Broomstick Breakdown

and people always said there was no time like the present. He trotted out onto the path a few paces ahead of her and turned to face her.

He had a moment to see her eyes widen before she let out a piercing shriek.

Oops. Maybe not such a good idea.

Chapter Six

Sophia recovered quickly from her fright when she realized the beast in front of her was only a wolf and not a demon. A wolf she could handle, even if this one was huge with bright green eyes that seemed somehow familiar.

“Shoo, you overgrown mutt,” she said as she waved her hands. She could have sworn the wolf’s eyes rolled in mirth, and instead of leaving, it sat down.

Well, that wouldn’t do. She wasn’t stupid enough to try and walk around it and give it an easy target. Her body still thrummed with magic from the ceremony, so it was a simple matter to pull some into her palm to flick at the wolf, intending to sting it on the nose and send it scampering.

The power, however, when it came in contact with the shaggy beast didn’t even startle it, and now the fear came creeping back. What kind of creature is this that my magic doesn’t affect it?

The hairy wolf’s form began to shimmer as another shape began pushing through. Not waiting to see what it turned into, she whirled and ran, her only thought to head back to the clearing and hopefully run into some more senior witches with more powerful magic. She didn’t get far before steel band-like arms wrapped around her midsection and lifted her, which left her feet pedaling in midair.

That didn’t stop her from kicking and thrashing. “Let me go! You don’t know who you are messing with.”

“Oh, I know exactly who and what you are,” said a velvety and familiar voice.

Sophia froze. “Aidan?” Impossible. I spelled him and watched him drive away. Then the deeper realization hit. “You’re not human!” she accused.

His arms loosened, and she whirled around to glare at him. Even her annoyance at his deception couldn’t stop heat from spreading through her limbs. He came back. And without a stitch of clothing! Sophia’s blush warmed her cheeks, and she made sure to keep her eyes trained on his face and not the wickedly tempting expanse of naked flesh standing within reach.

“No, I’m not human, and you’re a witch.”

Okay, so we both hid what we are. The more important question is why did he come back? Knowing he was a shapeshifter explained why her spell of forgetfulness hadn’t worked. It didn’t explain, however, why he went along with her commandeering of him as a chauffeur in the first place. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Why?”

“For the same reason I drove you. You’re my mate.”

Sophia could have caught flies, her mouth dropped open so wide. “No way.”

“Yes way.” He smiled at her again, his teeth flashing white. “Now, do you mind if we go discuss this somewhere more comfortable.”

She could read his meaning in his eyes, and her cleft moistened in response. As if sensing her arousal, his nostrils flared and his eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. Sophia took a step back and shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ve read about shifters and this whole mate thing. You want to get me alone so you can bite me and make me your sex slave. Sorry, but I am so not doing that.”

“Mmm. My sex slave, eh? You make it sound like such a bad thing.” His wicked grin made her nipples tighten, and it took a lot of willpower not to tackle him and ravish his naked body. Willpower didn’t stop her aroused sex from leaking down her leg, though. Talk about distracting.

“So, you don’t deny you want to mark me?” She tugged at her anger, her indignation, anything to fight his erotic pull.

“Oh, I want to mark you all right, sweetheart, and not just with my teeth. But don’t worry, when I do bite you, I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

“But I don’t want you to.”

“Your body says differently.”

Sophia stamped her foot. “Lust has nothing do with this. Sex is something I can walk away from. You forcefully binding me to you isn’t. I won’t allow it.”

Aidan’s face darkened. “So, I guess it was okay to spell me and force me to take you here?”

Sophia winced, then straightened as she realized he was trying to make her feel guilty. “That was different. I used you for one day, yes, I admit that. You’re talking about a heck of a lot longer. So, the answer is no. Now go before I call my sisters.”

He shook his head. “I’ll leave, but you’re coming with me.”

Sophia opened her mouth to scream and call her sisters for help, but he clamped a hand over her mouth. You’ve got to be kidding me. How dare he!

She bit him, hard, but he didn’t even flinch. The sound of ripping fabric filled the air as he tore a strip from the sleeve of her robe and a moment later he stuffed his makeshift gag into her mouth and tied it in place. She glared daggers at him, but he just shrugged unapologetically.

“You’ll thank me later.”

Then the jerk slung her over his shoulder. Initially when her face brushed the naked-scorchingly lickable-skin of his back, she forgot to breathe. But common sense returned quickly and she pummeled his bare back and kicked her feet. He responded with a firm whack to her bottom.

He spanked me! Enraged, she went nuts on him, but several more resounding slaps on her ass later, she finally gave up. Not only had she not managed to even come close to escaping his iron grip, her ass now throbbed painfully-even more disturbing, her pussy throbbed too. With pleasure.

Oh, I am going to make him pay when I get free. Angry words and intentions, and yet her body still betrayed her, pulsing with heat and arousal.

* * * *

Aidan didn’t know he was going to kidnap her until Sophia flat-out refused to even consider being his mate. Usually a reasonably level-headed man, he went a little crazy-maybe he’d blame it on hormones like the women in the pack did.

Whatever the reason, he gagged her when she would have screamed her pretty face off and carried her struggling like a hellcat to where he’d parked his truck. He’d be lying if he claimed he hadn’t enjoyed smacking her full bottom, a practice he’d heard of but never partaken of before. He did note for future reference, though, the effectiveness of the punishment. Not only did she end up behaving, but her arousal spun around him in a heavy perfume. If only he dared seduce her like his body clamored to, but so close to her sisters, he didn’t dare. He needed to get her away from here so he could work on convincing her that pairing up with him wouldn’t be as horrible as she thought. Sex slave indeed. She didn’t seem to realize that the crazy desire she felt went two ways.

With her no longer fighting him, he made quick work of the distance between the woods and his truck. It amazed him actually in retrospect that no other witches had come across them during their disagreement. I wonder if my new friend, the dragon, played a part in that. Although it would have been funny to see what they thought of a naked man kidnapping a witch.

He arrived at his truck and opened the passenger door, then placed her on the seat. As he rounded the truck to climb in the other side, she used her unbound hands to open the door and she jumped out.

He sensed more than heard her cry of pain as the little idiot turned her ankle when she hit the ground. In seconds, he was by her side where she sat in the gravel, rubbing her ankle. She tried to shrivel him with a glare, but he shook his head at her.