Pema's Storm: Rowan Sisters' Trilogy Book 1 (9 page)

He tried to pull from her body, but the swelling in his cock locked them together. He lifted his arm and stared down at a brand in the shape of a tribal bear paw, tipped by four crescent moons. The reality of what that meant hit him as his orgasm raged on. The mark and swelling were indicative of a phenomenon that only occurred with a shifter’s Fated Mate.

The lust and pleasure was relentless and unabated by the pain of the brand. His release was so intense that he shook all over from the force, and it sent her into another peak. She looked back at him, eyes wide with terror. He roared her name and lifted her close to his body. Her soul rustled in his chest and sent him into another climax. He remained rock hard and locked into her and it seemed the pleasure was going to kill them both. Their bodies may have been reveling in their joining, but mentally they were both freaking out.

As their orgasms waned, the gravity of the situation hit him fully. They were Fated Mates! This witch carried the other half of his soul. The Goddess had made her for him and him for her. This was the female that completed him.

“Holy fucking hell,” he muttered ineloquently, as he collapsed to the bed bringing her with him. He was still erect and locked inside her. He rocked gently into her as she sat on his lap. His erection didn’t wane in the slightest, despite having had multiple releases. He never wanted to leave her body, he belonged there.

“Oh, Goddess. What happened?” Pema whispered. “I didn’t want a mate!”

“What were you thinking?” Cele snapped at her daughter. She was livid. She couldn’t think of a time that she’d been angrier. She was, in fact, stunned with disbelief that Claire had been so impetuous. It had been centuries since her daughter had so blatantly disobeyed her. She attempted to calm herself down, to no avail. Her anger was bubbling under the surface, ready to boil over.

Apparently, she hadn’t been clear enough when she told her daughter that she needed the triplets alive. Her entire plan depended on them willingly giving their combined power to her. How did Claire think she was going to obtain the power of three if one of them was dead? Without that power, those three trollops could overthrow Cele, and that was intolerable. Cele took deep breaths and sought a calm that continued to eluded her, especially given that her daughter stood entrenched in her justification.

“I was thinking, mother, that I will not allow a Rowan to have my male. You insisted that I end my relationship with him, and like a fool, I listened to you. I will do whatever it takes to correct that mistake!” Claire yelled.

“He is not worthy of you, daughter. Besides, he is not yours. No matter how many centuries you have slept with the beast, the Goddess didn’t make him for you. You don’t wear his mark,” Cele responded crisply, letting all her anger leak into her tone. Her daughter had nearly ruined all her carefully laid plans, and yet she stood there belligerent. It was obvious she had given Claire too much leeway in the past and this behavior wouldn’t stand. If she didn’t put her daughter in her place, the situation would only escalate.

Cele grabbed her wand off the counter and leveled it at her daughter’s chest. “
Tinneasium,
” she spat.

Claire crumpled like an accordion and writhed on the ground for several long minutes, crying and begging for mercy. Cele finally relented and waited for her daughter’s contrition. Claire pulled herself up from the floor and met her gaze squarely. She appreciated her daughter’s pride and recognized the stubborn tilt to her chin. That wouldn’t stop Cele from doing what was necessary to reach her goals. Whether Claire recognized it or not, Cele was doing this for her. One day, she would inherit the power from Cele.

“I will not allow Pema to have him. I have lived in their shadow for too long, and I won’t do it anymore! I am your daughter. You should acknowledge my power, too, even if I’m not one of the prophesized three.”

That was true and Cele had struggled with Claire and her ability for her entire life. Claire was powerful, but stubborn. It took a lot of persuasion to convince her to hone her craft and when she became obsessed with Ronan, she moved away and didn’t portal home often enough. But, from the moment she had learned of the Rowan triplets’ birth, Cele had dreamed about negating the prophesy before taking over the Tehrex Realm and unseating Zander, the lofty vampire king and his precious Dark Alliance council.

The realm needed her to reach its full potential. In her opinion, they should stand over humans, not cower in the shadows from them. Zander followed the Goddess’ edicts too literally. Cele believed that they were meant to rule the humans and offer protection from evil in exchange for vows of servitude. It disgusted her that such transitory creatures were in charge of the planet.

Cele smiled darkly. The Dark Warriors would be hers to command, and all creatures would bow to her. She would be the most powerful being ever to exist…if her daughter didn’t destroy it for her.

“You are my child and need to trust me when I tell you that I will handle the situation. The Rowan triplets aren’t to be touched. I will eliminate the shifter before I permit any harm to befall them.”

“Don’t you dare touch him. I told you he is mine! You taught me that we can’t allow an enemy to have anything, that it only gives them strength! And trust me, mother, the Rowans are our enemy,” Claire retorted as she plopped down in the high-back chair in Cele’s office.

Cele hated that this situation was hurting her daughter, but she wasn’t about to give up on obtaining their power. Claire needed to get control of Claire. “Darling daughter, you need to stop. I have explained my plan to harness their magic. I will remind you once more that this plan involves rendering them powerless and completely under my control. After that, Pema is yours to do with as you please. For the time being, none of the Rowan triplets are to be harmed in any way. Do you understand me?”

Claire refused to answer and only glared at her. She saw no respect in the face she loved so much. If Claire didn’t respect her, she would certainly fear her. Cele lifted her maple wand again and pointed it at her daughter. “
Tinneasium
,” she muttered and felt the vibration of her magic and watched Claire cry out in pain. Cele hardened her heart and watched her daughter hunch over screaming. “I love you daughter, but you will continue to suffer if you refuse to obey me. Do not touch any of the Rowans!” Cele knew her eyes were blazing with her fury and reveled in the way Claire cringed away from her. Her daughter would think twice before disobeying her again.

