Magic Side: Wolf Bound Complete Series: Books 1-4, page 107
He kicked the door to his bedroom open. It banged against the wall, but Jaxson kept moving past his bed into the bathroom. Flicking on the light, he set me on the countertop. I sucked in air, my breasts heaving and blood pumping. He traced my swollen lips with his thumb, desire and possessiveness written all over his face.
Fuck.
“I knew the moment we first met that I had to have you.” Jaxson’s rough voice skated over my heated skin, sending a volley of shivers in its wake. He slid his hands up my thighs, parting my legs. My pulse quickened, and I reached forward, gripping his bloodied shirt and pulling him toward me.
“I knew you were trouble,” I said, peering up at him.
Dangerous, delicious trouble. I’d rebelled against him from the start, but in this moment, I was ready to submit to the beast.
His lips pulled into a knowing grin. “Trouble attracts trouble.”
Kneeling between my legs, he removed one boot and then the next, all the while his eyes never left mine. Seeing him down there sent all sorts of dirty thoughts through my mind. My core throbbed, and I sucked in a shaky breath.
The lights flickered, casting Jaxson’s features in shadow. His body was a map of hard angles, muscle, and power—a heady concoction that made my head swim and heat pool low in my belly. This man was devastation and sin. I wasn’t sure which one I needed right now.
Maybe both.
Rising, he slowly moved his hands up my thighs to my waist, gently dragging my sweat-stained shirt over my head. Tossing it aside, he gazed down at me, his pupils dilating as they settled on my black lace bra. His fingers traced the outline of my breast and drifted down my skin until he found the top button to my jeans. For a second, his fingers paused.
My heart thundered in my ears, and I swore I could hear his, too, matching my own. I nodded assent, and he set the button free.
Every move he made filled me with the agony of anticipation. He was taking his time, cherishing every moment, but I needed him in me then and there. God knew how little time we had left together. Suddenly, I felt like I’d wasted every moment of my life that we’d been apart.
I sure as hell wasn’t going to squander one more second. I leaned back on the gray marble counter, lifted my hips, and started shimmying my jeans and panties down over my ass. The cold surface stung my flushed butt cheeks, and I sucked in a sharp breath. “I need you now. I’ve needed you always.”
23
Savannah
Jaxson’s eyes dilated at my bare flesh, and he grasped my jeans and dragged them the rest of the way off.
“Fuck,” he whispered, dropping my clothes, staring at my nakedness. “You’re going to be the end of me, Savy.”
Without taking his eyes off me, he reached over and turned on the water in the walk-in shower beside us.
Desire pulsed off him, and I couldn’t ignore the bulge in his pants. Licking my lips, I cast him a vixen smile. “I hope not. There are so many things I want to do to you.”
Gripping the bottom of his shirt, I tugged it up over his head and threw it to the ground.
“Show me,” he growled, pulling me off the counter in a swift movement.
I fumbled with the button of his jeans and slid them off, my need burning when I took in his naked body. He must have seen the lust in my eyes, because when I looked up, he had a devilish grin on his face.
Then he pulled me to him, unclipping my bra and slipping off the straps as he trailed kisses down my neck. The bra dropped to the floor, and he palmed one of my breasts, taking the other in his mouth. I gasped when he grazed my nipple with his teeth, and then his hand moved down my stomach, dipping between my thighs.
“Savy…” he growled, feeling the slickness at my center. He gripped my ass cheeks, and with a single motion, he hiked me up to his hips.
He stepped into the shower, still holding me, and I gasped as gloriously hot water rushed over my back.
But all I could think of was his hard length pressed against my tummy, and I couldn’t help but move against it. The emptiness ached inside me, begging to be filled.
“Please, Jax,” I whispered.
“Please what?” He nipped my ear, sending flames down my neck.
“Take me.”
Greed flashed through his eyes, and he obeyed. His mouth claimed mine, his touch hard and urgent. I met his kisses with equal measure, my nails digging into his back as I pulled him closer, needing to close the distance between us.
