Placing her face in her hands, she let out a long, uneven breath. God, what would Jace think if he knew?

She hadn’t been lying when she told him she understood his guilt.

The difference was, what she’d done hadn’t been an accident. One stupid adolescent temper tantrum had killed the only person she’d ever truly cared about. There were no excuses. No one to blame but herself.

No. That wasn’t entirely true. She had Mic to blame. If her mother hadn’t been forced to run from the man, Terra would have been raised with other witches who understood the kind of power she could harness. She would’ve learned to control the power.

Maybe, because she was now mated, for the first time it dawned on Terra. Her mother was partially to blame as well. She’d never let Terra practice her skills. She’d acted as if Terra was a low level half-breed, instead of the product of two of the most powerful witches on earth.

Terra shook her head. It wasn’t her mom’s fault either. She’d never truly recovered from the rape. Again, it was all Mic’s doing. He’d pay for everything he’d done, and Terra would make sure he never hurt anyone else again.

A small tremor shook the whole building. Shit. With her eyes shut tight, she tried to stop the agitation from growing within.

The bedroom door burst open.

“What’s wrong?” Brows furrowed, Jace raced toward her, knelt and took her hands in his.

“Nothing…” She shook her head as the Vdara swayed sickeningly. “I was just thinking.”

“You need to keep it contained. The building–”

“You think I don’t know that?” She tugged her hands free and stood. “I’m trying.”

“Hey.” His fingers caressed her shoulders as he turned her into his arms. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Nothing. I just want to get this over with. The sooner Mic is gone, the better.”

He held her an arm’s length away and studied her. “We’re going after the black turquoise. That’s our first priority. Once we have it secured, we’ll bring Mic to justice in front of the Council.”

“You’re going to let him live?”  She couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open.

A hand raked through his still muddy hair. “We can’t just go around killing people. There are rules.”

Her voice came out an octave higher, despite her best effort. “Rules? And what about Nicole? Your rules didn’t stop you from blasting her, and she didn’t do half the shit Mic has done”

She was sorry the moment the words came out of her mouth. 

His mouth went thin and he shook his head slowly back and forth. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“I’m really sorry. I’m just so angry.” She touched a palm to his cheek. He turned his head into it, and kissed.

“It’s been a long day and neither one of us is thinking clearly. If we have to use excessive force on Mic and his men we will, but–”

“When are we leaving?”

His brows furrowed. “You’re not going with us.”

“What?” Hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

“You’re my mate. It’s my job to protect you. Even if you weren’t, I’m not letting you go into danger.” His jaw ticked, like she was learning it did when he was really angry.

A long life of being bossed around by her new mate flashed for a second in her mind’s eye. Her out-of-control mouth continued, “The only reason we mated was to combine powers, to fight him together.”

Jace winced. “I hope that’s not the only reason.”

“Of course not.” She ground her back teeth and glared up at him with stubborn determination. “But you
will
take me with you.”

“It’s not just you I’m worried about.” He stared pointedly at her belly. “You have to remember that there’s a good chance you’re pregnant.”

Terra’s stomach muscles tightened and all the blood drained from her head.
Shit, shit, shit.
How could she have forgotten? Mating during solstice almost always guaranteed conception.

A bit shaky, she paced the short length between the two queen beds in the room.

Damn it. The whole thing was a complicated mess.

Pregnant with Jace Fialko’s baby.

She closed her eyes and tried to contain the anxiety from spilling out in a wave of power.

“Terra.” His hands went back to her shoulders, rubbing gently. “Everything is going to work out. I promise.”

Things would only turn out right if she got rid of Mic. She had to. For her. For her baby. And for Jace. That much she was sure of.

“You have to let me go with you. Please. What if–”

“No.” His voice held command, the underlying tension audible. “You’re not going. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.” His hands threaded into her clean hair, and pulled at the tangles.

“And what if something happens to you?” She shook her head free and sighed.

The bedroom door opened and Jack poked his head around it. “Sorry to interrupt. We just got word that Mic and his men are at the mine. We need to go.”

“Promise me you’ll stay here. I mean it.” Jace’s eyes sparked with warning.

“Unless you’d like to explain away a sinkhole the size of six city blocks, I am going with you.”

A deep frown sunk to a perfected glower. “Fine. I don’t have time to argue. But you will stay in the car.”

She shot him a triumphant smirk with raised eyebrows. Then, a pair of flip-flops sufficed for shoes and she raced with the men down to the garage. She ignored the disapproving looks of the other well-dressed occupants, coming from the tables
.

Whatever. The truly high stakes tonight are in the desert.