Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten Read online

  I grabbed my purse, locked my car, and hurried into the house. If I wanted to set up my little surprises for Finn, I needed to get it done before the rain began. Since he seemed to enjoy sneaking up on me, I intended to make it impossible for him to do so.

  Before she died, my mother amassed quite a collection of spell books and magical texts. Several of them held detailed instructions for setting protection wards and casting perimeter spells. I intended to welcome him with fireworks and fanfare.

  I went directly to the small library just off the living room and began choosing my spells and wards. I laughed to myself as I set three perimeter spells and several wards on the house. None of them would damage Finn, though quite a few of the protection wards might give him a little shock.

  Within a half hour, I finished casting and made myself a cup of tea. I expected Finn to arrive in the next hour or so. Once he realized I wasn’t going to show at the loft, he would likely come straight here.

  He started this little game, but I would damn sure be the one to finish it and on my terms.

  The house began to cool down as the sun set, so I started a fire in the living room fireplace. About an hour after I arrived, I heard the first rumbling of thunder and knew the storm building in the west was closing in.

  As the clouds moved over head, the sun disappeared behind the horizon, leaving behind an oppressive darkness. I could hear the wind picking up as flashes of lightning burst outside the window.

  Rain began to fall, heavy and fast, and the lightning became more frequent, as did the thunder. The wind blowing across the chimney sounded like a banshee’s wail. Something wasn’t right. I felt…unsettled. A chill crept across my neck, lifting the hair at my nape.

  Over the cacophony, a resounding boom echoed inside the house and within my head. The first perimeter spell I’d cast had been breached. However, the entity heading toward my home wasn’t Finn. And they definitely weren’t alone.

  Red and orange light filled the house as the second of my spells was broken. I snuck to the window and took a peek toward the driveway. The fireworks display my spell created was still exploding against the black clouds, brighter than even the lightning arcing across the sky. While I couldn’t see my enemy, I could feel them.

  The invaders were rapidly approaching my third and final perimeter spell. When I cast it earlier, I’d only wanted it to give off a mild electrical shock when breached. Since I was completely certain that Finn was not among the beings coming toward me, I closed my eyes, released my breath, and recited the words of the spell, changing them slightly.

  Mere moments before the perimeter was crossed, I completed the spell and felt the snap of a circle completed. Indescribable power hummed beneath my skin. It was rare for me to call on so much of my magic. Aside from Belinda, no one in the coven knew exactly how strong I was. According to the tests my mother and Belinda had administered to me over the years, I was the most powerful witch practicing in North America, perhaps even the Western hemisphere.

  It seemed, however, someone outside the coven was aware of my abilities, there was no other explanation as to why they would be here. Knowing it would take my enemies a while to break through the strong electric current generated by my new spell, I focused on the wards I’d placed on the house.

  I closed my eyes, forced myself to breathe slowly and deeply, and centered my thoughts on reinforcing the wards. My body jerked when my final perimeter spell fell under the assault, the power I’d released into it flowing back into my body. Still, I didn’t allow the almost painful sensation distract me.

  Now that they were closer, I could feel five individual energies. I studied each in my mind’s eye. Four were vampire and the fifth… a warlock. An immensely powerful warlock. I could feel the weight of his magic as he tested each of the wards on my house. A frisson of fear knifed through my chest. I understood it was likely that he was as strong as I.

  Knowing what was coming, I began to call up a protection spell more difficult than any I’d ever attempted before. While most protection spells were defensive, this was not. Most witches would never be able to achieve it because it required a vast amount of skill and power. The incantation was meant to deliver a debilitating strike to one’s enemies and destroy as many as possible in one blow. I never would have considered the spell if I were facing humans or other witches because it would almost certainly result in their death.

  Vampires and warlocks, however, might be seriously injured but their wounds probably wouldn’t prove fatal.

