Read The Moon, the Madness, and the Magic Online

Authors: Eliza March

Tags: #Menage a Trois (m/m/f), #Menage Amour, #Fiction, #Romance, #Adult, #Erotica, #Fantasy

The Moon, the Madness, and the Magic (5 page)

BOOK: The Moon, the Madness, and the Magic
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“What?” Dane turned to him, his expression surprised. “What happened to our rules?”

“Fuck the rules!” Rourke snapped his head around and pointed at Dane. “They don’t apply this time.”

Rourke’s pulse tripped a beat when she turned to look at his brother with a sudden look of interest. Jealousy, anger, lust consumed him. Was she trying to make him crazy? Did she want to get Dane killed? A black haze tunneled his vision, narrowing in on the woman.

“What about sharing?”

“Shut the hell up.” Rourke exhaled, grinding his teeth. “Do you have a death wish?”

Dane backed up a step, and Rourke noticed his expression fill with disappointment and confusion. He consciously forced his own face muscles to relax before he explained. “Not this time,” he said, trying to sound calm and rational. Then he shrugged, still struggling to get himself under control. He took a deep breath and then quietly added, “Not with her. Never.”

Dane seemed determinedly driven as he took a step toward the veranda. “I saw her first.”

“No.” A feral warning. The one word said volumes, and despite his best efforts, Rourke let out the low rumble rising in his throat. The sound escaped like a threatening growl, an animal sound, hardly human.

Dane whirled around to face him. “Did you just growl at me?”

Rourke ignored his question and kept his eyes riveted on the woman, all the while uttering that cavernous sound from deep in his chest.

“Hey, okay.” Dane raised both hands in submission and backed away. “Don’t get so bent.”

One of Dane’s hands clenched a tennis ball he looked like he’d contemplated lobbing at Rourke’s head along with the tennis racket he held up in his other hand. Frowning, he took a few steps back and cast a cautious look in Rourke’s direction. “What’s up with you lately? I thought this place would be good for you.”

Rourke turned aside. “It is. Stop worrying.” He hated being on the receiving end of that disappointed look from his brother. The wariness in Dane’s eyes hurt Rourke, but he understood why. He’d been acting like an ass lately.

“Riiight.” Dane dragged out the one word like he didn’t believe him. Who could blame him? Rourke had been restless the last few months, feeling weird and acting weirder. He let out a low, sarcastic chuckle, looked up at the woman, and shook off the last of the odd sensations. He was still hard when he turned to Dane and apologized. “Sorry, it’s the stress. I haven’t been myself lately.”

“No shit.” His brother looked relieved but still guarded.

Rourke flicked his attention back at the woman. “All I want is for my groin to stop aching. Maybe the woman standing over there watching us, the one who looks like a forest nymph and projects sex like a succubus, would like to take my cock in hand and relieve me.”

A tinge of pink flushed her lovely, pale skin as if she’d heard his crude comment. Even if she hadn’t heard, she didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. His damn cock was raising his tennis shorts like a circus tent pole, leaving no question about what effect she had on him.

Pure stubborn male pride made him refuse to adjust himself. Instead, he winked at her and ran his tongue over his lips. The image of her thighs spread wide for his feasting made his pulse beat stronger. How would she taste? Like honey and spice?

Her face flamed bright pink.

He let his imagination run wild, envisioning how she’d feel beneath him as he burrowed inside her. How her hot, wet channel would squeeze his cock and how she’d scream out his name as he drove deep inside her.

Her breasts rose and fell with each of her breaths, and her lips parted. She innocently mimicked his action. Her pink, little tongue darted over her full lips.

His cock jerked to attention. The tight, familiar ache gripped his balls. Getting off became an immediate priority.

“Geez, Rourke, I guess you need to get laid more than you realized,” Dane said, his voice low. He frowned at the growing evidence in Rourke’s shorts.

“Some women make it more urgent than others.”

