Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

At the thought of more gel packs or green bananas, she almost retched, but then the scent of something cooked, something heavenly, assailed her. 'What is that smell?' she asked just as the others awakened one by one.

'Food for you, Mariketa,' he answered. 'A feast of it.' Beside his spot at the edge of the cave, she spied what looked like grilled fish and crayfish, as well as some kind of roasted meat laid out on a smooth flank of wood. Succulent fruits lay in abundant piles, with not a green banana among them.

As her mouth watered, Rydstrom muttered, 'Methinks your Lykae is trying to impress you. What he can't take, he'll tempt.'

'Shut it, demon,' she said, and he gave a half laugh.

'There's food enough for everyone, and I will bargain for it,' MacRieve said.

'What do you want?' Tera asked, rubbing her eyes.

'As you likely overheard, it seems the wee witch might have cast more than one spell over me, a spell that makes me think of her as my mate. So I'm no' letting her out of my sight—I will be accompanying her on the trek out of the jungle and will fight anyone who tries to stand in my way. When I settle my plans for her and she agrees to them, you'll abide by them as well. No interfering.'

'What plans for me?' Mari demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

'You've three options, Mariketa. First, deny you cast the spell. Second, admit the truth and remove it. Or third, for the duration of our adventure here you'll vow no' to use magick near—or at—me again and you'll prepare to have yourself a mate.'

'What exactly does that mean?'

'Long and short—I'll provide food for you, I'll protect you, and you'll do whatever I tell you.' As she sputtered, he said, 'I think once you've experienced what it's like to have me—an overpowering, commanding Lykae—ordering you about, you'll do whatever's necessary to get rid of me.'

'I already want to get rid of you!' she cried. 'I'd take a freaking incubus over you, and I'd take him with a cheery smile and hello kiss.'

'Ach, you wound, witchling,' he said, sounding not the least wounded.

'Even had I done what you're accusing me of, I don't know how to reverse it. You've seen firsthand how little control I have over my powers.'

'Necessity is the mother of invention. If you get sick enough of me, I'm sure you'll figure something out. Or you can simply deny that you've done this.'

'Mari, just tell him you didn't do it,' Tera said.

She couldn't! 'I don't believe I did. But I... I can't make a vow to that.'

'Then you've only two other options. Decide.' To Rydstrom, he said, 'You gain a feast and another male to guard her—if you do no' interfere when I treat her as mine.'

Mari glanced around the cave. They're considering it! All but Cade, who had a calculating, unsettling look in his eyes. 'You people have all gone mad. I despise him.' She met MacRieve's eyes and snapped, 'If you think I'll sleep with you, you're cracked, deranged.'

'I have no need to compel you to sleep with me,' he interrupted, his tone so smug. 'That is no' part of this deal.'

'I will never agree to this. Never—'

'Before you decide,' MacRieve interrupted, 'know that if you were my mate, I'd make sure you had whatever you needed to be comfortable.' Her lips parted when he pulled her bag from behind him and proceeded to dig through it. 'Like your toothbrush.' He held up her pink toothbrush.

He'd retrieved her things from her car? And rooted through her personal possessions.

She'd seen MacRieve's ferocity, and now she was getting a good glimpse of his sly side, his tricksy side. She could see what Rydstrom had been talking about. MacRieve seemed... wolfish.

Then she remembered what else she had in her bag. Oh, great Hekate. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach. Mari had private things in there—rocket of the pocket-type private things. Like a tube of lipstick that wasn't really one.

'Or this.' He carelessly flicked her birth control patch. 'Doona know what it does, but I ken that people who use patches for whatever reason might be eager for a new one.' He displayed her iPod next. 'It's my understanding that females your age canna go long without listening to music or they become irrational and impossible to deal with. And how long's it been for you, then?' He drew out a blue-labeled bottle and shook it. 'You had several bottles of Orangina in your Jeep. Must like it, do you no'?'

Not the Orangina! Her mouth watered even more.

'And here's your bit of Mayan gold that you're probably keen to hold on to.' He held up the weighty headdress. Stunning.

She hazily remembered seeing it in the severed hand of an incubus, as if in offer, but she'd thought the piece had been lost into that crater. If MacRieve gave the incubi's headdress to her, it would be her first payment as a mystical mercenary.

No, resist him! To act like his mate? To follow his orders? She could resist the food and the Orangina. She could even resist gold, but there he went digging once more.

He'd find it. But maybe he wouldn't know what it really was—

'And your lipstick,' he said with a wicked glint in his eyes. Oh, no, he knew, and he was playing with her. She was going to die of mortification!

Her face grew hot when he added, 'You must be in sore need of this after three weeks without.'

Playing with me... 'Put my things back,' she said between gritted teeth. 'Now!'

'Come tae me, agree to my plans, and I will. It'll take us till Friday to reach civilization. Until then, I'll treat you as mine.'

Food, dry clothes, a toothbrush, the absence of scalding humiliation...

'One day,' she countered.

His tone firm, he repeated, 'Till Friday.'

As she hesitated for long moments, his demeanor seemed uncaring and aloof, as though he'd merely shrug if she said no. But when she studied him closely as he waited, she detected more.

Bowen MacRieve was holding his breath.

Whether she used magick against him or not, she wasn't going to be powerless in this exchange. For whatever reason, he wanted this arrangement badly. She could use that.

When she forced herself to rise, Cade asked her, 'You're not really willing to go along with this? Sleep with him for some fish? Because if that's the case, wait half an hour for me to return with my catch.'

'I've said sex is no' part of this deal,' MacRieve grated. 'Now, Cade, why would I bargain to get a female in my bed when I can scarcely keep them out of it?'

Mari raised her brows, knowing she was catching only the very surface of this conversation. She also sensed Cade was merely waiting for the time to strike.

As she crossed to MacRieve, he put her things back in her bag and smugly patted the ground beside him. She sank down farther away than indicated, but he simply dragged her closer. 'She's accepted her lot,' he told the others as he handed Mari a broad leaf covered in flaking fish. 'Agree you will no' interfere on our journey.' A rich, sliced avocado followed.

'Mariketa, you don't have to do this,' Tera said, even as she kept eyeing the food.

Mari put her chin up. 'No. I'll do it. If I survived something so distasteful as confinement with the incubi, I should be able to tolerate even a Lykae for a couple of days.'

Tierney said, 'Well, I'm not waiting for an engraved invitation.' When he and Tera attacked the offering, Cade strode from the cave, looking murderous.

'I'll get back at you for this,' Mari whispered to MacRieve. 'I don't have to use magick to make you sorry for trying to humiliate me.'

'I thought your 'tube of lipstick' might bring you round. And I dinna even have to turn it on.'

Her cheeks burned anew. 'Are you done?'

'Canna say.' Moments passed, then he leaned down near her ear to murmur, 'After you eat, I'm going to enjoy giving you a nice, long bath... '