  There was a rather large problem, though. In order to cast this spell, I had to drop the protection wards surrounding the house. I would be a sitting duck if it failed.

  I felt the first slam of the warlock’s attack and knew there was no time for doubt. While spoken spells were the strongest, I couldn’t risk the vampires hearing me cast. Even with the tempest raging outside, two of the vampires were close enough to hear me if I used my voice.

  Instead I crouched down to the floor, flattening both palms against the hardwood and lowering my head. In preparation for the incantation, I began to gather myself. The storm overhead filled the air with electricity and I could use that to boost the force of my attack.

  In order to unleash a strike that would end this, I would have to let loose every bit of power I could muster. Usually, when casting, I needed only a small amount of magic, so, after years of training, I automatically controlled the flow. My mother often likened it to a dam. The amount of water released was based on the need. In this case, I would have to lower all the floodgates of my mental barriers.

  The air in the living room became heavy as I called up my magic. I could almost feel it pressing into my skin like a physical touch. Then the static electricity created by the storm was drawn to my body, dancing over my skin, leaving the hair on my head standing on end.

  In my mind, I began to recite the spell, never allowing my concentration to waver. If I let even a small amount of power slip before I struck, the warlock would know what was coming and have time to warn his companions.

  Magic pulsed in my extremities. I felt as though a wild animal was trying to claw its way out of my body. I allowed the power to crescendo within me as I repeated the incantation three times in my head.

  As I will it, so mote it be.

  With those final words, I surged to my feet, my arms flying forward. The wards I’d placed on the house crashed down and a split second later, the ferocity I unleashed with my spell exploded with enough force that the entire structure shook.

  A brilliant white light filled the room, so bright it was as if I were standing in the midday sun. I suddenly realized there was no way I could control the wave of destruction I released. Even to a vampire, this would be a fatal spell. It was too late to stop the chain reaction I’d begun. Instead, I rode the crest, my entire body sparking with electricity and magic.

  Vaguely, I heard screams and felt the leading edge of the spell hit the four vampires surrounding my house. Then, they were devoured by pure, elemental magic, not even a trace of their bones left behind. The warlock vanished a moment before he would have been consumed.

  From the epicenter of the spell, I searched the outside edges of my property and felt no one lurking. Satisfied that I was now alone, I lifted my arms above my head, calling for the power to return to me. Though I’d released it in a rush, it would take time for the surge to come full circle.

  Slowly, the magic retracted, dispersing into the earth, the air, and my own body. While many books portrayed challenging spells such as these as draining, in reality, they were energizing. Residual magic swirled in the air and within my body, fizzing like champagne in my veins.

  As I stood in the center of my living room, arms hanging limply at my sides and chest heaving, my front door flew open. Before I could think, my right hand lifted and a bolt of energy shot from my palm.

  Wide-eyed I watched as the streak of light struck Finn’s chest and a blinding shower of sparks erupted. Blinking rapidly to
clear the black dots that filled my vision, I gaped when I realized that Finn was not only still standing, he was completely unharmed.

  “Goddammit, Kerry! What the fuck were you thinking?”

  Rubbing my palms together to relieve the intense tingling in my right hand, I apologized. “I’m sorry, Finn. I have never done that before. I didn’t even know I could do that.” I hadn’t even thought of a spell, merely called up the magic and used it as I willed.

  He slammed the door shut forcefully, causing the frame to creak ominously. “That’s not what I’m fucking talking about and you know it!” he roared. “You KNEW that you were in danger and you willfully ignored the warnings. You could have been kidnapped, or worse, killed.”

  Still riding on the sharp edge of magic, which was more intense than a high by any drug, my eyes narrowed and very air around me sizzled with little sparks of electricity.

  “I don’t see anyone else standing here but you and me, Finn. I’ve told you before and I’m telling you again, I can and will take care of myself.”

  In a blink Finn was in my face, his large hand circling my neck. While he wasn’t squeezing, his touch was threatening.

