Fanged Fury (The Adventures of Sydney Sedrick Book 3) (22 page)

The orgasm hit me hard.

I panted as Blake sprawled his body over mine. We laid there in silence, catching our breaths.

My body felt different.

The feel of Blake’s naked skin and sexy body against mine didn’t fuel the spell. The feeling was wonderful, and it was heaven to be held in his arms, but there was less of an urgency to have him take me.

For the first time since Rage had the spell cast upon me, my body was able to relax.

I had reached orgasm in the real world, not just in a dream.

The spell was broken.

Chapter 15

Reaching around him, I squeezed Blake closer to me.

He let out a chuckle and said, “Well, I’m glad to see you, too.”

I didn’t mind the smug smile he wore while I watched his eyes turn back to their original warm brown. He’d climaxed, too.

With a playful tap on Blake’s backside, I said, “Don’t push it, Mister. And, by the way, I’m glad you came to check on me. As you saw, the rogue did a number on me last night. My reaction was stronger to the rogue’s nearness than it has been in a while. I wonder if my Selected powers are changing or growing again.”

At the mention of my being the Selected, Blake rolled over onto his side and supported his head in one hand while kneading my upper arm with the other.

“Sydney, I know I should have told you everything I knew about the prophecy and the spilling of your family’s blood to fulfill it. I hope one day you can really come to trust I didn’t hide information from you because I planned to see the prophecy fulfilled.”

I put my finger to his lips and said, “Blake, you’re going to ruin the special moment we just had, aren’t you?”

Not wanting to let the warm afterglow of our lovemaking fade away, I tried humor.

He wasn’t buying it.

Grabbing my arm and pulling it away from his lips, he said, “Let me speak my peace. I didn’t tell you about the prophecy because once I met you, the prophecy no longer mattered to me. You are what matters to me, Sydney, and I’d never do anything on purpose to harm you or anyone in your family.”

I readjusted my head so it rested on a pillow—we’d forsaken pillows in our haste—and said, “Blake, I don’t know what to say. I’m having a hard time knowing who to trust and, right now, despite my feelings toward you, that includes you and the wolf pack.”

Blake’s brow furrowed a bit, but to my relief, he kept the temper of his wolf in check. “If I wanted to hurt you, or fulfill the prophecy above all else, I could have done so already. Sydney, I love you like I’ve never loved anyone in my life.”

“Blake, I know you have feelings for me. I don’t doubt that you do. I hope you can understand where I’m coming from. I’ve got to look out for my family, just as you do.”

Placing a gentle kiss to my forehead, I felt the warmth from his lips and it relieved some of the tension building between us.

“Good, as long as you know how I feel, then I can only work on making you feel the same way I do. Matter of fact,” he said while tracing his fingertips in lazy circles along my hipbone, “I think my ploy has already begun to take hold on you.” He smiled and climbed off the bed.

Blake continued to smile as he dressed. For good measure, I whipped the pillow at his back. When the soft projectile bounced off him without making him so much as budge from surprise, he stopped trying to hold it in and broke out into a fit of laughter.

“I’ll see you later, my life-mate.”

He waited for my reaction to him calling me life-mate. In a perfect world, I think I may already have chosen to have him bond with me.

It wasn’t a perfect world, though, and we didn’t live in perfect harmony.

“Blake, I’ll think about what you said.” I gave him a warm smile, because that was how I felt at the moment with him; warm and safe. It was such a relief to be rid of the dreaded spell.

Daire would realize my reactions to him were so strong because the spell was making me react in such a manner. I hoped.

Blake put his hand up in a salute to the sky and said, “That’s all I can ask, my love.”

After Blake left, I jumped back in the shower and let the heat of the water caress my body. It had been the first warm shower I was able to take in a while because of the spell. With every touch on my flesh, including water from the shower, my sensuality had hiked up the ‘I have to have sex right this minute’ meter. So, because of the spell, I’d had to use cold water to help quell the lust pouring from me in droves. I was finally able to enjoy the hot water without having to worry about having my sexual drive peak and make me do things I wouldn’t normally do.