The woman on the terrace tilted her head and met Rourke’s eyes. Her lips parted and lifted into a promise. Rourke felt her smile reach all the way to his cock.

Dane didn’t miss the exchange. “Really? Then you’d better stop grinning like the Big Bad Wolf if you plan on seducing that woman into your bed.”

Rourke exhaled and then inhaled the lingering scent of her into his lungs. “The prospects are looking up,” he said in a whisper as he adjusted himself.

“Let’s go introduce ourselves. And Rourke, try to wipe that hungry look off your face.”

Chapter 5

Meeting

The one called Dane was the smaller—if she could call a six-foot-plus man weighing about two hundred pounds small. He was slightly leaner than Rourke but still powerfully built.

When he chased down a ball rolling in her direction, the laughter stopped. Both players glanced over at her, but Dane brushed his raven-black hair off his face and grinned unabashedly. Openly interested, he exuded a lighthearted enthusiasm Celeste couldn’t deny appealed to her. He was far less intimidating than the man to his right glaring at her with eyes flashing.

“Hey, there,” Dane said, ignoring his brother’s attitude. He planted his fists on his hips. His Hollywood smile was meant to dazzle. “I’m Dane Grayland.” He ran his hands through his hair and tilted his head in the other man’s direction, his eyes focused on her the entire time. “That’s my brother, Rourke.”

The naughty charmer, she thought, was a hard man to resist. “Hey, yourself,” she said to Dane, but she kept her attention on Rourke. He said nothing as she stared him down until the conflict became ridiculous. He refused to be the one to break eye contact, finally forcing her to look away first. The lout chuckled at her response, thinking he’d managed to ruffle her, but she took no offense. She’d get back at him later.


Nice to meet you both. I’m Celeste Cameron.”

The surly one finally acknowledged the introductions and, to Celeste’s chagrin, did it effortlessly.

“Nice to meet you, too, Celeste.” He was all business, with a voice as smooth as hundred-year-old brandy.

No one had to tell her that if her knees wobbled and the air felt too thin it was a good indication she should hold onto something. Celeste was also certain those spots dancing before her eyes were a dangerous sign, too, and didn’t think twice before reaching out for the railing.

Rourke’s eyes burned with fire when he asked her, sounding sexy as hell and looking it, too, “Didn’t I see you in the lounge last night?”

“Maybe. I was there for a few minutes, but I left early.”

She’d seen him with Dane and three women, but the power she’d sensed coming from him had sent her running like a coward.

The paranormals must have all felt the same powerful alpha aura in Rourke that had drawn her to the club and then frightened her off. The women and a few of the men had openly pursued him, but Celeste had moved to the far end of the outside deck when she’d caught him sniffing for her scent. Once out of his range, she’d watched him deny them all.

He had turned once or twice in her direction then followed her, finally forcing her to shift to avoid his notice. As an owl, she could watch and remain undetected for a while from the trees. The three female shifters had turned their attentions to Dane after Rourke, curiously, shut them down.

She knew turning those women down could have been no small feat when she sensed Rourke’s growing needs. Why wouldn’t he take advantage of their offers when sex was what people came to this place for?

In the end, the redheaded twins, two wily fox-shifters, hadn’t minded sharing Dane with the brunette she-wolf once they’d realized Rourke wasn’t going to play. They’d all appeared satisfied with the final arrangements.

She wondered why she’d continued to watch from her position in the tree outside the picture window even after Rourke had left the club. In her heart, maybe she knew she didn’t want to risk him finding her yet.

Dane’s need wasn’t quite the same as his brother’s, but it called out to a part of her nevertheless. This was an unexpected complication. The man oozed charisma. He gave Rourke a cocky glance, and she noticed a flash of doubt wash over Rourke’s expression. What could a man like him be worried about? Whatever it was, Dane seemed to be the cause when he said something about her that she couldn’t quite make out.