  “I could crush your windpipe before you could even utter the first word of a spell,” he hissed. “And there is nothing you could do to stop me.”

  Anger, wild and out of control, erupted inside me. Quickly, I lifted my right hand and tapped my finger in the center of Finn’s chest. As I had moments ago, I didn’t even think of the words needed to cast, merely used the magic as I wanted.

  To an observer, the move would seem almost playful, but Finn groaned in pain, releasing my neck and collapsing to the floor, whatever prevented him from being hurt moments ago no longer seemed to protect him.

  Leaning down to stare straight into his glowing lavender eyes, I whispered, “And I could have made your heart explode with that simple touch. Don’t play this game with me, Finn. You wouldn’t like the outcome.”

  An expression of grudging respect flickered across his features. “You are stronger than I thought,” he muttered. “But you are an idiot if you think you can take on a warlock and his vampire apprentices alone.”

  Steel filling my spine, I straightened. “I just did and I could do it again.”

  Finn rose to his feet. “And how do you think you could do that?” he asked.

  “You practice magic, yes?” Something wild and reckless filled me. Deep in my mind a voice whispered that I should stop, pull back, that I was dancing too close to the edge of the cliff that led straight down into the pit of black magic that had swallowed a man I once loved. The words of reason were interrupted by a devilish voice that insisted I needed to prove myself.

  A glimmer of understanding filled his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Do you consider yourself to be powerful?” I asked.

  Goddess help me, I had to be a nutcase, challenging a thousand year old vampire to a duel. He’d had a millennium to perfect his craft. He could probably kick my ass with his pinkie. Still, that devilish little voice inside me demanded that I garner his respect. Anything less would be an insult.

  The glow in his purple eyes flared brightly and his voice dropped as he answered, “Yes.”

  “Then why don’t you take me on and see who’s still standing in the end?”

  Chapter Seven

  “This is a ridiculous idea,” Finn complained.

  As we squared off in my front yard, rain soaking us to our skin, I realized he did have a valid point. I’d regretted my suggestion as soon as I’d begun to calm, but my pride wouldn’t let me back down. My mother and even Belinda had always said my pride and fierce independent streak would be my downfall. At least the storm had calmed somewhat, the lightning and thunder had stopped, so we likely wouldn’t be electrocuted.

  “Probably,” I answered, “but you need to understand what I’m capable of. I can protect myself quite adequately, as I’m sure you noticed tonight.”

  Finn scowled at me. “You can’t watch your back 24/7, Kerry. Whether you like it or not, you’re vulnerable and you need help.”

  “Enough. Let’s do this.” The longer I listened to his logical arguments, the sillier I felt. Still, I couldn’t let this go. Somewhere, deep within me, I needed him to respect me and to understand exactly how strong I was, even though I knew I was acting like a child.

  “Kerry….”

  Rather than continue the argument, I zapped him. Okay, so there was a more technical name for it, but, for lack of a better description, I threw a ball of static electricity at him. After that, there were no more words.

  Finn managed to deflect my attack, barely, and he countered. We continued hurling spells at each other, gaining speed as the battle progressed. Though he was a vampire and wouldn’t die from a more powerful attack, I didn’t use anything stronger than I would when sparring with another witch. I wanted to prove my point, not injure him.

  At first, I was surprised at how evenly matched we were. I thought he would be stronger than me. As we continued, he seemed to be losing focus. Finn cursed when he didn’t deflect all of my last energy ball. I knew from experience that, while it wouldn’t seriously damage him, the electric sensation was very unpleasant.

  “Fuck this,” he shouted, coming toward me. His speed was preternatural, bringing him right in front of me in a blink of an eye.

  I backpedaled, lifting my hands to cast, but he moved too quickly. As I retreated, my foot slipped in a patch of mud and I went down. My breath left my lungs when I landed hard on my back.

  I was still struggling to take in air when Finn’s face appeared over me.