My cell phone vibrated against the cracked glass countertop next to the register. Picking up the phone, I saw Morris’ number blinking on the neon blue screen. The leader of the werewolf pack didn’t make it a habit of calling me.

“Hello?” I said, not caring to hide the suspicion in my voice.

“Sydney? This is Morris. We need to have a meeting.”

I used the edge of my fingernail to pick at the cracked glass chips while pondering the reason for yet another meeting with the wolf pack. “I have to work, Morris. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

“Selected, I must insist you come to the pack house when you’re through working.” Morris’ voice had a twinge of anger mixed with apprehension.

I took a deep breath and let out a sigh into the receiver of the phone. “Fine, but what’s this about, Morris?”

The leader of the wolves cleared his throat and said, “We’ll talk later.” After a moment of silence, he said, “Sydney, I’m not in a secure location.”

“Okay, yes, I’ll come over when I’m done with work.”

Morris, not one for phone conversation or manners of any kind, ended the phone call without so much as a goodbye.

The door chimes jangled at the front of the store while I was connecting the phone to the charging cord.

Blake entered carrying a small bouquet of yellow roses and a smile on his face.

I quirked an eyebrow. Blake had never brought me flowers before. I couldn’t help but smile. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

Leaning over the counter, I gave him a quick peck on the lips and went into the storeroom to find a container to hold the flowers until I could bring them home and put them next to my bed in a cozy vase. The aroma filled the room and refreshed the air of the stuffy store. Stagnant air was one of the downfalls of having our store in such an old building with bad insulation. We always had to keep the doors and windows shut to keep the cold out.

Blake grinned and said, “I thought it’d be nice to surprise you.”

I didn’t know if Blake had an ulterior motive in stopping by. Regardless, it was nice to see him, and I was ecstatic I didn’t quiver with need at his presence, not that I had become immune to appreciating his well-toned frame. I felt confident in knowing he’d always be sexually attractive in my eyes.

“Well, it’s a nice surprise.” I didn’t want to give him the impression I didn’t trust him at his word. Blake would be crushed if he realized I didn’t have complete faith in what he said. I may not ever be able to put that kind of trust in anyone ever again.

Blake leaned against the counter and said, “Sydney, I don’t mind our having mind-blowing sex, but last night was different.” He shook his head and went on. “I can’t explain what I felt, but the bond we shared during our union was beyond just the physical.”

Blake’s eyes were turning amber-bronze. He was getting turned on from the memory, and so was I.

The door chimes jangled. Behind Blake, Kasdeya sauntered into my store like she owned the place.

Her everyday wardrobe consisted of black leather, and a lot of it. When she sauntered in, I noticed a curious change in her appearance. Gone were Kasdeya’s leather dress and crisscrossed swords on her back. She wore a powder blue sweatshirt and dark jeans with shredded holes in the front. Her black skin with silver swirls poked through the holes.

“Selected, I’ve learned through unpleasant measures which spell the treacherous bastard had put on you, which means we can have it undone.” The demon strolled to the couch and took a seat on the cushion closest to the roaring fireplace.

Kasdeya, being a fire demon, was attracted to the flames like a moth. I would have to remember for the future that her obsessive nature toward fire could be used against her, if we ever got into a fight. Kasdeya hated cold. More specifically, she hated wet cold, as in snow, which was another fun fact I’d keep in my arsenal against her.

“Oh, and what did my new demon friend do for this information? Did it have anything to do with a demon with blue hair?” Rage, Kasdeya’s ex, was hot. His sexual allure was fiery when I was affected by the spell, but the thought of him since the spell broke didn’t diminish the fact he was downright scrumptious looking. Too bad he was a rotten demon bent on furthering his quest for power using all means necessary.

Kasdeya extended her fingers toward the flames and said, “Don’t worry, Sydney, Rage agreed not to bother you again. He told me the spell and what I need to acquire to fix it.”

The demon didn’t look my way while she spoke. I assumed it was to keep the sad expression aging her facial features from Blake and me.

“Well, I’m really sorry you did that.”

She whipped her head toward me and squinted her red glowing eyes. “What do mean? What have you done, Selected?” Kasdeya stood and paced the splintered wooden floor. “I knew Daire would complicate matters, that damned halfling.”