Claire pleaded with her, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Mother…stop…please.” She was sobbing and struggling to sit up. When she saw blood trickle from the corner of Claire’s nose, she lowered her wand, and finally ceded.

She circled the desk and cradled her daughter’s head, stroking her hair. “Sweetheart, you must listen to me. I know you want Ronan, but you have to leave the situation to me. I don’t want to hurt you again, but I will if you force my hand.”

Claire’s tears continued unchecked and she could feel her trembling beneath her palm. “Yes, mother,” she agreed easily, all fight having left her. Cele wondered how long that was going to last. She knew her daughter wouldn’t stand by and watch Pema take what she had claimed as her own. Cele needed to find a way to keep Ronan and Pema apart, and force the triplets to give her their powers before that happened.

She gathered her daughter into her arms, cooing in her ear. “Don’t worry, my plan will work, darling. I will garner their power and combine it with my own. Pema will be left with nothing.”

*****

“No freaking way! That is the best news I’ve heard since mom’s mating,” Suvi said in excitement.

Pema sighed, Suvi was such a hopeless romantic. “Yeah, not so much, Suvi. You aren’t listening to me. I did not ask for this. The Goddess needs to take this back.”

Suvi gasped and placed her hands over her mouth. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that. Fate will make you suffer for such blasphemy. I know you think of this as a curse, but it is a blessing. To be given the chance to find a love that is bigger than the universe, to have that one person who makes you want to unpack your baggage and settle in, is the greatest gift you will ever receive.”

“When you think about it, this news isn’t really surprising. The signs were all there from the beginning, and I’m shocked we missed them. The chemistry between you two was explosive. Set the drapes on fire explosive. And, Suvi is right, this isn’t a curse,” Isis added.

“Mom’s mating was the worst day of my life. It killed me to see dad so devastated and I vowed to never be a part of anything that would cause someone so much pain. Even if it wasn’t intended. I’m having a hard time reconciling how I felt then with how I’m feeling now,” Pema responded as she turned and threw out the small stub that remained of the burned incense.

It was hard to disagree completely with her sister when her body was humming with satiation, despite the fact that her head was killing her. The internal battle over this refused to let up and it was giving her a migraine. She was a witch and never got migraines. Fate was surely laughing at her with this one. Rather than steering clear of Ronan, she gave into her desires, and was rewarded with a mate, a mate she didn’t want.

She had told herself she would have sex with him the one time and get him out of her system. Now, the male was as deep in her as any ever would be. She wanted him more with every second that passed, he consumed her every thought. She was in a constant state of arousal and discomfort as a result. His soul rustled in her chest and she glanced down at the brand on her left forearm.

Her mate mark burned painfully and didn’t diminish when she traced the outline with a cooling spell. She knew the pain would only worsen until they completed the mating. It was the Goddess’ way of ensuring they couldn’t deny one another.

She felt the connection to him growing by the minute. In fact, when she concentrated she was able to discern that he was driving through traffic and was as upset as she was over their mating. He hadn’t wanted it any more than she did initially, because he had wanted to win Claire back. They hadn’t discussed anything before she hastily redressed and found her sisters then left the club so she wasn’t certain of his exact stance. But, through their bond, she sensed he was trying to come to terms with being her mate.

It was astonishing to think of how complex the Goddess’ plans were. It took many different factors to occur and bring him to Seattle and her doorstep. It proved to her that their meeting was inevitable. She may not have wanted this, but she had it now and needed to find a way to come to terms with this whole situation.

After she ran from Ronan’s bed, it had been a long night followed by a long morning. Jace had called with the lab results. His scientists had sampled the remaining drops of liquid left in her glass and confirmed that it had been contaminated with cyanide. The dose had been so concentrated that if she wasn’t a supernatural, she would’ve died before Jace was able to help her.

Claire had poisoned her and if Jace had not been there then she would have died. Pema’s anger ignited at the thought and quickly turned to rage. Almost immediately, the ground began to shake as Isis absorbed Pema’s emotions. When she spotted a crack appear in the concrete flooring, she employed every calming technique their mother had ever taught her. Steadying her emotions was vital before any more damage was done to their store. Grabbing a stick of incense, she lit the end, praying to the Goddess that it would bring peace and tranquility to the atmosphere.

She checked the time and realized that Ronan would be there soon. That claimed all of her attention and had her blood humming with anticipation. She was happy that the closer he came to her location, the more her anger turned lascivious.

She could try to deny her feelings all she wanted, but she couldn’t forget that it felt right to be with him. Her body and both of their souls were crying out for her to go to him and finish the mating. She knew all too well that the torment would only increase until they completed the ceremony.

She rubbed the mating brand on her forearm which burned like acid. The pain increased with her arousal and the question ran through her mind if she could live with the discomfort for the rest of her immortal life. The reality was that if she didn’t go forward with this mating, she would never find relief.

She heard the slam of a door and looked out the window to see Ronan crossing in front of his truck. He was sinfully good-looking and even his truck was sexy, she thought ruefully. What was it about a male and his truck?

He walked with confidence and determination. She shivered, even that was a turn-on. She wanted him desperately. There was nothing about him that didn’t make her weak. As an independent female, she typically found male power domineering, but the way it seeped from his pores was making her want to give him whatever he demanded. Okay, if she didn’t stop mooning like a lovesick puppy, she was going to kick her own ass.

The scariest part about it was that she wanted this shifter more than anything. She chanted a string of denials as she shook her head. They had to talk and if she had her way there would be no conversation. She turned to her sisters and quickly spat, “Get in the office. No, wait, stay here.” She was already in way too deep. “I know I sound crazy, and maybe I am.”