I gasped as he pressed my back to the cold tile, and then a moan slipped from my mouth when he reached around and his fingers slipped inside of me. My hips bucked against his hand as his thumb rubbed me just where I needed him to. “More,” I rasped.
He lifted my hips and positioned his length at my center. I whimpered as he pushed into me, slowly, nudging himself deeper.
My God.
Pain and pleasure arced through me, and the world and all its problems faded away.
I had been running for so long, I’d lost all sense of direction. I’d been stumbling and hurtling through life, just trying to keep both feet moving. But finally, I’d found the thing I’d been running toward all along.
“I need you, Jax,” I whispered. “Not for this moment, or tonight. But every moment that’s going to come after.”
He pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m yours. I always have been.”
I knew then that we would only be complete together.
I began moving my hips against him. With a shudder, he growled low, then pulled out and slammed into me. I dragged my fingers down his back, tugging him to me, desperate to join our bodies.
How had the fates known exactly what I needed, and who I needed to pull me from the darkness? Whatever happened next outside the walls of Jaxson’s penthouse didn’t matter. He had restored my faith in one thing, at least: someone, somewhere was looking out for me, and there was a plan for us.
Bracing one arm against the tile, the other on my hip, Jaxson fell into a rough rhythm, our bodies slick and moving in tandem. He fucked me hard, and I met each thrust, needing more. I was more synchronized with him than I’d ever been. My fears and doubts melted away, and soon, nothing existed but the two of us, complete in each other. Every movement we made left me with no doubt that I was made for his arms, and that he was made for me.
How had I ever run from this?
I kissed him with everything I had, claiming him as my own.
I tried to hold on, preserving this moment for as long as I could, but pleasure swelled until I couldn’t resist it any longer.
I split apart.
My back arched off the wet tile, my vision darkening as flames ripped through me. Jaxson grunted and thrust deeply, rocking into me as a roar tore from his throat and his muscles flexed.
He buried his face in my neck, our bodies heaving as we came back down together. “My gods,” he said gruffly, a hint of astonishment in his voice.
My gods was right.
Every muscle in my body was weak and quaking, but just being next to him gave me the strength I needed.
He pressed gentle kisses along my jaw, and I felt his smile against my skin. “You’re mine, Savy.”
“And you are mine.” I turned my head and found his lips, and we kissed, long and slow. No longer desperate, but savoring every sensation.
This man. He was everything.
Jaxson
There are moments in life that we know will change the course of things. A decision. An action. A twist of fate that alters everything and sets into motion a cascade of events, for better or worse.
The night I stepped into that shithole bar and laid eyes on Savannah. The day she decided to seek out her family and ended up in Magic Side. Those moments had changed everything.
Pressing a kiss to her lips, I set Savannah down on her feet. She was a vision. Water cascaded down her curves, and when she smiled up at me, my heart stilled. Her eyes were no longer stormy and blazing like the tempest outside, but calm and complete.
It was a feeling I shared—one that I’d never felt so strongly before.
Savannah took the loofah and lathered it with soap. Reaching up, she began to clean the lingering blood and grime that coated my skin. As she stepped behind me, she pressed a kiss to my shoulder, whispering, “Thank you,” before she continued scrubbing my back.
“For what?” I asked.
“For being exactly what I needed.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling the fortune teller’s tent where I’d had my first glimpse of Savannah through a crystal ball. The seer had drawn three cards for my fate. The second had been a woman subduing a lion by gripping it by its jaws. The card for Strength.
Turning, I took the loofah from Savy, soaped it up again, and began to wash her. The fates never chose the easy paths for mortals, but they were always the paths they needed to follow.
“You’ve always been exactly what I needed. I just was too blind to see it,” I said.
Trepidation flickered in her beautiful eyes, and she swallowed hard and looked away. “I know you never wanted a mate, Jax. And if that’s still the case, I understand.”