  Eyes angry, he snapped, “Goddess, Kerry. Are you okay?”

  Feeling foolish, I shoved at his shoulders. “I’m fine,” I croaked then laughed. “You can get off me now.” The sharp blade of anger was dulling beneath the ridiculousness of the situation.

  Finn wrapped his fingers around my wrists, pinning my hands above my head. “No, not until you listen to reason.”

  “Seriously? I’m calm now. You can let me up.”

  “Are you going to come with me to a safe place tonight?” he asked.

  I frowned at him, refusing to answer because I knew he wouldn’t like what I had to say.

  “By the god and goddess, you are the most stubborn, independent, proud woman I have ever been cursed to know.”

  I struggled beneath him, my irritation returning. Panting, I retorted, “Then leave.” I didn’t mean the words, but that same reckless and immature urge that had driven me to challenge him goaded me on.

  “I don’t want to.”

  Then he kissed me.

  I could almost taste his anger as his mouth opened over mine, his tongue tangling with my own. He released my wrists, but laced our fingers together, holding my hands still. The heat of his body burned through my wet clothes, making me aware of how cold the night had become. Suddenly aware of the drop in temperature, I shivered violently.

  Within seconds, Finn stood, lifted me into his arms, and carried me into the house. I could still feel the frustration emanating from him in waves. I responded by unleashing my own ire. Our mouths clashed as he lowered me to the rug in front of the fire.

  Finn tugged at my shirt, trying to pull it over my head. When the wet material clung stubbornly to my body, he yanked and I heard the fabric rip. My pants quickly followed. He didn’t even try to fight the hooks at the waist or the small zipper, tearing the material instead. I kicked off my shoes and lifted my hips as Finn wrestled me out of my slacks.

  I couldn’t think. I was angry, yet painfully aroused. I’d never experienced anything like it before. As Finn literally shredded my satin bra and panties, my hands twisted in the hem of his sweater and I yanked it over his head. My fingers fumbled with the button on his jeans, practically ripping them open. When my cold hand encountered his hot cock, he grunted, his hips jerking. I wrapped my fingers around the head of his erection and ran my thumb over the tip.

  I yelped as F
inn sucked my nipple between his lips. The warmth of his mouth almost hurt as it surrounded my icy flesh. My back arched when his hand slid up my inner thigh to my center. I lifted my hips as he thrust two fingers inside my body.

  When his thumb pressed my clit and rotated, I clutched his biceps. “Finn.”

  He smiled slightly, revealing his fangs, then removed his hand.

  “No! Don’t stop.” My anger forgotten, all I could think about was the pleasure of his touch. When he laughed, I reared up and sank my teeth into his chest as he shoved his jeans down his legs.

  I felt the hot, hard length of his erection glide over my clit before he angled his hips and thrust inside me with one smooth motion. I cried out, wrapping my arms around his torso and digging my nails into his lower back. His hands pushed my knees higher, leaving me open and helpless to his powerful thrusts. The muscles in my lower abdomen tightened in preparation for a blinding climax.

  Our coupling was fast and ferocious. I scratched and bit, straining against him, alternating between pleading and threatening. When my movements became too wild, Finn lowered his upper body, caging me between the floor and his chest, his arms providing a cushion for my shoulders and his hands cupped the back of my head.

  “You feel more incredible than I imagined,” he murmured in my ear. “Tight and hot.”

  I turned my head and sank my teeth into the curve where his neck and shoulder met, sucking hard enough to leave a mark.

  Finn growled, his fingers tightening in my hair hard enough to hurt, but I liked it. His hips slammed into mine hard and fast, hitting my clit on each stroke.

  My pulse thudded harder as he used his grip on my hair to turn my head, completely revealing my neck to him. I knew what was coming and, damn, I wanted it badly. Unlike my human friends, I knew exactly what to expect from a vampire’s bite and I knew I would enjoy it.