At the mention of Daire’s name, Blake took his turn to give me an accusing look. I could tell he had a lot to say from the gaping drop of his jaw and darkened facial expression.

I put my hands up and said, “What?”

Blake’s biceps bunched as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What does she mean about the half-vampire, half-demon, Sydney?”

It hurt to hear contempt in Blake’s voice while he spoke my name. We had just had a wonderful morning in my bed, and Kasdeya, the same demon who’d said to me the other day that us girls had to stick together, had ruined the afterglow with the mention of another man.

“I don’t know what she’s talking about, Blake.” I said his name with an added emphasis, letting him know I wasn’t going to put up with him throwing a mantrum in the middle of my store.

He put his palms in the air and curled his fingers upward in frustration.

Kasdeya stopped pacing and said with feigned innocence, “All I wanted to know was how you satisfied the effects of the spell. If you weren’t with Blake all this time, I figured it must have been with Daire.”

My face flushed with anger and the tips of my ears began to burn. I hadn’t done a dang thing wrong with Daire. Sure, I was tempted, and he offered himself with open arms, but I hadn’t taken him up on it, at least not now in the real, waking world, and I didn’t think I deserved to be setup by Kasdeya.

Blake’s chest began to heave and I knew he was losing control of his inner beast, and I didn’t want him to break something else in the store. Aunt Judith and I couldn’t afford to keep fixing all the damage caused from Others coming in and smashing things.

I stared at Kasdeya and chastised her through pursed lips. “I was doing just fine before you came into our lives, demon. Now you’re trying to start trouble.”

She put her hands to her chest and said, “Selected, mind your words lest you really want to find yourself in hot water.”

Sick and tired of Others messing with every aspect of my life, I said, “Both of you, get out.”

I stuck my jaw out to show that neither of them was going to change my mind.

Blake decided to move first. He shook his head and went to the front door. “See you tonight, Sydney. My father sent me the notice of your summons to the house. Nice of you to mention his call, by the way. I can’t believe I have to find out what’s going on with you from my father.”

Then Blake was gone, taking his warmth with him. The air in the store felt cool as Kasdeya and I stood facing one another in a standoff.

“You’re a bitch. You intentionally put doubt in Blake’s mind. You’re miserable with your own lot in life, and now, for fun, you’ve decided for some sick reason to mess with mine.” I positioned myself a few feet in front of her, but far enough away to move if she came at me.

Kasdeya blinked in silence.

“Well? Don’t you have anything to say for yourself? Maybe some lame excuse telling me you didn’t mean to hurt Blake? Because hurting people is all you’re capable of doing.”

Kasdeya’s silver patterns began to swirl with furious agitation. I wasn’t going to let her intimidate me, although watching power ooze off her body was a bit unnerving.

If she wanted me dead, I’d be dead.

The vampire king and Kieran had ordered my safety, no matter what, and that included hindering her from outright harming me herself, but I didn’t know how deep her loyalty ran.

Her earlier words
had
stung, because they had a hint of truth to them, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself.

“Kas, just stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours, okay?” I said, trying to soften my words.

Without warning, the fire demon lifted her arm into the air and whipped a flaming ball of fire toward my head.

With a screech, I ducked out of the way in the nick of time, but the end of my ponytail didn’t fare as well. The smell of fried hair hit my nose as I rolled to the ground and landed in a crouch. My eyes remained trained on the ball of flames flying through the air. Before it hit the wall and set my store on fire, I threw my own magic with everything I had. I’d been thinking of using water on the demon if she ever attacked me with her fire. My reflexive defense was to throw a ball of water, bigger than the flames, onto her fire to distinguish it.

Once the water magic left them, I observed my hands. They appeared the same as always, with maybe a hint of a blue glow coming from them in the low-lit corner of the store where I crouched.

“Don’t tell me what to do and use my nickname in the same sentence, human. You don’t even realize what you have with Blake and you’re hurting his feelings, hurling rejection at him time and time again. I’m sick of watching you deny your feelings for him. Since you can’t admit them to me or anyone else, at least admit them to yourself.” Her words spewed with venom and, as she continued to talk, wisps of smoke puffed from her nostrils.