She had no fucking idea, did she? Once, that had been the truth. After seeing what Stephanie’s death had done to my brother-in-law, I swore to reject my fated mate, if I had one. But something had flicked on when I’d met Savannah, something that made me feel alive again. And the truth was, it terrified the shit out of me, feeling this way about someone.
I ran my fingers along her jaw. “No. I never wanted a mate until I met you. You changed everything.”
She turned her face and kissed my palm, and when she looked back up at me, there was a hint of smile.
My heart swelled. Maybe we were crazy. Maybe we were doomed. But I didn’t give a damn. Savannah was my mate, and I chose her.
We finished up, and I stepped out of the shower, grabbing two towels from the closet. Securing one around my waist, I wrapped the other around her bare body. Desire flared, and she must have sensed it, because she cast me a wicked grin as she took her towel off briefly and rubbed the drips from her wet hair.
Thunder raged outside, and rain drummed against the window in my bedroom.
Barely decent once more, Savannah took a step forward, tracing her fingers over my collarbone. “I hope you’re not going to just tuck me into bed and then leave again.”
Her citrus sunshine scent made my head spin. Intoxicating. Those lips, plump and inviting to be devoured.
I shook my head. The last time we’d fucked and showered, I’d put her in my bed and left. Propriety or not, I’d been an asshole. “There is no way I’m leaving you tonight,” I said, my voice rough.
She turned and walked into my bedroom, then glancing over her shoulder, she let the towel slide, revealing nothing but bare skin. Lightning streaked, casting Savannah in a brilliant glow. My mouth went dry as my eyes devoured the sight. Her damp crimson hair fell down her sleek back as she climbed up and kneeled on my bed, her toned thighs and round ass on full display.
“Well, then, alpha. Come and claim me,” she said, peering over her shoulder at me with a come-hither smile.
Fucking hell.
24
Savannah
Savannah. His voice moved through me like quicksilver. Crawling beneath my skin and clawing at my mind.
The Dark God.
You are mine, Savannah. Submit, and I will spare your friends and mate. Resist, and…
My claws reached out to rip into Sam’s throat.
I gasped and jerked awake. Fear thrummed through me, and my chest rocked up and down with heavy breaths, but Jaxson’s arm pulled me tightly against him. My heart was hammering, but Jaxson’s steady breathing and the warmth of his skin against my back returned me to the present.
The air felt like ice and the faint traces of smoke lingered. I wanted to believe it was only a nightmare, but I knew better. Dreams were the Dark God’s domain, and he’d just put an ultimatum on the table. Submit, or else.
Sam, Casey, and my aunt. I’d turned on them all. I was certain that it had been his influence from the start, and he was only growing stronger.
My pulse quickened as rage coursed through my blood. I will never submit.
Careful not to wake Jaxson, I gently lifted his arm off me as I slid to the edge of the bed. My heart ached at how soundly he was sleeping. I leaned forward and kissed his lips, but he didn’t stir. More than anything, I wanted to crawl back into his arms and bury myself in his warm embrace, but dark thoughts had taken root, and there was no way I could shut off my mind.
The storm had passed, but the sky was still cast in shadow. It had to be late, almost morning. I crept into the bathroom, pulled a white bathrobe from the closet, and then slipped out of the room.
What was it about the middle of the night that made the darkest thoughts stir?
The witching hour.
Quite literally, because I was bewitched by the damn Dark Wolf God. I scoffed as I padded down the stairs into the kitchen. My body ached from the intense lovemaking Jaxson and I had done. Warmth pooled in my belly as I touched my lips, which were still swollen and slightly bruised.
But then the wound on my shoulder began to burn, and he was in my thoughts again, breaking through from the world of dreams. Your wolf has submitted to me. It’s time that you do.
“Get out of my mind, you bastard,” I hissed. Making my will like iron, I pushed as hard against him as I could.
Eventually, the pain in my shoulder subsided, and the sensation of his presence faded.
Wolfie? I asked, hope welling in my stomach for a moment—but there was no response.