A glimpse of her glamour would have a devastating effect on any male. Humans like Dane were slightly more susceptible. To teach him a little lesson in humility, she flipped her hair back over her shoulder and inhaled, knowing the impact her charms would have on him. Still, she let the heat rise in her and enjoyed the low moan of appreciation Dane released as she returned her gaze and attention to Rourke.

A low sound resembling a snarl rumbled again from Rourke’s chest, this time an unmistakable warning.

Rourke was all hard angles, broad shoulders, and darkness, inside and out. She wondered if he ever suffered from the
calling
, the intuitive need paranormal beings felt to find their origins or their mates.

His brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed, never leaving hers as he warily took her measure. He was feeling her, the irresistible attraction, but he wasn’t liking his reaction.

Mine.
Her succubus claimed him.

“Great,” she noted beneath her breath. He was jealous, responsive, reluctant, and pissed, all because her essence
called
to him and his answered.

She smelled Dane’s reaction to her glamour grow more intense and realized, too late, so had Rourke’s. He let out a true growl.

Alpha. Impressive.

Shut up.
Celeste had enough problems at the moment without her inner being interfering. She ran a palm across her forehead, feeling Rourke’s probing mind touch hers. Damn, the man was already using abilities she hadn’t been aware he had and ones he didn’t know he had, either. He probably attributed them to good insight.

Little did he know.

The responsibility of telling the men about their past was the bigger challenge, and it had fallen to her. How would she explain the Lore and the rest? Her mind mulled over all the possibilities.

How would she tell them Rourke had abilities they’d only seen before in scary movies? She could hardly hear herself casually saying,
Oh, by the way, Rourke, your brother isn’t your biological brother, and you are a shape-shifter about to change for the first time.

What? What are you?

Oh, sorry, not sure what you’ll turn into on Beltane, because no one can be sure who sired you. But guess what? You’re meant to lead the people of the Lore.

That almost seemed easier than the rest. Telling the men about their dark history might well be her task, but convincing them of the real truth might be harder still. She dreaded telling Rourke that the man he believed was his father all his life wasn’t. How did one broach a subject that delicate?

She looked into the Rourke’s suspicious gaze. He knew she was hiding something. She forced her eyes shut to hold him at bay for a moment.

Would unraveling the truth tear the men’s relationship apart?

Did any of this matter to the outcome of the prophecy?

She doubted it. When it came to fate, Celeste was sure that beings were nothing but pawns, a means to fulfill the end.

Sadly, what didn’t matter to fate she was certain mattered to the two men staring expectantly up at her.

Her pulse raced. The man who would have to accept her as his mate glared up at her, barely masking his wary curiosity. He knew something was up. Her heart ached knowing what the future held for Rourke.

Unfortunately, fate never gave anyone choices.

All fears aside, when Rourke discovered what his surrogate father had done, Celeste prayed he didn’t kill the messenger.

In defense against the open animosity she read on his face, she allowed all her virtues to climb to the surface. The hell with playing fair. She’d use the arsenal at her disposal.

Not human.

The Council told me he’s part human and male enough to recognize your assets. Rise up and show yourself.

He was less affected by her glamour than Dane had been, but affected he was nonetheless. Her succubus was very talented for a novice. What Celeste didn’t see affect him, she felt. That other connection he fought, the unerring mate bond between them, was too strong to deny. She recognized the pull in the air and yet knew he’d resent it.

She resented wanting him, too. The emotions she felt confused her.

He wouldn’t fall easily into destiny’s trap.
Good for him.
She didn’t want him to be easy.

She drew on her power. What kind of fae succubus couldn’t affect a part-human male?

He squared his shoulders as his eyes locked with hers, looking slightly confused but stoic in his stance against her.

Transfixed on his face, her gaze melted into his, and mixed feelings swirled within her, almost overwhelming her. He was hard and commanding, and she wasn’t sure she would bend to his will. She had been a powerful force unto herself until now and bound to grow stronger. Yet she couldn’t bear to think he’d approach their union as if he’d been compelled to it.

BOOK: The Moon, the Madness, and the Magic
13Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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