Despair tore at me. The fucker had taken up residence in my soul, and somehow, he’d taken control of my wolf. But I knew she would never submit. As different as we were, in that, we were the same.
Wolfie had to be in there, fighting back. I knew it.
The Moon’s words repeated again and again in my mind. He severed a part of your wolf’s soul. That missing shard is his way in, like a gap in your armor. Through it, he can take possession of your wolf, and through her, he will take control of you.
Yet the goddess didn’t have any idea how to fix it.
What the hell was I going to do? How could I be sure that I wouldn’t attack Sam again? Or Jaxson? Or Casey? My gut twisted, and shame burned my eyes.
Thoughts thrashing through my mind, I paced the kitchen until pink and orange hues lit up the sky over the lake. If I couldn’t stop the Dark God from taking control, it wouldn’t just be my friends or Jaxson who’d be in danger—it would be the whole city.
Dread coiled like a constrictor around my heart, and I found that I could no longer escape the truth: no matter the cost, I had to shut the door. And there was only one way to do that.
But could I bring myself to do it?
Jaxson appeared in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of sweats, powerful and gorgeous. My breath hitched, and my throat suddenly went dry.
He wasn’t going to like my plan, but I couldn’t do it behind his back. I wouldn’t. What we’d shared last night had changed everything. We were mates, and I needed him at my side as much as I knew he needed me.
He must have sensed my unease because he frowned, and concern flooded his expression. “What is it, Savy?”
Chest aching, I bit my lip. “He spoke to me again in my dreams. Threatening all of you. We’re out of options. I need to sever the Dark God’s power over my wolf before it’s too late.”
“We’ll find a way to heal your wolf,” he said, his eyes dropping to the wound on my shoulder.
“There’s no time. His control is getting stronger. He won’t let me give up the Soul Knife, and I wouldn’t have been able to push him out in the Dreamlands without your help. We have to do this now, and we have to be sure.”
“What are you suggesting?”
I stared at him, my pulse pounding. Why couldn’t I say it? It was despicable, and shame burned my throat.
Jaxson’s eyes turned dark, his features lethal. “No.”
He knew.
“It’s the only way, Jax.” My voice cracked as a sob lodged in my throat. “He’ll take over again and try to stop us. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hurt you or Sam or Casey again.”
“I’m not letting you bind your wolf.” He strode across the kitchen, his voice cold and sharp as glass.
Thinking about binding Wolfie was one thing, but hearing Jaxson say the words sent bile up my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut. “It’s the only way.”
“Bullshit.” Jaxson slammed a mug down as he started the coffeemaker.
I walked over to him. He was gripping the counter and looking down, and I placed my hand over his. “You have no idea how much she means to me. This is the last thing I want to do, but that fucker is in my thoughts. His hold over my wolf is getting stronger.”
“Anything but that, Savy,” he said solemnly.
His breath heated my cheek, and the weight of what I was about to do cut deep. Wolfie would be pissed and hurt, but what other choice did I have? She’d gone silent, and I couldn’t communicate with her.
“It’s the only way I can stay in control.” I squeezed Jaxson’s arm and slipped out of his hold. “Once we get the missing part of my soul back, I’ll have Laurel remove the binding spell.”
Jaxson’s fury was palpable, electric and all-consuming, like it was sucking the air from the room. He looked over at me, a storm raging in his eyes. “I can understand Laurel doing this, but you? Can you really do that to your wolf after all she’s been through?”
Another sob lodged in my throat, and I sucked in a sharp breath. I knew that Jaxson wasn’t intentionally rubbing salt on the wound in my heart—he was just laying out the facts—but it hurt just the same.
“I must,” I whispered. “She’ll understand.”
Jaxson raised his brows. “Will she? The betrayal will cut deeply.”
I lifted my chin, but my body was trembling. “My wolf isn’t there anymore. When I speak to her, the Dark God responds. When I tried to hand over the Soul Knife, he wouldn’t let me. I have no choice.”
